My god-forsaken car

Imagine this car a little more smashed up and you have my car. Also, last I saw it only had three wheels on it as apparently the engine is just a bitch to get to unless you are coming from underneath.

This car is a piece of shit but it is the only one I have and until now I did not realize how incredibly dependant on it I was. I've only been driving for about 2 years (which means, yes, my insurance is really effing expensive) and before that I was that person with her kids on the bus and train. I didn't really mind public transportation -- it just took a really long time to get anywhere.

Now I'm faced with the fact that I may be relying on public transportation once again and it really freaks me out. I live maybe 1 mile from downtown Sacramento in the Oak Park area and just that one little mile means all the difference in the bus/train routes. My kids both go to school downtown still and I work across the street from Cal Expo in one of those stupid giant office buildings (they actually refer to it as a campus now -- just sick.) Everything is pretty close and yet still basically impossible.

With all that said I have decided that in about a month I will be buying a new(er) car. My car is supposed to be paid off in about a month and so if I can get it working at all I will trade that POS in.

I know absolutely nothing about cars, buying or fixing, so this whole thing has been a learning experience. Even my friend, Wes, who has been working on my car told me to just buy a new one.

Anyhow, I like these two cars:

Ideally, I'd like a Toyota Matrix -


Alternately, a Mazda Protege5 -


To me they look like the same car, basically. I will have to do some comparison shopping...I know the Toyota is more expensive but I have no idea why.
If anyone out there knows anything about cars please, please, please help me out.