What is the best car that gets good mileage. My occupation requires travel and I am self-employed.?

Want to buy a good used vehicle that gets good mileage; looking to buy the best.

The KIA spectra is an excellent car and gets about 42 mpg

If you want the best don't get a KIA. A Honda Civic or Mazda3 would be your best bets. They are comfortable and get very good mpg (30 -36mpg). Corolla's are also good, but kinda ugly. Same with the Ford Focus. I don't recommend a hybrid if you do a lot of highway driving. It would get the same mileage as a regular car, but cost 20% more. If you do a ton of city driving, then it may be a good idea.

The Kia Spectra is crap and does NOT get 42 MPG; 27 is more like it. And there are way better late-model used cars than that.

I'd suggest any:
2003+ Toyota Corolla http://vlane.com/research/2004/Toyota/Corolla
2004+ Mazda 3 (i model) http://vlane.com/research/2004/Mazda/Mazda3
2006+ Honda Civic http://vlane.com/research/2006/Honda/Civic
2007+ Nissan Versa http://vlane.com/research/2007/Nissan/Versa

The Mazda and Honda are the best, but their resale value is a bit high so you might have to pay more.

You didn't say what size car your looking for and for what purpose other then driving long distances but generally a small car would get better gas mileage. Assuming your looking for a small car neither the Mazda 3 or Honda Civic wouldn't be the best picks. In fact, the KIA Spectra gets a little better gas mileage then the Mazda 3 and is less expensive. Some of the most fuel efficient small cars are the Honda Civic Hybrid and Toyota Prius. They both get over 40 mpg combined highway /city. If you need something bigger the Chevy Malibu Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, and Nissan Altima Hybrid are good on gas but since they are bigger they will get around the same mpg as a regular small car at nearly twice the price. Not a good value pick.
IMO good cars that blend comfort, fuel savings and value would be regular 4 cyl mid-sized cars.
As far as what the "best" is many will say Camry's or Accords which are good but the reality is most cars are decent. It comes down to what you need, what you want and what you like.

the truth is, the worst car available today is better than the best car available in 1990.Get what you like and need for space and comfort.If you are in fact self employed think first about sending a years pay overseas.I hope you come to the same conclusion that I have.