Looking at cars to replace my work commuter. I do about 80 miles a day round trip. Looking at Corolla, yaris, civic and fit. What a terrible time to need something. Used are the price of new and new are either vaporware or marked up. Trying to score something between 10 and 15k to pile miles on is proving difficult.
We have an 8th gen civic in the family that's been nothing but great to us. Upgraded to an android auto/apple carplay headunit for about $500 in parts and 25 minutes of my time and the car really feels modern. Timeless interior and exterior. Super easy to work on and fix, but aftermarket scene is full of janky parts, so you're best with OEM for most stuff which is more expensive. It's just a little boring to drive
Some early 3rd gen Mazda 3s (2013-2018 MY) can be had around that cheap. They're pretty inside and out, and they seem to be pretty reliable, but admittedly I don't know much about them beyond that.
a VW with a 2.5L 5 cylinder, (Mk5 Golf, Rabbit, Jetta) are also fairly reliable, not as much as the Honda or the Mazda, but they'll definitely be cheaper and it won't be as bland of a driving experience. Maintenance is certainly more expensive and it is more difficult to repair. Better aftermarket part scene, so more options for repair.
My personal favorite: VW CC - cheap, VERY comfortable, looks great. Get '12 or later for some small engine improvements. '14+ will be a bit more reliable too, still not as much as the Honda or Mazda probably. There is an AWD VR6 version that is also good and would be the most reliable (probably as reliable as the Mazda), but may be out of the price range