Mini Cooper non-S would be fun to drive and not bad on economy, runs on regular as well. Older cars and cheaper would be a Honda Civic Si ('99-00) (the later ones are geared too short for economy), Integra GS-R, Toyota Celica (maybe). I'd rather drive a Mini than a Prius. If I were getting a new car, I'd get a Jetta Wagon TDI. Taka