[Daschicken]

I vote civic hybrid. 1.3L with moderately tall gearing should be pretty awesome for mileage. You should be able to find one for $2000 or less, and even if you factor in that $2000 battery, you have spent $4000 on a car, not much really. The battery should last 8-10 years, maybe more if grid charged when it sits for any extended amount of time.

Civic hybrid RPMs:

70 mph: 2488
45 mph: 1599