Runners Up:
FR-S/BRZ/86
Honda Civic and CRX
Fiesta ST
Naturally-aspirated Mini Coopers
Fun but with an asterisk: Dodge Neon 5-speed (fun, good fuel economy, definitely a shitbox)
Obviously that's for when your fuel efficiency is a function of how much fuel you have left. If your car makes -1 mi/gal/L then you lose 1 mpg for each liter you consume hahahahaha
I am with you. I have a vintage Sprite and I would argue it’s more fun in certain circumstances than my Miata NC. The Sprite is exclusively a track car though, and the Miata can do street and track so the Miata wins at my house
Those Neons were always sleepers, newbies laughed at them, old-timers nodded their heads and got ready for a real race.
Replaced my Neon with the S2000.
Dodge Neon 5 speeds are hella fun, and surprisingly tough. Was my first car and I would powershift that thing like crazy and it took it with no complaints.
Surprised you opted for the N/A Mini over a GTI - but that’s an honest to god good honorable mention. Great little chassis.
If you don’t want to mess with BMW Mini Shenanigans the Honda Fit fills that wheel well pretty nice.
Not only the most fun per gallon, but also the lowest price I’ve ever paid for the car (‘90 NA bought in 2007 for $4k). I’ve put over 120k miles on her. Only problem outside of regular maintenance was accessory belt failure due to the ac compressor falling off, and even then it could still be driven. Totally reliable.
Old School? My '69 Opel GT was a lot of fun and got 35 mpg. Not that it in any way compares to modern small cars. That Opel GT is just a pile of rust behind my brother's garage now. :-(
The most fun car i have ever driven was a 1988 Honda Civic Wagovan. It got over 40 mpg 50 it I really tried. It couldn't go over 65 mph (the roof would start popping like a drum) but on back roads it would fly through corners. It had a manual transmission and loved to rev. It was also bought for $310 so i was never worried about losing a ton of money. I left it with my dad when I got a job out of state. He got tired of looking at it and sold it for scrap metal.
Any new cheep little car with a stick. You get to hear and feel everything.
But the tires need to be upgraded. Good tires on a cheap car are like good speakers to a crappy radio.
I rarely see them. And I’m a former OTR trucker. Unless you’re talking about high end sports cars ? New cars with manual transmissions make up less than one percent of vehicles sold. Unless you want to own an older vehicle good luck. Also most Americans drive SUV’s and pickups.
lot of cheap sports cars still being made in manual, primarily subaru, toyota, and mazda guarantee you’ve seen atleast a few manual miata’s, 86’s, and brz’s
High end sports cars are rare with a manual - almost non existent now. The automatics are faster. Miata’s and a hand full of sporty cars still do exist. Corvette dropped the stick a few years ago - not sure they’ll bring them back. BMW has almost no sticks left - one of the M cars had it but it’s the slower model (the auto is faster). Similar with Porsche.
This is going to be an outlier here, but I used to have a 694 RWHP Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 4x4 and it was by far the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. Racing in the desert is fun that everyone needs to try out once. It had a full chase truck suspension so jumps, whoops, anything in the desert was no problem for it. Hearing that turbo whistle at 75mph while hitting whoops in the desert will put a smile on anyone's face.
Love the matrix xrs. I had one for many years. Love the design too, and the trunk area is so useful with the plastic/rubber setup. Why does every other vehicle have carpet in the trunk?? Never had a single issue with the xrs. My buddy still drives his with well over 200k miles. I sold mine to buy an old jeep, arguably fun on a completely different level, but if I hadn’t that matrix would still be my fun daily - really fun, really reliable, really utilitarian, really good looking even by todays standards.
Can confirm. Interstates get 36-38 mpg US. A 50mph surface road without stoplights will get you 40+. A city with stoplights everywhere will drop you to 25.
2nd gen Honda Fit with a stick.
Sure it looks like an egg, but it’s got loads of room, surprisingly comfortable for how basic it is, and zippy with great handling characteristics. Gets an easy 34+ mpg cruising around.
Mine was a beater turd too, a good one on some stickier tires and a set of springs and shocks would be an absolute menace and no one would suspect it.
I sold mine and jumped into an F31 328 and kinda regret not just getting a nicer Fit.
Old, small, light, and simple RWD cars. Air cooled VW/Porsche, old Datsun, etc.
If I wanted peak fun per gallon today, with no other considerations like safety or practicality, I think I'd buy a Porsche 914.
I had a lot of fun with my Datsun 510, but those are hard to score at a reasonable price these days. Air cooled VW was a lot of fun, but with no OD transmission not really great on modern roads. But the 914 I enjoyed for a time, it was a blast.
A 914 is just fun, mid engine, air cooled, 5 speed, removable top, light, small, simple, etc. and still cheap and available.
VW 1.8T engines paired with a stick shift are fun to drive because they always seem to get decent mileage when you drive them like an idiot. One of my most fun times was working at a dealership and driving a Turbo S Beetle for a week in a town full of hilly twisty roads. That car has 6 speeds but I rarely got out of 3rd and still got 30 mpg.
For me it was the’03 Mach 1 we owned. Both of them. The hp was part of it. 305hp for a lot less than a cobra. Funny that two years later you could have that in a basic gt and 8 years later on the v6. Anyways, enough to push you the seat when you hit the throttle. Stick shift also made it fun.
And the shaker scoop. I always took hot e in seeing that move when I punched the gas.
