 I bought the base, manual, without a lot of bells and whistles because I wanted a manual, not an automatic. My gas mileage is probably better because of this varying from 24-28 mpg depending on how much city driving I do. On trips hwy mileage can even approach 30 mpg. I had a problem with the check engine light for the first couple of years d/t accelerator sensor position problems, but o/w very reliable. Just had to have the crankshaft sensor (and accelerator sensor) replaced as it caused the vehicle to quit completely, but overall I am very, very happy with it. Scratches do tend to occur in parking lots. Very comfortable and I want to keep this till it stops running completely.