First off, keep your 2002. Get a collector car policy on the insurance so it's cheap to own and then find yourself a nice, used but well maintained daily driver—something that takes gas and oil only.
In my example, I picked up a 1992 Accord from a co-worker for 1,000. It needed a wheel bearing and the timing belt was due for replacement, but it’s a DAMN FINE car for the money. The car has 180,000 and runs like new--try to do that with a Chevy Caviler. Sure--new cars are nice, but no car payment is nicer!
Another smart choice for an Asian vehicle is an older Nissan Sentra. I'm not an expert, but I believe they use timing chains not belts, a good bonus that will keep maintenance costs low.
If you are smart about it, you can also pick up a used GEO Prizm for a very good deal. The car is a bone stock Toyota Corolla with GEO emblems, and that alone usually makes it worth less because of the defunct name. $10 worth of emblems and you can change it back into a Toyota.
Also, sticking with a 1995 or older anything will keep you out of trouble with costly OBD II sensors and associated parts that fail—you can virtually say goodbye to the check engine light forever.
Good luck.
Ben