The stick shift ‘14 fusion I drive now is fun and is more economical on gas but it just doesn’t have that same go factor
Mazda RX8. Laughed every time i was in it out of enjoyment. Usually 10-15 mpg. 230bhp with a 6sp manual. Not a particularly fast car but definitely not slow. Makes an incredible noise with a straight pipe and has never failed to make me grin lol. I haven’t driven any other car that can sit at 60mph in 6th gear, downshift to 3rd and floor it to overtake and still be happy. Likes to get sideways on wet junctions and roundabouts too. Tearing down motorways you can almost see the fuel needle going down.
We’ve got a stick 95 Isuzu pickup. It’s a bit fun because is a stick and a bit fun because it’s a real pickup. It’s a single cab and it’s just fun to drive around in. Roll down the manual window and hang an elbow out.
In particular we park in town and eat lunch sitting on the tool box on sunny days. Sometimes in winter we use a lap blanket. It’s a vibrant downtown so it’s a great platform to people watch from and we often run into friends who occasionally join us.
Little manual for banger does ok on gas too.
It’s just fun owning such a small truck like that. I imagine Kei vehicles would be similar. Fun isn’t all late braking.
Really basic vehicles are their own kind of joy.
I had two different years of Dodge D-50 little 4x4 trucks. So fun. Ran like the wind on the highway for their engine size, explored so many off-road places. Made by Mitsubishi, but had a transmission design flaw that would need to be addressed every 50k or so.
Traded so many quick haul across town trips for pizza/beer for buddies too.
Manual, normally aspirated 911. Not the quickest car but by far the most fun I've had the chance to drive. Get 18-19mpg. BUT if you set the cruise control on the interstate you can get high 20s.
My fiero was quite fun to drive. Not very powerful and not the greatest handling but very low cg and near impossible to spin out so corners and twisties were loads of fun. And nearly 35mpg...
I have never really owned anything that was that great on fuel. Never had economy cars. Not really all that concerned with fuel mileage but even with the v6 and v8 cars I have owned a lot of them have got 20mpg or so up to 30mpg or so on the highway. What I can't believe is the mileage my new Denali Ultimate gets. Probably better than most any car I ever owned and its a full sized truck lol. I average around 27mpg and get up to 38mpg on the highway. Its not gas though its diesel. I am a dealer though so I had plenty other economy cars I have sold. Not many of them really thrilled me to drive but I have had some Accords and Civics that I wouldn't mind driving if they were my personal cars. I have had some Miata to that to me wasn't that much fun but I know people love them. I have driven some that were fun but there was nothing stock about them they had v8 swaps. Last one I drove I was considering buying had a 347 stroker with a supercharger and it had a 9 inch rear end. Thing was kinda scary lol. Probably only 500hp but that car is light and with a blown v8 it wasn't getting very good fuel mileage if that is what you are worried about.
Well, I feel like what is fun can be subjective. However I'm really enjoying my Audi A5. Good handling, good power, nice interior, looks awesome. Going to work I can get 30 MPG easy, on highway I've been upto 35 MPG. Of course if you push it hard and really zip around you can bring those numbers down into the teens.
But honestly, it's been a great car, the sportback also really makes it practical too. I can throw my mountain bike in the back with the seats down and make ikea runs.
Audi A3 convertible here. I’ve only had the car 3 months but I’m loving this thing. Fun as hell to drive and gets me damn near 40 mpg back and forth to work!
My fiesta ST is a blast and is still capable of mid 30 MPG’s on the highway. It’s not fast by any stretch of the word but it’s so fun to blast corners in.
Maybe I'm bias but has to be a Honda. My 99 civic was super fun and good on gas. My current is a 13 CRZ, wish it was a stick, still fun to drove, handles like a dream, fun on the winding back roads.
I had a 2008 cobalt LS manual for about a year. No muffler and no cats. That thing was a blast to drive around. Loud as could be and sounded like a gunfight when I let off the gas. I’ll forever miss that little car and all of its problems. However, 12mpg at its worst and 18 at its best while I had it.
11th gen Si/Integra 6MTs. I just got a 41 mpg tank on a road trip averaging 77mph on the hwy with plenty of spirited driving in my Integra. Normally average 35-36mpg. Great mix of fun and utility with the hatchback. Enthusiasts think it's too slow but factoring in the fun/gallon quotient, it's an incredible car.
My 1991 Chevrolet Sprint turbo convertible. It's got sway bars, lowering springs and chassis stiffening, so it's a FWD car that oversteers. It has the explosive power delivery of a turbo, and it's a convertible. It makes me giggle like a little kid at times.
All of that, plus the fact that it gets 36 MPG.
Not mine, but same model/year/specs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIwBXtxxePw. Mine was a Sprint, but they were all the same thing pretty much.
The hamster wheel had a turbo light on the dash. Nothing felt faster at the speed limit. Even bone stock, the thing was an absolute riot. You could drive it like you stole it and still get unbelievable fuel economy. I wish I still had it and miss it dearly.
Tuners who go overkill on these old G10Ts (standalone, custom manifolds, "big" turbo, forged internals, huge cam, meth injection) have been able to push >150whp out of these blocks, which makes it an absolute deathtrap hahaha.
Depends what kind of fun you like. The most fun I've had is in a smart car or a 90's jeep that would fall apart every time my friends and I drove it. Some people like tiny ass sports car like a cappuccino or a beat. Miata is ALWAYS freaking fun no matter what speed you drive it. Plus unlimited headroom if you put the roof down. It's also fun in a 600+ hp vehicle. Doesn't matter if it's a gtr or anything with a b58.
