I have 303,000 on my '96 Breeze, and it's been as bulletproof as can be.
2.0L stick car, mid-30s MPG.
Been a nice commuter, even in big snowfall with winter tires.
More solid than the Japanese stuff of the same era.
I would think the later generation Stratus/Cirrus would be just as good.
That may be too old for the OP's buddy, though.
The 2.0L 5 speed Breeze was a major sleeper that didn't appear on most folk's radar. Great little car that rode good, had plenty of room, was dependable, and would consistently get mid 30s for mileage. We sold several of them and my son drove a high mileage one to work for a couple of years. Although recommended earlier in this thread, the new Darts have hit and miss for us. They would not make our recommended list. The 4 banger Fusion has been a good car for us, but to be honest, we haven't had any experience with higher mileage ones. Stay away from most anything with the GM 1.4 turbo in it. Lots and lots of problems. The NA engines seem to do better. Nissan has had more than it's share of tranny problems with the CV stuff. We won't buy them unless they are very low mileage. Honda is a good car, but they are expensive to buy and to repair. And has been mentioned before, nothing European.
