I need/want a new car that gets good mpg

New commute has me at about 40 miles a day. The TSX takes premium. Its eating into the budget. That, and I'm bored with it. What I really want is a convertible BMW 128i manual plug-in hybrid. Obviously this does not exist. So, what do I want?   

Requirements:   

• Budget of $10,000... But if there are any ridiculous lease deals out there (i.e. BMW i3 lease for $100 a month), let me know about those too
• Not a Prius, Yaris, Mitsubishi, VW diesel, or Nissan Versa
• If it seats 2, it has to be less than $4,000
• An arbitrary date, but newer than 2007 (safety reasons--convince me that something earlier is safe enough. I live in Chicagoland, I drive on roads where it is common to see accidents--its not me, it is the other morons on the road I'm worried about)
• If electric, the range must be at least 55 miles in the cold (0* cold)  
• Lets call it 35MPG highway as a loose limit. That isn't a hard limit, but more of a guideline

Notes:   

• I hate bad interiors, so I may say no just because I dislike the dashboard--but don't be afraid to suggest something because you think it has a bad interior. While I loathe the interior of a Prius, which was clearly designed by Speed Queen, I don't mind the interior of our 04 Tribute... which isn't a great interior.  
• I don't know diesels. If you suggest a diesel, you'll need to sell me on it. No VW diesels.   
• Reliability isn't the most important thing in the world, but operating costs are a big concern. I'm wary of BMW diesel's for instance, but maybe they're the most reliable things in the world and nothing ever goes wrong--I have no clue  

500, Abarth or not

uh... civic? maybe? your Not list basically eliminated most the obvious choices. CR-Z maybe?

Mazda3?

What are we calling "good" MPG?

Obviously not hybrid, but the manual 128i convertible should be easy to find around the price range in great condition and gets near 30mpg on the highway. Exhaust/intake manifold/tune will get you near 230-240whp.

Once I realized what the N52 engine was capable of (after I purchased my 135i) I wondered if I made a mistake in going for the N55 and DCT. Double the price and double the maintenance.

thestig99 said:

Mazda3?

 

What are we calling "good" MPG?

Huh. How'd I miss that? 35mpg highway. 

z31maniac said:

Obviously not hybrid, but the manual 128i convertible should be easy to find around the price range in great condition and gets near 30mpg on the highway. Exhaust/intake manifold/tune will get you near 230-240whp.

 

Once I realized what the N52 engine was capable of (after I purchased my 135i) I wondered if I made a mistake in going for the N55 and DCT. Double the price and double the maintenance.

This is about the one vehicle that I'm willing to go over (under) the mpg limit for. I might even go for an automatic.

2012/2013 Chevy Volts can be had right around there. They're surprisingly not awful. It's not going to be a manual 128i though.

My very much modified MS3 gets 33 mpg highway on premium on BFG Sport Comp-2's. I was able to eek 36 out of it going from Apple Valley to San Diego when it was stock on the original set of Dunlops. Takes premium though.

If you really want a 128i, get one. They are, based on my ~10 months in mine, very entertaining cars. The interior is well designed in a functional way you rarely see these days, and very comfortable. 30mpg highway is optimistic in my experience, partially because I live in a very hilly area, and partially because it's impossible not to dip into the throttle at every opportunity.

Brand-new Honda Civic Si lease - $209/month.

Chevy Cruze. Very reliable, not uncommon to see them hit 100k miles with basic maintenance, the few issues they do have are under Special Coverage to 150k/10y. With the 1.4T, they will get 40+mpg highway without breaking a sweat.

02Pilot said:

If you really want a 128i, get one. They are, based on my ~10 months in mine, very entertaining cars. The interior is well designed in a functional way you rarely see these days, and very comfortable. 30mpg highway is optimistic in my experience, partially because I live in a very hilly area, and partially because it's impossible not to dip into the throttle at every opportunity.

This, I love the layout and ergos of my 135i. Just make sure you get one with heated seats and Harmon Kardon stereo. 

