I bought a 1977 Honda Civic in 1985 for $500. I was in college at the
time and driving a 1968 Camaro. My Camaro got about 11mpg. Of course
my lead foot didn't do anything to conserve fuel.

The Civic was in perfect shape except for a minor tune up and new
brake pads. All that cost me less than $25. It got 35mpg. That was
great! I still say it was one of the best cars I've ever owned. I'd
like to have one today but you never see those models anymore. I liked
the primitive nature of the car.

I'll try to think of a good economy car of more recent vintage. The
probelem is, all the Jap cars of the '70s got bigger and more
luxurious in the 80s and 90s. The fuel mileage went down into the low
to mid 20s.

My girlfriend's 1991 Toyota Camry gets about 23mpg on the highway. My
1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville gets 18mpg on the highway. Believe me,
the 5 mile per gallon difference is well worth the trade off on a trip
to Florida. You cannot get comfortable in those little cars.

Forrest