You mean I shouldn't get one or they don't make them? Cuz I've seen 'em with the 3.8 series II. They even have have "3800" badging on the side.

Right now I'm kinda leaning towards an Alero. There'* a dealership that has 5 2004'*. 4 door, 2.2 ecotec, spoiler, alloys, factory warranty, under 30,000 miles. They're running a special on them for $8888.

Those cars seem much smaller than the minivan you are replacing...? Is passenger & cargo space not an issue? I'd check out all the 4-doors you mentioned, and compare the space that each one has. That sounds like a pretty good price on slightly-used Aleros. SSEimatt93 has had his '02 Alero for several months now, you might want to PM and see what he thinks of it.

Check out carsurvey.org to read unbiased opinions on various models.

If you're getting it for a female and want to be confident in the vehicles reliability (so as not to leave her stranded somewhere), you may want to STRONGLY consider going a Japanese car. As we all know they are often the kings of reliability, and any Consumer Reports magazine will back this up. Check out the old Japanese standbys like the Camry, Accord, Corolla, etc. Though I don't enjoy the thought of buying foreign myself, I can appreciate their tendency to run well day in and day out. That, or get something with the 3800 so you can work on it yourself, or at least reference the BClub for maintenance issues. Happy hunting!

Cargo space is not an issue. No kids, and no plans on them for quite a few years. Anyways, the bonnie is more than enough car for kids. The minivan was just a hand-me-down from her mom.
As far as fixability, I'm not concerned. I've just about got my associates degree in automotive repair, and I'm taking one of the ASE tests in a couple of weeks.

DONT GET AN ALERO!!! SAVE YOUR SELF THE DAMNED GRIEF!
Ahh, thats better.
at carsurvey.org the Alero did horrible, i see why now.