Car Decisions

My totaled Ford Fiesta was towed today, so I am now officially - but hopefully only temporarily - without a car.  Though I am driving a rental - a Nissan Sentra, which in theory is a compact but which seems more like a mid-size car to me.  Which is why, when it comes to a new car, I think I will go for a sub-compact much like the Fiesta.  But not another Fiesta - because the transmission sucked.  I am remarkably unsure about what budget to give myself for a new car, and which year, make and model to go for - do I even consider a pre-used car, or specifically a certified pre-used car, in the hope of saving a bit of money?  Or do I even consider upgrading to a compact - I have been looking at the Honda Civic, which has remarkably good reviews.  This may be a performance upgrade from a Honda Fit, which is what I have also been looking at and which I think is still my first choice, but I think I prefer the size of a Fit - for example for squeezing into the tight parking spots in the work garage.  But I don't have much time to make a decision - insurance will only pay for 10 days of car rental - so I really need to decide, find, haggle and buy a car this week.  Fun.