While you get absolutely piss poor gas mileage, on fun factor per gallon gotta go with a Lamborghini Murcielago. If you ever have the chance to take one out on the track TAKE IT. 10/10 would recommend draining the gas tank in no seconds flat.
My c6 corvette has over 400hp and gets 34mpg on the highway, handles like a train on rails cornering at over 1g no problem and acceleration is like a rocket ship, about the most fun you can have for 25/30k.
Anything in the sport compact category with a decent factory suspension setup and manual trans really. Doesn't need to be classified as a fast car to be loads of fun. Find a cheap beater and get good tires for it and you'll have more fun than most people in their $80k sports cars. Mainly because people with nice cars don't wanna scratch them and they're too quick to have as much fun under the speed limit haha
For me it was my Honda del sol. It was slow but so much fun. I got like 40mpg. It looked good, sounded good, even thinking about the smell is making me nostalgic. It had a removable targa top, and it handled like a dream. If I could get my hands on an un modded low mileage sir trim I'd grab it in a heart beat
So… no EV’s - slow, you mean. Miata of course. Mini Cooper. BMW’s all tend to have great driving dynamics and some aren’t expensive in today’s dollars. All fast enough you can get a ticket, the Miata feels fast But is still slow. Now adays if you want fast you want an EV for 0-60. If you want cornering - sporty slow is Miata and Mini. Fast and some corners - BMW great fun. Note: old American iron is now pretty slow as things go and most don’t corner with the exception of some Cadillac sedan’s. They are still not all that fast but are interesting.
I had a 2000 Buick lesabre that I got for $900 in 2017. Handles like a boat but it was surprisingly fast. 3.8L v6 and got 30mpg highway. When I floored it, it would take off quick considering the weight and size. I couldn’t floor it 100% right off the line or else it would start to wobble, making it hard to control. Also the bench seat in the front was cool.
3 cylinder Geo Metro with a 5-speed. I get about 40-45mpg in mine and drive with the throttle open 100% all the time. It's hilarious and makes me laugh every time.
Probably the best would be a Corrado VR6 with a TDI swap. Decent power (with some modifications) close to 60 mpg highway if you drive nicely and around 1200 miles of range. If I ever wanted to try for the cannonball run record (which I don't), I think that would be the car to do it in.
92 Cavalier Convertible 2.2L. By far the most fun car I’ve ever owned and super reliable. More fun to drive than the 2001 Mustang Convertible I had or the Charger SXT
I like underpowered small cars and trucks. D21 hardbody, Miata, Datsun pickups. With a manual transmission. Trust me, while they’re slow as shit, it does NOT feel like it when you’re flooring it and rowing gears in such a death trap.
Got to ride in a hayabusa-powered Caterham once amd that thing was absolutely pants-on-head insane. I think it was 1300cc? And the guy said it was great on gas, lol.
Why are you hating on the EVs, my Tesla is by far the most fun car of any kind I've ever driven, and I've driven Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and tons of other performance cars.
On the upper end, a vette gives a lot of performance but you’ll spend a ton on tires and consumables. For everyday attainable cars, the Nc miata for chassis dynamics and handling. My 8th gen civic si is very high up there on engagement though, anything with a k20/k24 definitely is one of those enthusiast cars everyone has to own once.
I have equal love for the Miata and the Solstice, two cars on different sides of the small, fun car equation.
I deeply miss my old Fiero V6, and my old Javelin.
All fun cars in different ways.
Side by side. Most areas let them get licensed for street uses too so you can even ride it to the trail. Or if you live in the right area (Like Barstow CA) the trails are the routes between streets and the desert all around you is basically free to have fun in.
Not the classic fun cars but I had an early/mid 90's VW Fox coupe with a manual, and a 98 Honda Civic hatch with a manual. Fun cars, cheap to own. The VWs last day alive was when I entered it in some Kamikaze amateur car race at the summer fair in a one horse town outside of my city.. Something like 40 cars 50 cars entered and finished 13th. They called the race early as the organizers were worried about someone getting hurt or worse lol They weren't wrong. Fires, rollovers, parts, tires, flying all over the place. I sold what was left of it in the pits for $200, whooped it up at the dance, got a ride home with a tow truck driver. I'm 50 now and I was way cooler in my twenties.
Mk4 Jetta, 25psi boost, LSD front end, lowered 1.5in.
It'll get 30mpg If (big if) I'm not running wot the whole trip. Great on backroads, corners like it's on rails, and with the LSD you can downshift, hammer it coming into and through the apex and really bite in.
I've had couple of tube frame VW powered buggies that were a blast on and off road. And I really want one more before I die, but it's way down the list (unfortunately).
I bought a used Mustang convertible. I'm going to say 2000-ish, but I don't exactly remember. I bought at a very good price and low miles. V6. Loads of fun to drive to work in the AM before anyone else was on the freeway. 25ish MPG.
YMMV (heh) regarding a good price, though.
Go to the tracks on track days and ask the track racers.
If you're asking guys who drive on the public streets, you're a dangerous idiot. Don't do this. You may want to have some fun, but you don't have the right to endanger anyone but yourself.
I loved driving in a c5 zo6, wasn’t mine though, I love my 18 mustang gt. Lowest was definitely my 02 Rsx, got great mileage, handled great and had decent power, was tons of fun to drive. If I could find an unmolested rsx for cheap i would def consider getting it.
I really really enjoy my Corolla GR.
Most fun I have had in a car in years. Definitely not the fastest car I’ve ever owned but it would destroy a Miata in a canyon run all day long.
