I've got a pretty short history with cars, but I may as well chime in...
My parent's cars I used to drive:
1989 F150 extended cab, long box, V8 with a 3 speed auto (The Ghetto Cruiser... I've been tailgated by cops and passed by a 57' Beetle in that rolling roadblock)
9 MPG , top speed of 62 MPH.
2000 Chevy Van aka 'The Billboard' because my dad's name is plastered on the side in big green vinyl letters. Six tons of delivery van bliss...
12 MPG
My cars:
1998 Ford Taurus "Angila", aka "The Mafia Mobile"... You could fit four informants and a bag of cement in the trunk. This was my first car, bought for its weight in scrap. She's rusty, wheezy, dented, the paint's peeling, the rotors are warped, the windscreen is cracked, and none of the accessories work below 40º F (including the defroster o.0 ), but she [almost] always got me where I need to go, including 5 road trips. 25 MPG
2000 Saturn three door coupe "SCarlet" Bought for $20. She's sporty, slick looking, super fun to drive, and extraordinarily efficient with a five speed manual.
I'm back to the old Mafia Mobile because SCarlet's got some electrical problems... Oh well, for $20, I can't complain
