You are a wise man. My Renault Megane (diesel)does 50 mpg, with just 86 HP. This power is enough to get it to 125 mph, on the german autobahns. I cannot fathom why would anybody want much more than this, in the US, where the highest limits are around 75, IIRC. And also, this car happens to be one of the safest you can buy. More airbags than most, ESP, etc. This car is also cheaper than a VW. For all this, it has been during several years the highest selling car in most of europe. For those who don't have the pleasure to know it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_M%C3%A9gane