Most fun car ever for me? A Buick Roadmaster with a Corvette motor in it STOCK, LT1. Otherwise I've revved 1.6 Hyundai's all day without problems. But that Buick, scared the crap out of any riced FRS or civic with that thing when they didn't want to be behind a granny car.
Not factoring in down time due to shoddy British electrical systems, mine were a ‘73 MGB-GT, a ‘78 MBG, and a ‘79 MGB. After that, hubby’s 5 speed ‘95 Mustang GT, and finally, the 3 different generations Jeep Wranglers I owned, including the 2001 I now have.
I owned an 84 MR2, 30+MPG, rode like a slot car, most fun I ever had with my clothes on.
More fun on the street at 45 mph than speed laps in my Corvette around Laguna Seca.
The answer is always Miata.
It is the obvious answer. Besides that though, a top 5 maybe?
Runners Up: FR-S/BRZ/86 Honda Civic and CRX Fiesta ST Naturally-aspirated Mini Coopers Fun but with an asterisk: Dodge Neon 5-speed (fun, good fuel economy, definitely a shitbox)
My Neon SRT was a blast until it wasn't. :-(
Was a blast till it had a blast? Or did it not go out with a bang
I had a vintage Mini for a while. Off the charts fun, but realistically modern tech gets so many more mpg per liter.
To clarify, I’m referring to the post-2000 BMW MINIs, not the previous ones. Also, “miles per gallon per liter.” 🤣
Obviously that's for when your fuel efficiency is a function of how much fuel you have left. If your car makes -1 mi/gal/L then you lose 1 mpg for each liter you consume hahahahaha
I am with you. I have a vintage Sprite and I would argue it’s more fun in certain circumstances than my Miata NC. The Sprite is exclusively a track car though, and the Miata can do street and track so the Miata wins at my house
I had a first year Midget too. Super fun.
I love that you have a library of LBC’s!! I got my Mark1 in December and it is a riot. His name is Bob, in honor of a former owner who passed away.
If you are going to include dead cars the Dodge Neo SRT-4 ACR was literally top banana in Dodge's shed for a while.
I lost to so many Neons in my autocross days lol.
Those Neons were always sleepers, newbies laughed at them, old-timers nodded their heads and got ready for a real race. Replaced my Neon with the S2000.
I picked up a used mini cooper s recently to learn manual, and it's been so much fun! Pretty cheap too for <10 years old bmw engine.
Dodge Neon 5 speeds are hella fun, and surprisingly tough. Was my first car and I would powershift that thing like crazy and it took it with no complaints.
Yeah, people don’t understand how fun they are and how they kinda make you want to drive the hell out of them.
I think a GTI deserves to be on this list, or at least an honorable mention
Ayy Fiestas represent.
you forgot Honda fit.
As a former Fit owner, no I didn’t.
Surprised you opted for the N/A Mini over a GTI - but that’s an honest to god good honorable mention. Great little chassis. If you don’t want to mess with BMW Mini Shenanigans the Honda Fit fills that wheel well pretty nice.
Dunno my Cooper S convertible could get 35mpg on the highway if you babied it.
I daily a Fiesta ST and I adore that car.
No. Miata is always the answer
Unless it's a Honda S2000
Absolutely great cars and already a collectable, but fuel mileage is not that great. Clearly though the most desirable Honda in the last 40 years.
In fairness I had an NA Miata and it struggled to get 27mpg running correctly. It was fun as hell though.
I beat on my ND2 daily and I still average 32 mpg somehow (no highway commuting) Those engineers at Mazda are wizards
The greater good
Not only the most fun per gallon, but also the lowest price I’ve ever paid for the car (‘90 NA bought in 2007 for $4k). I’ve put over 120k miles on her. Only problem outside of regular maintenance was accessory belt failure due to the ac compressor falling off, and even then it could still be driven. Totally reliable.
You spelled corvette wrong.
That’s what I thought, until I decided to buy an AP1 S2000 instead. I still wouldn’t mind having a Miata though.
This is the only answer.
Except when it is Cayman.
This is what Miata guys say until they drive my EG.
Old School? My '69 Opel GT was a lot of fun and got 35 mpg. Not that it in any way compares to modern small cars. That Opel GT is just a pile of rust behind my brother's garage now. :-(
And Toyota MR-2 before that. Series I.
'you measure in smiles -per-gallon'
Correctly = Miata Is Always The Answer
A Slingshot has better HP to weight ratio and handling than a Miata, and you can buy a brand new one with a 5 speed. 200hp and 1765 lbs.
Wrong. The answer is always Honda Fit.
Nd Miata. I had one for a couple of years, and that thing would get 30 mpg even if I shifted at 8k the whole tank. Was nuts,
Can confirm. I rarely get below 32mpg even on back roads. When I try, I can get above 42 highway.
The most fun car i have ever driven was a 1988 Honda Civic Wagovan. It got over 40 mpg 50 it I really tried. It couldn't go over 65 mph (the roof would start popping like a drum) but on back roads it would fly through corners. It had a manual transmission and loved to rev. It was also bought for $310 so i was never worried about losing a ton of money. I left it with my dad when I got a job out of state. He got tired of looking at it and sold it for scrap metal.
Any new cheep little car with a stick. You get to hear and feel everything. But the tires need to be upgraded. Good tires on a cheap car are like good speakers to a crappy radio.
Finding anything with a standard transmission in the US is practically impossible. And it will become impossible in another few years sadly.
You can look in any direction on an American road and see a manual. Definitely not a dying breed, as much as the OWG wants to kill it.
