my son's 6MT 1.5T civic seems to hold mid 30s, with him driving it like we drove sticks in the 80s.... shift 3-4k rpm, and 42ish on the highway ... excellent mpg without even trying. Even my older S60 2.4NA volvo would return 28 on my commute and 30's highway, and it wasn't a lightweight vehicle, just good aero.
As a 1/2 ton truck owner I'm thrilled with the mpg the newish F150 delivers, but I have very mixed feelings about it. We pull a trailer with the truck but besides that I'd be happy with a small vehicle IF I didn't feel so threatened by the small percentage of large vehicles that drive recklessly or aggressively with little consideration for smaller vehicles. I love the less-is-more concept and would willingly enjoy commuting in an open frame go-kart if there was a way to do it safely.
(Conversely, as a truck commuter who DOES care about the smaller vehicles, I keep my speeds down, leave space in front of me and drive with others' in mind, which then ends up frustrating the small cars around me who want me to drive faster or get out of their way. We, as the human element is a messy bunch!)
Some old tech is not always good. I used to ride a CB440 with a bunch of miles on it, and really couldn't break 30mpg. It was no better than my 4cyl accord.