On my first long trip (Tucson to Guadalajara) I obtained 36.9 miles per gallon with air conditioning on. It was a three day trip and included some city driving although most was on high speed (70 mph plus) toll roads in Mexico.
I paid $11,500 cash, which included air conditoning and stereo radio and CD system. This was at least $1,000 less than I would have paid for a Ford Focus which I was also considering.
With the rear headrests off and the backseats down there is plenty of cargo space--about as much as you could put in a compact pick-up truck.
