I'd go with a Mini Cooper, or a Civic Si.
I had a MT Civic, years ago. More fun to drive than a Corrola.
It wasn't *that* bad. I'll say this, no matter how hard I drove it, and I drove the hell out of it, it never broke down, and always got around 32mpg.
It was also made from recycled cans, and if you looked at it sideways, it would dent.