 The car's not that pretty or that much fun to drive on a hot summer day compared to a BMW convertible, but it beats everything else as a daily driver/commuter.  I've gotten 750+ miles off of a single 12-gallon tank with a manual transmission (62.5 mpg).  When driving in the city for the full tank, I still get over 50 mpg.  Since the car is a diesel with gobs of torque, you don't have to downshift that often on hills, even when loaded with gear.  There is lots of room in the car, enough for three friends, a dog, and camping gear.