[quote name='gr8asianman']I vote Subaru. I haven't had any issue with mine in the past five years I've owned it. It's pretty stylish, has some power and all wheel drive.[/QUOTE]
OP wants a *new* car. No way will he find a new Subaru for ballpark $15k, they're pricey for what you get. Last time I was car shopping, I looked closely enough at them to know they weren't for me (I was also a ballpark $15k buyer).
In addition to the relatively high sticker price, another knock on Subaru is that, in general, their MPG performance is rather poor. Not just because many of their models are 4x4, but relative to the sticker MPG. So it's a pricey ride in that regard, too. Subaru is definitely not the way to go if economy is a concern as it is for the OP.
Hyundai
I bought a new Hyundai a few years ago for $14k and change, and it's not a tiny car by any means (wagon). Gets right at 30 MPG in mixed use. And this is the second of that model I've bought, the other was a hatchback from 10 years ago for $13k (which I'm still using).
They're good economy cars, I really don't have many complaints other than the 10 year old one seems designed to give out around 100-120k. But then all new cars are like that regardless of automaker, they just don't design them to last. The first Hyundai I got had a really aggressive warranty, and Hyundai pared that back and increased the sticker price slightly as the brand became more popular in the USA.
Kia
Kia's also been aggressive in their pricing recently, and I test drove a Soul a few times. I didn't like them. The interiors felt especially cheap. I have a neighbor who's had good experiences with their Rondo, but I think the Rondo is more of an $18-21k vehicle (not sure). Again, even though the Rondo is a good family mobile, when you're sitting in the car, any piece of the interior feels like it might break off in your hand. The plastics are rigid, and the doors feel a little flimsy.
However, a lot of people like the Soul, and if you're one of them, you may not mind the interior. If I recall, Kia has a good warranty, too. It's a weird looking ride, fun in some ways. I wanted a manual, and that was another knock on the Soul, the manual didn't have the same "feel" as the automatic.
Ford
Another good ballpark $15k car is the Ford Fiesta/Focus (or whatever the name is of their economy compact/mid-sedan). They get great MPG and for a while they were turning up in a lot of "Best Value" lists. I drove one and didn't mind it at all, my objection was that the interior felt really cramped for what I wanted (an honest 4-passenger economy car). I think I was looking at the Fiesta, it's the one that is a direct Honda Fit competitor. This might be a really good candidate if you like the look and if Ford's still getting high value ratings on this car.
EDIT:
I realize I left out the big two, Toyota and Honda. I have a personal preference for Toyota, I'm an incredible cheapskate and the late 80s Toyota Corollas are probably my favorite cheap rides of all time, they get amazing MPG and last forever and I love the goofy, somewhat boxy look. My parents racked up a total of 420k without issue on two Corollas that they bought in '87 and '89. Love those cars. I've heard similar stories about the late 80s Honda Civics.
But both Toyota and Honda are relatively expensive in the sub $20k market, because they can really sell that brand. And they've increased the size on the famous models to sell the model name, too. So the cheap rides fall under a different model, and to be honest, they don't stand up to competitors. The Toyota Yaris was what I briefly looked at, and it was rickety and yet still $1k or so more than its competitors. It was too small, anyhow.
