Bought this car used for our teenage daughter, and it's a blast to drive.
Small, so easy to maneuver and park.
Gets great gas mileage.
Just rough enough for the driver to feel the road (important for new drivers).
Hard to beat Toyota reliability, and it even looks cool.
The 4 star safety rating across the board was good, but the car we have has all the air bag options, so that's even … better.
Nice sound system too which is more important to the younger crowd, and ours has the optional iPod input.
Great for shorter drivers. You sit up high more like in an SUV, so it's easier to see out of this car than my 2005 Honda Accord. Chain instead of timing belt helps keep maintenance to a min.
UPDATE - It is now 2018 and I still own this car. Two kids drove it through high school, and it is still going strong. Great little car.