I am glad that you have a mechanic you can use. Let him check out any car that you might be interested in. You might also check out some of the review sites such as this one
2006 Nissan Maxima. It is better to be educated on any product. As far as the Honda and Toyota goes, sometimes the used cars are priced too high. See if they will come down (if they really want a sale they will - lots of room in used cars). You might even check the papers and look for an individual selling one. With that said, any car can be a lemon.
Even the best cars have problems at some time. I feel for you. Car shopping stinks. Lol. Again good luck!