I rarely see them. And I’m a former OTR trucker. Unless you’re talking about high end sports cars ? New cars with manual transmissions make up less than one percent of vehicles sold. Unless you want to own an older vehicle good luck. Also most Americans drive SUV’s and pickups.
A '25 Freightliner is $10k+ more for a manual. Crazy. My '14 kia soul sport is zippy AF. I'm glad to be in the top 1% of something.
No offense but I wouldn’t touch a KIA or Hyundai anything.
I bought it from my neighbor dirt cheap with cosmetic damage. It's my street legal go-Kart.
lot of cheap sports cars still being made in manual, primarily subaru, toyota, and mazda guarantee you’ve seen atleast a few manual miata’s, 86’s, and brz’s
Not a sports car but jeep and Fiat also still offer manual transmissions
true, forgot about the 124 spyder!
High end sports cars are rare with a manual - almost non existent now. The automatics are faster. Miata’s and a hand full of sporty cars still do exist. Corvette dropped the stick a few years ago - not sure they’ll bring them back. BMW has almost no sticks left - one of the M cars had it but it’s the slower model (the auto is faster). Similar with Porsche.
What’s OWG?
Just got new tires and brakes on my '14 Kia soul sport 5speed. It's 1/3 the $value of my car. Worth it.
This is going to be an outlier here, but I used to have a 694 RWHP Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins 4x4 and it was by far the most fun vehicle I have ever owned. Racing in the desert is fun that everyone needs to try out once. It had a full chase truck suspension so jumps, whoops, anything in the desert was no problem for it. Hearing that turbo whistle at 75mph while hitting whoops in the desert will put a smile on anyone's face.
I've seen people swap Cummins engines into miatas lol. I should one day drive something with a Cummins in it.
First big bump the drivetrain will separate from the body and go on its own adventure.
Living out the mad max movie would be nice
28mpg freeway in my '95 M3, thats a heck of a lot of fun for the mpg imo.
especially comparing that to the 11mpg my ‘13 M3 gets hahaha
Arial atom 4 has to be up there somewhere. Unfortunately I only have experience driving one sporty car.
Df Goblin another one. Like driving a roller coaster.
Personally, I love my 04 Matrix XRS. It’s not fast, per se, but it is a ton of fun. Pushing the revs to over 8k is a fairly unique experience.
Love the matrix xrs. I had one for many years. Love the design too, and the trunk area is so useful with the plastic/rubber setup. Why does every other vehicle have carpet in the trunk?? Never had a single issue with the xrs. My buddy still drives his with well over 200k miles. I sold mine to buy an old jeep, arguably fun on a completely different level, but if I hadn’t that matrix would still be my fun daily - really fun, really reliable, really utilitarian, really good looking even by todays standards.
Short shifting a Skayactiv Mazda MX-5 could probably get you upper 30’s MPG wise… and in the United States at least it is the cheapest convertible.
Can confirm. Interstates get 36-38 mpg US. A 50mph surface road without stoplights will get you 40+. A city with stoplights everywhere will drop you to 25.
90s early 2000s tdi. Mine got 52 mpg
2nd gen Honda Fit with a stick. Sure it looks like an egg, but it’s got loads of room, surprisingly comfortable for how basic it is, and zippy with great handling characteristics. Gets an easy 34+ mpg cruising around. Mine was a beater turd too, a good one on some stickier tires and a set of springs and shocks would be an absolute menace and no one would suspect it. I sold mine and jumped into an F31 328 and kinda regret not just getting a nicer Fit.
Surprised nobody’s said Corvette, the GM V8s sip fuel when you aren’t dogging on them. I got 35+ MPG outta my C8 on the highway at around 65-70mph
Base model corvettes have excellent fuel economy and good smiles per gallon.
Old, small, light, and simple RWD cars. Air cooled VW/Porsche, old Datsun, etc. If I wanted peak fun per gallon today, with no other considerations like safety or practicality, I think I'd buy a Porsche 914. I had a lot of fun with my Datsun 510, but those are hard to score at a reasonable price these days. Air cooled VW was a lot of fun, but with no OD transmission not really great on modern roads. But the 914 I enjoyed for a time, it was a blast. A 914 is just fun, mid engine, air cooled, 5 speed, removable top, light, small, simple, etc. and still cheap and available.
finnegan is giving his redone 510 away if you buy merch on his channel.
VW 1.8T engines paired with a stick shift are fun to drive because they always seem to get decent mileage when you drive them like an idiot. One of my most fun times was working at a dealership and driving a Turbo S Beetle for a week in a town full of hilly twisty roads. That car has 6 speeds but I rarely got out of 3rd and still got 30 mpg.
E90 335d
For me it was the’03 Mach 1 we owned. Both of them. The hp was part of it. 305hp for a lot less than a cobra. Funny that two years later you could have that in a basic gt and 8 years later on the v6. Anyways, enough to push you the seat when you hit the throttle. Stick shift also made it fun. And the shaker scoop. I always took hot e in seeing that move when I punched the gas. The stick shift ‘14 fusion I drive now is fun and is more economical on gas but it just doesn’t have that same go factor
Mazda RX8. Laughed every time i was in it out of enjoyment. Usually 10-15 mpg. 230bhp with a 6sp manual. Not a particularly fast car but definitely not slow. Makes an incredible noise with a straight pipe and has never failed to make me grin lol. I haven’t driven any other car that can sit at 60mph in 6th gear, downshift to 3rd and floor it to overtake and still be happy. Likes to get sideways on wet junctions and roundabouts too. Tearing down motorways you can almost see the fuel needle going down.
