
Wag mo isagad yung price sa budget mo. I usually estimate 50k or so over the purchase cost to fix things, even if the car appears perfect when you check it out.
And the Corolla and Sentra are perfect beginner's cars. Secure handling, economical running, and easy to find parts. Recent Civics are still at the upper end of your price range. As for me, I'd go for the Sentra, because you might be able to get an airbag equipped car with ABS for that price (no Hondas or Toyotas in that range have airbags... not even the 96 VTis), and the strong AC is a godsend if you've got a kid and it's 40 degrees centigrade outside.
Just make sure the model you get has rear seatbelts so you can fasten the baby chair well.