I'm looking for something <$2000 with 4 seats and great FE. The obvious FE champion is a Metro, but I thought I'd ask and see what else is out there. I spend a lot of time working on Hondas but I'm sure I could adapt.
She tends to like older boxy cars, which doesn't in my mind mesh well with "aerodynamic". Think VW Rabbit. I talked her out of getting a gasser Volvo, and she was mooning over a Honda 600 on Craigslist a few days back.
I'm a bit wary of getting something too old and odd, for fear of not being able to find reasonably priced parts, and I think there's probably a lot going for a modern powertrain. At the same time, I'd like to own something a little more interesting than a 90's Civic.
Thoughts, suggestions? I'd be fairly content with the idea of a Metro, but what else ought I look at that has some high FE potential?
As an aside, Minimania.com sells conversion kits for classic Mini's that would allow you to drop a CRX HF motor/tranny, or even a Honda K series, right in without much issue. I'd love to own a classic mini, but it's both a bit out of my ideal pricerange (maybe at a later date) and I don't suppose a Mini Cooper has a terribly good Cd anyway.