best new car for money and mpg's

[jkp1187]

I agree with sticking with the Malibu, if it's not giving you problems, and you find it comfortable to drive. It's always cheaper to stick with an older car than buy a newer one.

If you must have a new car for whatever reason, and especially one that you plan to spend a lot of time in, it is important to look at fuel economy. But I'd also suggest that you also consider comfort over long trips as well. My recommendation would be to set a 'floor' of average MPG beyond which you don't want to go, and take a serious look at the various cars that might suit your needs (e.g., Insight, Prius, Jetta TDI, Golf TDI, etc.,) and go and test them, see if YOU LIKE driving them. If not, I suggest that it's a waste of time and money to spend more than, say, $10,000, on any car that you're not completely satisfied with.