To me, the E82/E88 ('vert) basically feel like a modern E30. Great visibility even on the coupes (tall greehouse), similar dimensions, but with much better power and amenities.

In reply to NickD :

Was thinking the same. My partner at work commutes in one and gets incredible fuel economy.

z31maniac said:

02Pilot said:

If you really want a 128i, get one. They are, based on my ~10 months in mine, very entertaining cars. The interior is well designed in a functional way you rarely see these days, and very comfortable. 30mpg highway is optimistic in my experience, partially because I live in a very hilly area, and partially because it's impossible not to dip into the throttle at every opportunity.

This, I love the layout and ergos of my 135i. Just make sure you get one with heated seats and Harmon Kardon stereo. 

To me, the E82/E88 ('vert) basically feel like a modern E30. Great visibility even on the coupes (tall greehouse), similar dimensions, but with much better power and amenities.

For me the must-have options are the heated seats and the sport package. The sport seats are astonishingly good.

You didn't say anything about fun factor. 

You can buy a brand new base model Elantra for your price point- local dealer is selling 2017 models with manuals for $9995. 

They are not sporty, but they are excellent commuters that handle competently, get 40 mpg, and have a 100,000 mile warranty. 

SVreX said:

You didn't say anything about fun factor. 

You can buy a brand new base model Elantra for your price point- local dealer is selling 2017 models with manuals for $9995. 

They are not sporty, but they are excellent commuters that handle competently, get 40 mpg, and have a 100,000 mile warranty. 

I'll have to look into these. 

Fun factor is less important than it normally would be. I've got a Miata for that (BMW would replace the Miata and the TSX though).

If you Hyundai dealer does not have the offer on a Elantra, look at the Kia dealer on a Forte.  The cars are nearly identical in a Camaro/Firebird or Cavalier/Sunbird sort of way.    

I'd be looking for a electric 500 or a volt. Maybe a hybrid camry/accord if in range.  Depends on how much interior space you need. Have driven both the 500 and volt and they aren't terrible.  The smokin lease deals on the "old" unimproved models leaf and egolf are probably gone by now.  At least in my hood they are, but worth a check. The 500's here were going for as low as $5k to $6k for time, but I think the market figured out they are good cars and now they are higher.

02Pilot said:

z31maniac said:

02Pilot said:

If you really want a 128i, get one. They are, based on my ~10 months in mine, very entertaining cars. The interior is well designed in a functional way you rarely see these days, and very comfortable. 30mpg highway is optimistic in my experience, partially because I live in a very hilly area, and partially because it's impossible not to dip into the throttle at every opportunity.

This, I love the layout and ergos of my 135i. Just make sure you get one with heated seats and Harmon Kardon stereo. 

To me, the E82/E88 ('vert) basically feel like a modern E30. Great visibility even on the coupes (tall greehouse), similar dimensions, but with much better power and amenities.

For me the must-have options are the heated seats and the sport package. The sport seats are astonishingly good.

Agreed. Mine has basically every option except being a 135is, which basically adds an extra radiator and a tune for more power.

Previous-gen Chevy Cruze Eco was available with a 6-speed and would knock back 42MPG on the highway. C&D actually said it was their favorite to drive of the Cruze lot too.

Lexus CT200h is beginning to dip near that price range. Basically a nicer Prius with a normal interior. HS250h is getting there too but the MPG is not as good.

Kia Optima/Hyundai Sonata Hybrids have tanked in value and are quite decent cars. There is also the oft-forgotten 2nd gen Honda Insight.

In reply to mtn :

If you want a car that will be reliable as an anvil, do great in snow(with the proper tires, of course), get great mileage, and be both practical & fun - buy a Honda Fit. You’ll see 35mpg+ easily, even with just Continental DWS it did well in snow, our maintenance costs were unbelievably low(with no unexpected repairs over ~200k!), and it was actually fun to drive. 

