An E36 318 will get you 30 highway, probably better with some subtle mods. If you buy a really good example and keep up on maintenance it shouldn't be too bad. Of course if you're going to buy a BMW you might as well get an M, though, and that will cut into your FE in a big way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smurf
For older cars, these are some highlights of the RWD list:
92-96 Buick Roadmaster/Chev Caprice/Impala
04-08 Chrysler Crossfire
92+ Ford Crown Victoria
92-95 Ford Thunderbird
93-98 Lincoln Mark8
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If he's looking for good driving dynamics these aren't going to cut it.
An MR2 would be fun but it wouldn't be better than the BMWs, economy wise.
My friend bought a first gen Mazda Miata awhile ago and reports mid-30's MPG on the highway (EPA 21/27). Despite the "girl car" stigma, it is one of the best handling cars you can buy for the price. They mostly escaped the Fast and Furious era so you can still find really nice ones for not a lot of money. They're rather cheap to maintain too.
An S2000 would be a fantastic good time and reliable as well but don't expect MPG.
The Pontiac Solstice (also Saturn Sky) would be a good drive and the manual version is as good on highway FE as the NA Miata. The C5 Vette does almost as good.
A lot of sports cars out there get high 20's highway but you'll be hard pressed to find something that's RWD, 30 MPG
and low-maintenance. Put some mods into the above, though, and you'll see some decent numbers.