I did the road thing for years but not in sales. I put 190,000 miles on a Honda Civic and gave it to a friend having a rough time. It's up to 270,000 miles without a major problem (still has the factory clutch!). I went to an Accord 4 cyl/5 speed and put 135,000 on it before I came off of the road. The Accord will get 34-37 mpg on the Hwy depending on driving style/conditions. The Accord is now my wife's daily driver and I'll bet it last another 10 years. I think you're looking at the right kind of cars to pour the miles on. I also wouldn't worry about not driving an "American" car, most people could care less these days.