Definitely get a 2nd gen though, the extra ~foot in length makes a big difference. 

DD#1 just bought a pristine 2013 Ford C-Max SEL (with some extra options above that package) hybrid with around 60,000 on the clock for $12,000.  If you're willing to accept more miles and/or lower spec, you can find them for $10,000.  Because Reasons, she actively did not want the plug-in hybrid Energi version, which outnumbers the non-plug-in about 3 to 1.  If a plug-in works for you, your candidate pool opens up dramatically.

It's a really nice car for a commuter.  It's pleasant to drive, responsive, and doesn't handle like a dentist's chair.  It's roomy and comfortable inside, has great visibility, and in the SEL trim is nicely equipped.

The lifetime MPG meter was at 44.2 or so when she got it.  She reset the history and is right back in the same range.

Duke said:

DD#1 just bought a pristine 2013 Ford C-Max SEL (with some extra options above that package) hybrid with around 60,000 on the clock for $12,000.  If you're willing to accept more miles and/or lower spec, you can find them for $10,000.  Because reasons, she actively did not want the plug-in hybrid Energi version, which outnumbers the non-plug-in about 3 to 1.  If a plug-in works for you, your candidate pool opens up dramatically.

It's a really nice car for a commuter.  It's pleasant to drive, responsive, and doesn't handle like a dentist's chair.  It's roomy and comfortable inside, has great visibility, and in the SEL trim is nicely equipped.

The lifetime MPG meter was at 44.2 or so when she got it.  She reset the history and is right back in the same range.

I'm fine with the Energi. I actually was convinced I was going to start negotiating on a Fusion Energi halfway through my test drive of one... Until I popped the trunk. I'd have to assume the CMax doesn't give up as much cargo room as the Fusion does though.

The C-Max Energi loses about 3" vertically in the hatchback area, but it has more than the Fusion to start with.  It also weighs about 300 lbs more than the non-Energi version.  These are two of the Reasons indicated above.  The other is that she does not have real access to power at either end of her commute.

You'll have to decide what's important to you.  My commute is 60 miles...each way.  I've been down the road you're going, many times.  Besides the fact that I like to change cars every 18 months to 2 years, I struggled with fun vs reliability vs fuel economy vs killing a nice car vs not wanting an econobox vs everything else. 

For the past 2 years, I had a '13 Elantra coupe w/6spd.  Bought it in early summer '16 with 58k miles on the clock.  I paid something like $8700 for it.  I drove it all the way to 104,000 miles.  I developed a tremendous respect for it.  Never asked for anything other than gas, brakes, tires and oil changes.  Not fun by any stretch, but a very comfy place to spend time, good cruising car, HUGE back seat...even though it's a coupe, 34mpg even with rush hour traffic.  I loved the interior layout, really liked it.  Just simple, well done, easy to use.  I was very fond of the car.  But I was ready for a change and wanted something sportier.

One of my first "musts" was a car that didn't use premium fuel, because of how much I drive.  I was going to share the car with my wife, so we were shopping together.  Budget was higher than what you've set, around $17k.  We looked at V6 Accord, Cadenza, Azera, Avalon, Impala, Sonata, etc...I really like Hyundai stuff, and since they depreciate like a rock, you can get a low mileage CPO for an absolute steal.  But then I let my wife drive an F30 328i, and that was a game changer.  She fell in love...and so did I (not gonna lie).  However, I simply get too nervous about long term BMW reliability, given how much I drive.  So guess what we wound up with just last week?  A car that runs on premium fuel...the G37.  Yes, it eats into the budget, but berkeley it.  I work hard, want a fun car to drive and the G37 is an absolute hoot to drive.  It's everything you'd expect from a car that shares a ton with the 370Z, but with 4 doors. 

Check out the G35/37.  Yeah, premium fuel.  But reliable as gravity, fun, comfy.  You have to decide if it's worth it.  If not, my next recommendation is Hyundai/Kia, I would absolutely buy another one in a heartbeat.