Look in the newspapers or drive around neighborhoods populated by older people. You should look for a car about 10 years old, give or take. Older people tend to take much better care of their vehicles and don't drive them much. You can find mid-sized or full-sized vehicles for 3000 to 5000 dollars, low milage, outstanding condition, and many times you will find these people have kept all the maintenance records on them. A vehicle of this size with a V-6 engine almost certainly will get 30+ mpg on the road. Also, you will get a tremendous break in insurance because it's an older vehicle, probably not a sports car, doesn't have a "high performance engine" and, if you pay cash for it you will not have to carry full coverage (just liability). If you have to finance it, then you will still get an insurance break because you will only need to carry full coverage until it's paid off, which won't take as long as a new vehicle 3 to 5 times the price.

I don't know WHY this question was DRed. It's a VERY valid question that MANY people are asking these days. The Chief's answer give you some good advice. http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/3315457 You may also want to check out some of the used car lots in your area. Look for low-mileage vehicles with no obvious damage, look them over WELL (for scratches, cracks, breaks, etc.) and take any you're interested in on a test drive - Radio off. Listen for ANY sounds you don't believe are correct. Make sure the tires are worn evenly and still have plenty of tread. DO NOT let the salesman talk you into the first or second car you see. Look in more than one lot. (Spend a day looking around... Get the prices, keep track of the lots the cars you liked are on, then go home, look up each make/model/year you've checked on the 'net for problems, mileage, anything else you worry about, etc., and decide. Give yourself 2-3 options. Go back to the lots. If the cars are no longer then, it just wasn't meant to be for you. Go to the next on your "top 5" list. Understand that a single year difference in models can be completely different. (Tried on a car one year with lots of room. Next year tried on the same model, but one year newer, and I didn't fit. They'd changed the cab, even though the salesman kept insisting they were the same. He finally checked, and found out they WEREN'T.) Good luck. ;-)