Soo i just got myself a new job at a nice place. My only problem is that this nice place is about a 94 mile round trip from my home, all highway and while i love the jeep for its ability to go anywhere im having a hell of a time affording the gas, so its time for a daily driver.

i know this has probably been asked a lot but I need some suggestions because every time i look for one i end up trying to buy a truck, which wont help. My price range is 3000-5000 and no hondas, any suggestions for something good on gas and actually fun. Thanks

P.s. im a big fan of modifying cars

 

My DD when I had a really long commute was a VW Jetta. 4 cylinder 1.8L with a 5 speed. It got 30+ MPH& was a blast to drive.

I now work 5 min from my house & roll a Jeep Commander

 

Lets see fuel-efficient and fun for <$5k and no Hondas, a few off the top of my head:

Nissan Sentra SE-R
Hyundai Tiburon
Ford Focus ZX (you may be able to get a 1st gen ST for less than $5k too, but they are hard to find)
Chevrolet Cobalt SS (cheap, quick, good handling, but cheap plastic everything)
Scion TC / Toyota Celica GT
Ford Contour SVT (hard to find)
Mazda 626 (V6 manual is best and still reasonably efficient)
Mazda 3

 

I'll second the Mazda3. I've rented 3 of them. Two 2008s and a 2014.

 

You know what i never though of the fords and never knew they made a contour svt, i should keep an eye out for one of them

 

My little DD is a 98 Escort ZX2 with the 5 speed. Been a very reliable car. Only left me stranded twice when I let the timing belt run until it broke. Non-interference, so line everything up, throw a new belt on and it's good to go again. Has a reputation for going through alternators, but mine is only on it's 3rd, and though you can barely see it with the hood open, its actually not hard to change. Fun to drive and good on gas if a 2-door works for you. With the right tires it's good on ice, but if we get a dumping of snow, the Cherokee takes over until the plows have a chance to do their thing. The only issue is much like the XJ, they haven't been made in a while so finding one in good shape can be tricky, especially in rust country.

 

The big thing with escorts and 1st gen focus' is to make sure to get one with the zetec engine (Escort ZX2, Focus ZX/ZTS) those are pretty solid, the CVH engine used in the base models was known to drop valve seats (especially late 90s to early 00s models). Note: in 2005 all models of the Focus switched to the Duratec which is also very solid.

 

since you brought up fords, another cheap "performance" option could be a taurus sho. theyre pretty sweet, and they made a focus svt also. i can also vouch for the cobalt ss, my buddy had a saturn ion redline (essentially the same car) and it was nice. another option could be a neon srt 4. tcs look nice, but dont have much power unless you can afford to boost it. i also support thr mazda 3 (preferably speed3).
another option im surprised nobody brought up was vw jettas/passats/golfs. jettas have a huge aftermarket following. or maybe a subbie impreza/wrx. (sti would probably go out of your price range) but awd is always fun!

 

and how about toyota corolla 2003 or 2004? it's a nice car and you can find a good less than 5k deal on it