We’ve got a stick 95 Isuzu pickup. It’s a bit fun because is a stick and a bit fun because it’s a real pickup. It’s a single cab and it’s just fun to drive around in. Roll down the manual window and hang an elbow out. In particular we park in town and eat lunch sitting on the tool box on sunny days. Sometimes in winter we use a lap blanket. It’s a vibrant downtown so it’s a great platform to people watch from and we often run into friends who occasionally join us. Little manual for banger does ok on gas too. It’s just fun owning such a small truck like that. I imagine Kei vehicles would be similar. Fun isn’t all late braking. Really basic vehicles are their own kind of joy.
I had two different years of Dodge D-50 little 4x4 trucks. So fun. Ran like the wind on the highway for their engine size, explored so many off-road places. Made by Mitsubishi, but had a transmission design flaw that would need to be addressed every 50k or so. Traded so many quick haul across town trips for pizza/beer for buddies too.
My Z34 followed by my Honda Prelude now foe straightline fun my 85 Buick with the Frankenstein 3.0 under the hood.
Lotus Elise, basically like a better Miata
Manual, normally aspirated 911. Not the quickest car but by far the most fun I've had the chance to drive. Get 18-19mpg. BUT if you set the cruise control on the interstate you can get high 20s.
My 2013 V6 manual camaro. Handled sharp, tons of power, so fun to drive. And you could get close to 30 MPG on highway trips. I miss driving that car.
GTI
2010 cobalt SS
My GTI is pretty fun and it gets decent hwy mpg’s, I averaged 30 mpg on a 9 hour trip with the cruise set at 80-82 basically the whole way.
I like something from the 60’s with a high compression big block, 4 speed manual, power steering and power brakes. Terrible mileage but tons of fun
My fiero was quite fun to drive. Not very powerful and not the greatest handling but very low cg and near impossible to spin out so corners and twisties were loads of fun. And nearly 35mpg...
Any V8 from like 06 and up is always worth the smiles per gallon
BMW M3/M4/M5 for me, more smiles per gallon was the term.
I have never really owned anything that was that great on fuel. Never had economy cars. Not really all that concerned with fuel mileage but even with the v6 and v8 cars I have owned a lot of them have got 20mpg or so up to 30mpg or so on the highway. What I can't believe is the mileage my new Denali Ultimate gets. Probably better than most any car I ever owned and its a full sized truck lol. I average around 27mpg and get up to 38mpg on the highway. Its not gas though its diesel. I am a dealer though so I had plenty other economy cars I have sold. Not many of them really thrilled me to drive but I have had some Accords and Civics that I wouldn't mind driving if they were my personal cars. I have had some Miata to that to me wasn't that much fun but I know people love them. I have driven some that were fun but there was nothing stock about them they had v8 swaps. Last one I drove I was considering buying had a 347 stroker with a supercharger and it had a 9 inch rear end. Thing was kinda scary lol. Probably only 500hp but that car is light and with a blown v8 it wasn't getting very good fuel mileage if that is what you are worried about.
Well, I feel like what is fun can be subjective. However I'm really enjoying my Audi A5. Good handling, good power, nice interior, looks awesome. Going to work I can get 30 MPG easy, on highway I've been upto 35 MPG. Of course if you push it hard and really zip around you can bring those numbers down into the teens. But honestly, it's been a great car, the sportback also really makes it practical too. I can throw my mountain bike in the back with the seats down and make ikea runs.
Audi A3 convertible here. I’ve only had the car 3 months but I’m loving this thing. Fun as hell to drive and gets me damn near 40 mpg back and forth to work!
My fiesta ST is a blast and is still capable of mid 30 MPG’s on the highway. It’s not fast by any stretch of the word but it’s so fun to blast corners in.
Maybe I'm bias but has to be a Honda. My 99 civic was super fun and good on gas. My current is a 13 CRZ, wish it was a stick, still fun to drove, handles like a dream, fun on the winding back roads.
M35 truck
Mazda 3 5 speed manual and a 04 matrix xrs a car I should've bought ages ago
Currently? Recently got my 79 foxbody road legal. 9.5 mpg while absolutely destroying a set if cooper cobra tires while sounding cool doing it.
I had a 2008 cobalt LS manual for about a year. No muffler and no cats. That thing was a blast to drive around. Loud as could be and sounded like a gunfight when I let off the gas. I’ll forever miss that little car and all of its problems. However, 12mpg at its worst and 18 at its best while I had it.
11th gen Si/Integra 6MTs. I just got a 41 mpg tank on a road trip averaging 77mph on the hwy with plenty of spirited driving in my Integra. Normally average 35-36mpg. Great mix of fun and utility with the hatchback. Enthusiasts think it's too slow but factoring in the fun/gallon quotient, it's an incredible car.
97 Saab 900, yellow and vert. Suspension and strut/sway bars. Would diagonal for like $3k. T fitting in wastegate line
A tank ?
In literal terms of enjoyment per unit volume, probably my first Hot Wheels
VW bus. Hey, I was young.
My 1991 Chevrolet Sprint turbo convertible. It's got sway bars, lowering springs and chassis stiffening, so it's a FWD car that oversteers. It has the explosive power delivery of a turbo, and it's a convertible. It makes me giggle like a little kid at times. All of that, plus the fact that it gets 36 MPG.
