The Gen 2 Fusion (2010-12) recommendation someone else had is also a solid one. The 6F35 maybe a bit of a gamble if it’s not been maintained at all. And then there’s the EPAS issue - maybe try and get one that’s not had the recall done yet. But these seem to last long and there are plenty of used examples.
Final recommendation I would have is the 2008-11 Focus. They are quite reliable and can be had somewhat cheap too. I have a base 08 S with manual everything and it’s been very reliable. It’s got old school hydraulic PS and it’s quieter than the corolla on worn concrete freeways. That being, the interior on the Corolla is a leaps and bounds nicer than the cheap plastic interior of the Focus.
I believe the 2010-2012 is considered facelifted first gen, with the second gen starting in 2013.
My daughter-in-law has I 2010 and I briefly owned a 2013. The 2013 is a much nicer car, in my opinion. The small turbo engines in the second gen are iffy (although probably great on gas for a long highway commute). The 2.5 that I had was running great at 175k miles. The six-speed transmissions can have a sloppy 2-3 shift though. I got my 2013 cheap because the rack was bad, but I was able to swap in a junkyard rack that worked fine.
I agree on the 2008-2010 Focus, although the 2010 that I worked on is too loud on the highway to be my pick.