[backpacker3]

Have you considered any older (95-02) subarus? For example an older impreza can usually be had for pretty cheap, lot of people get around 30 mpg from them so you could probably get decent FE and, they're usually pretty easy to find a manual in.

There's also the legacy sedan which is a decent choice but I would avoid anything before 2000 because of the ej25 having pretty bad hg issues in the 90s. Unless you don't mind replacing the head gasket yourself it's not too hard and there are tons of tutorials on that on different subaru sites plus you can get the car for a lot cheaper then.

I do recommend you look into the impreza though they have the ej22 which is a awesome engine and might just be perfect for you. The hatch is also kind of similar to the metro too.