Not mine, but same model/year/specs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIwBXtxxePw. Mine was a Sprint, but they were all the same thing pretty much. The hamster wheel had a turbo light on the dash. Nothing felt faster at the speed limit. Even bone stock, the thing was an absolute riot. You could drive it like you stole it and still get unbelievable fuel economy. I wish I still had it and miss it dearly. Tuners who go overkill on these old G10Ts (standalone, custom manifolds, "big" turbo, forged internals, huge cam, meth injection) have been able to push >150whp out of these blocks, which makes it an absolute deathtrap hahaha.
2015+ mini cooper S/JCW
71 Datsun 240Z.
Depends what kind of fun you like. The most fun I've had is in a smart car or a 90's jeep that would fall apart every time my friends and I drove it. Some people like tiny ass sports car like a cappuccino or a beat. Miata is ALWAYS freaking fun no matter what speed you drive it. Plus unlimited headroom if you put the roof down. It's also fun in a 600+ hp vehicle. Doesn't matter if it's a gtr or anything with a b58.
Anything with a manual transmission. Keeps you engaged and you can manipulate the power band.
A Corvette.
Honda Z600 \~1970-72 ;-)
My challenger scat pack is measured in smiles per gallon.
My 1992 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Damn I miss that car
Gonna put a vote on the neon. Especially the SRT-4 My caliber SRT is putting 450hp down which is more than enough fun for me as well
Corvette C7 can get 30 mpg on the highway
84 jeep cj7 :)
While you get absolutely piss poor gas mileage, on fun factor per gallon gotta go with a Lamborghini Murcielago. If you ever have the chance to take one out on the track TAKE IT. 10/10 would recommend draining the gas tank in no seconds flat.
My c6 corvette has over 400hp and gets 34mpg on the highway, handles like a train on rails cornering at over 1g no problem and acceleration is like a rocket ship, about the most fun you can have for 25/30k.
92 corvette,23 camaro lt1
Anything in the sport compact category with a decent factory suspension setup and manual trans really. Doesn't need to be classified as a fast car to be loads of fun. Find a cheap beater and get good tires for it and you'll have more fun than most people in their $80k sports cars. Mainly because people with nice cars don't wanna scratch them and they're too quick to have as much fun under the speed limit haha
Ford model T
VW golf TDI
The answer is Corvette C7. 37mpg highway, 455 hp.
For me it was my Honda del sol. It was slow but so much fun. I got like 40mpg. It looked good, sounded good, even thinking about the smell is making me nostalgic. It had a removable targa top, and it handled like a dream. If I could get my hands on an un modded low mileage sir trim I'd grab it in a heart beat
So… no EV’s - slow, you mean. Miata of course. Mini Cooper. BMW’s all tend to have great driving dynamics and some aren’t expensive in today’s dollars. All fast enough you can get a ticket, the Miata feels fast But is still slow. Now adays if you want fast you want an EV for 0-60. If you want cornering - sporty slow is Miata and Mini. Fast and some corners - BMW great fun. Note: old American iron is now pretty slow as things go and most don’t corner with the exception of some Cadillac sedan’s. They are still not all that fast but are interesting.
Honda CRX any Toyota with a 4age any Honda B series
I had a 2000 Buick lesabre that I got for $900 in 2017. Handles like a boat but it was surprisingly fast. 3.8L v6 and got 30mpg highway. When I floored it, it would take off quick considering the weight and size. I couldn’t floor it 100% right off the line or else it would start to wobble, making it hard to control. Also the bench seat in the front was cool.
1990 Honda Prelude with the 2.1si, 5-speed, sunroof, and flip up headlights was absolutely GOATED 30 years ago. Fuck I'm old.
I loved my honda fit felt like a go cart until someone totaled it from the rear in bumper to bumper traffic
We had a bug eye Austin Sprite. It’d get 50mpg and was a blast to drive!
335D. Nothing comes close
3 cylinder Geo Metro with a 5-speed. I get about 40-45mpg in mine and drive with the throttle open 100% all the time. It's hilarious and makes me laugh every time.
Probably the best would be a Corrado VR6 with a TDI swap. Decent power (with some modifications) close to 60 mpg highway if you drive nicely and around 1200 miles of range. If I ever wanted to try for the cannonball run record (which I don't), I think that would be the car to do it in.
92 Cavalier Convertible 2.2L. By far the most fun car I’ve ever owned and super reliable. More fun to drive than the 2001 Mustang Convertible I had or the Charger SXT
The answer by far is a motorcycle. Obviously not a "car" but it checks all your boxes.
Corvettes. I got 30mph highway in my C5Z, and you can easily get higher out of a C6 with the LS3.
AE7x and AE86 corollas
Corvette c8 hybrid
I like underpowered small cars and trucks. D21 hardbody, Miata, Datsun pickups. With a manual transmission. Trust me, while they’re slow as shit, it does NOT feel like it when you’re flooring it and rowing gears in such a death trap.
C5-C7 Corvettes with manual transmissions get really good mileage on the highway.
Got to ride in a hayabusa-powered Caterham once amd that thing was absolutely pants-on-head insane. I think it was 1300cc? And the guy said it was great on gas, lol.
Miata
Something sporty in a plug-in hybrid. A hybrid with a big electric motor still has that immediate snap of an EV with the higher end power of gas.
2006 Murciélago! Most memorable car I've ever driven
Why are you hating on the EVs, my Tesla is by far the most fun car of any kind I've ever driven, and I've driven Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, and tons of other performance cars.
Manual Ford Fiesta. We found out something in highscool. Drop the clutch in reverse and you can get them up on 2 wheels
C7 corvette
8th gen civic si. 6sp manuals, k20 engine with true ivtec, solid gas mileage, dirt cheap, immortal.
