AKA What Car thread #9,782,634.
I am a long time GRM lurker looking for perhaps a unicorn. I currently am commuting around 25k miles per year and will be for the next 4 years or so. I'm looking to replace my '01 Impala 3.8 with something less boring, more efficient, and not entirely used up (Impy is approaching 300k pretty quickly). Commute is primarily highway, 70-75 mph.
I'm looking for something less than 15 years old, perhaps between $2-4k, that I can squeeze mid 30s on the highway out of without spending a car payment a month in repairs on. I have assembled the following that I think could work:
Ecotec Cobalt (or Ion) - Wife had a 5 speed, it seemed to do everything ok and actually could get out of it's own way. I am leaning towards this. I'm not afraid of plastic interiors, and I have had great luck with GMs.
Another GM 3.8 (perhaps a Grand Prix?) - May not quite hit mileage target, but comfy. I'd want to add some bigger sway bars to help tighten it up.
Civic HX - easily surpasses MPG but will it ever be any fun?
Miata - (just because its the "answer", I really would appreciate a bigger trunk though)
P71 - (second "answer"? Won't hit mileage target)
Corolla? Saturn SC2? Saab 9-3?
I would want to improve cornering ability a bit on whatever I get, as I do occasionally travel some enjoyable roads, and would like to try autocross at some point. It would be hard for anything in this category to impress me in a straight line (only 4 cylinders I have owned have been Ninjas).
Am I totally out of line? Any sweet, cheap, reliable options I am overlooking? It seems like most of the Neons around me are no longer roadworthy. Not a big Ford fan but I suppose a Focus could work. I've had terrible luck with VWs. Lower operating/repair costs would mean potentially being able to get to something I'd want to drive sooner (maybe an LS2/T56 swapped RX8, or a SS/TC Cobalt).