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I appreciate the suggestions! I will definitely look into them all. I'd like to mod the Impala, but its got about 300k miles on it and will probably be due for another transmission soon. If I go W Body to W body, a WAI and pretty much any other mods should cross over. I'll look closer at the Buicks in particular.
I'll check out the 4 cyl Malibu, but my wife has a Saturn Aura with the 3.6/6 speed auto and that has kinda turned me off to the Epsilon chassis GMs. Despite being smaller and lighter (tighter too) it gets atrocious MPG anywhere besides the freeway. In mixed I can get about 25 out of it, 35 on a road trip, but she averages from 15-18 in mostly city driving. With the 6 it seems to be geared almost too tall, as it kicks down to 5th if there is a breeze or even the slightest incline.
Whatever I get will get some aero tweaks. I feel like aero is going to be more important for me than weight- I have even been considering a Prius and going through with one of the Dynamat alternatives to quiet it down.
My parents have an '08 impala with the 3.9 and have had issues with the variable valve timing- strange surging issues (without any codes) and pretty poor mpgs. I can get about 25 out of it in on my commute, but at the speeds I travel it is always kicking back and forth between 3 and 6 cylinders. Maybe with cleaner aero it would stay in 3 cyl mode... who knows.
My wife wants me to get the 3 series, and if I do, even though it sounds like the six speeds can knock down the MPG I am looking for (quietly) I think my cost per mile would be higher. I'll get this focus sold and keep looking!
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