You’re tired of cars that don’t even get 30 MPG? I’d be delighted with a car that got 30 MPG. I’ve never had one. But I like a car that can get out of its own way, and one that I don’t feel like I’m cramming myself into it like a tight pair of jeans when I get into the cabin.
If you can afford a newer car, you can surely suffer a few less MPG than you want for the added capability of 4WD or AWD. If you’re driving in the mountains, there’s isn’t much that’s going to get 30 MPG consistently anyway. Unless you only measure it going downhill…