Ford Escort over the other choices, not sure if you like Japanese cars but it's hard to beat a Honda/Acura or Toyota/Lexus in terms of reliability, of course if you go Acura or Lexus expect to spend more money simply because they are the luxury branch of their parent manufacturers. But really it's just a matter of deciding, how far is your commute, how many miles will you put on it, how efficient is it, what is the cost of maintenance and other fees, and of course what you want or are looking for in a car/truck.