Skip hybrids if you are doing highway driving. They're best in stop-and-go traffic (because they can stop the engine). If you're on the highway, the engine is running anyhow.
If you are a cheapskate, none of the vehicles that you are listing are consistent with that.
If you are a cheapskate ... Look outside of Honda and Toyota, particularly if you are buying used. Ideally, you are looking for a vehicle that undeservedly has a lower resale value (as opposed to some Honda and Toyota vehicles that have undeservedly high resale value - many of their vehicles are not all they are cracked up to be).
I'm currently at the tail end of a week-long business trip - thanks to a crazy schedule, I've gotten the opportunity to sample a few different rental vehicles lately. My favorite in the decent-compact class is what I have right now, a Ford Focus. They are comfortable, quiet, and economical, and unlike some others in its class (*cough* Corolla!) the steering and suspension are well sorted. You'll read complaints about how the automatic transmission in these behaves - because, mechanically, it is not a traditional automatic (but it's not a CVT, either). Don't believe all the nonsense. They are fine. Certain situations can catch it out - if you are stopped on an uphill and let off the brake pedal just the right/wrong way, it'll roll back a smidge like a manual would, until it figures out what's going on! - and if you are slowing to a stop and then get back on the accelerator, it sometimes has a moment of indecision - but these are not the major deal breakers that some on the internet would have you believe. If you want leather seats, you'll be getting a loaded Titanium model, which ain't what my rental car is, and it'll probably come with some version of MyFordTouch or Sync or whatever they call it. Lots of complaints about that ... but my rental ain't got it, so I can't complain about it.