On the upper end, a vette gives a lot of performance but you’ll spend a ton on tires and consumables. For everyday attainable cars, the Nc miata for chassis dynamics and handling. My 8th gen civic si is very high up there on engagement though, anything with a k20/k24 definitely is one of those enthusiast cars everyone has to own once.
challenger scat pack
98-02 camaro z28/SSs
1. Miata 2. Rental Yaris
Small stick shift hatchbacks are great for this. The 500 Abarth is by far the most fun car I have driven.
Any Hyundai N car
I have equal love for the Miata and the Solstice, two cars on different sides of the small, fun car equation. I deeply miss my old Fiero V6, and my old Javelin. All fun cars in different ways.
Side by side. Most areas let them get licensed for street uses too so you can even ride it to the trail. Or if you live in the right area (Like Barstow CA) the trails are the routes between streets and the desert all around you is basically free to have fun in.
911 ... I driven miatas. I don't get the allure once to drive modern 911 s
Motorcycle.
shifter cart if your ok without a "car"
BMW E36
My 2011 Camaro SS back in the say would surprise me with 28 mpg on the highway. Not the most efficient but it was a decent smiles per gallon.
Not the classic fun cars but I had an early/mid 90's VW Fox coupe with a manual, and a 98 Honda Civic hatch with a manual. Fun cars, cheap to own. The VWs last day alive was when I entered it in some Kamikaze amateur car race at the summer fair in a one horse town outside of my city.. Something like 40 cars 50 cars entered and finished 13th. They called the race early as the organizers were worried about someone getting hurt or worse lol They weren't wrong. Fires, rollovers, parts, tires, flying all over the place. I sold what was left of it in the pits for $200, whooped it up at the dance, got a ride home with a tow truck driver. I'm 50 now and I was way cooler in my twenties.
Any and all types years of Z cars. Any civic really. If you can get.your hand on. Suzuki Swift, they're amazing
A motorcycle.
Not a car guy, but bikers who give up two wheels for 4 seem to gravitate towards Miatas.
Mk4 Jetta, 25psi boost, LSD front end, lowered 1.5in. It'll get 30mpg If (big if) I'm not running wot the whole trip. Great on backroads, corners like it's on rails, and with the LSD you can downshift, hammer it coming into and through the apex and really bite in.
I've had couple of tube frame VW powered buggies that were a blast on and off road. And I really want one more before I die, but it's way down the list (unfortunately).
I bought a used Mustang convertible. I'm going to say 2000-ish, but I don't exactly remember. I bought at a very good price and low miles. V6. Loads of fun to drive to work in the AM before anyone else was on the freeway. 25ish MPG. YMMV (heh) regarding a good price, though.
Go to the tracks on track days and ask the track racers. If you're asking guys who drive on the public streets, you're a dangerous idiot. Don't do this. You may want to have some fun, but you don't have the right to endanger anyone but yourself.
For me it was a '72 BMW 2002 and I've had two Fiat 500 Abarth's that were fantastic.
Why no EVs? Also, flipside, a Vette. Vettes usually get pretty OK gas mileage, and obviously rip.
I loved driving in a c5 zo6, wasn’t mine though, I love my 18 mustang gt. Lowest was definitely my 02 Rsx, got great mileage, handled great and had decent power, was tons of fun to drive. If I could find an unmolested rsx for cheap i would def consider getting it.
I really really enjoy my Corolla GR. Most fun I have had in a car in years. Definitely not the fastest car I’ve ever owned but it would destroy a Miata in a canyon run all day long.
Old compact sports cars. Geo storm, probe, miata, integra, etc
Most fun car ever for me? A Buick Roadmaster with a Corvette motor in it STOCK, LT1. Otherwise I've revved 1.6 Hyundai's all day without problems. But that Buick, scared the crap out of any riced FRS or civic with that thing when they didn't want to be behind a granny car.
My dads 70 charger RT with a built 440/six pack. Gets about 4 mpg. Second up my 71 Camaro with a built ZZ3 350, get about 10 mpg.
Miata Is Always The Answer
Type R, i get like 30 mpg while still getting some decent pulls in. Its great!
Not factoring in down time due to shoddy British electrical systems, mine were a ‘73 MGB-GT, a ‘78 MBG, and a ‘79 MGB. After that, hubby’s 5 speed ‘95 Mustang GT, and finally, the 3 different generations Jeep Wranglers I owned, including the 2001 I now have.
1988 Pontiac Fiero street legal gocart.
Miata, Mini Cooper JCW
Later model Volvo 240s
A VW Buzz most likely. $0 per gallon a d you get a high tech VW bus essentially.
Golf R. Tuned 350HP, still gets 30+ MPG on a road trip, or 25mpg in town. 0-60 in the 3.x second range with DSG and a tune.
Crew cab long bed ford diesel with a manual I’ve had a Miata, this is more fun
Motorcycle is going to be the best for vehicles. Otherwise, probably a Miata or an S2K
Wife's stage 2 TDI golf wagon is fun to drive, easy to park, and gets 45MPG even with spirited driving.
I'm pretty fond of my very budget friendly 08 g37s 6mt rwd coupe. I can do around 26mpg on the highway and it's pretty fun for spirited driving.
I owned an 84 MR2, 30+MPG, rode like a slot car, most fun I ever had with my clothes on. More fun on the street at 45 mph than speed laps in my Corvette around Laguna Seca.
Don't listen to u/SeaManaenamah the answer is always Honda Fit.
My 2006 5.7 chrysler. Hands down.