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Don't forget about the new diesels. We just bought a Jetta aportwagen diesel are getting 45-50 mpg. Very quiet, fun to drive and fuel efficient. Change the oil every 10000 miles and maintenance free for 3 years. Should have a long engine life too.

I noted with interest the part about the plug-in cars just around the corner that can get 100 mpg. I didn't note what the cost of the plugging in was estimated to be- Probably not free.

We need LNG vehicles here the same as those used in the oil producing countries. They save their oil so they can sell it to us. There are LNG refueling stations in the US but they are few and sparse. Equivalent cost for distance traveled is about HALF of what it costs for gasoline. THIS is worth waiting in line for!

I noted with interest the part about the plug-in cars just around the corner that can get 100 mpg. I did'nt note what the cost of the plugging in was estimated to be- Probably not free.

We need LNG vehicles that are used in the oil producing countries. They save their oil so they can sell it to us. There are LNG refueling stations but they are few and sparse. Equivalent cost for distance traveled is about half of what it costs for gasoline. THIS is worth waiting in line for!

This is very complex issue and I am not sure I've seen a 'cradle to the grave' analysis of how much it costs for gasoline, methanol/ethanol, or electricity. Here one needs to consider the true cost of taxpayer subsidies to corn farmers and the cost of trucking methanol to where consumers need the fuel. Of course farmers use tons of fertilizers made from crude oil fractions to grow their corn harvest. US agriculture causes a fair amount of air pollution and water pollution from fertilizer runoff. There are 'hidden' costs associated with all 'green' fuels.
The cost of the Iraq War, and the cost in time and money of increased airport security is the hidden part of what every US taxpayer is paying for every gallon of gasoline, whether they have a car or not. Electricity too has many hidden costs and subsidies. Coal- and gas-fired power generation cause significant CO2 emissions and those massive powerlines that criss-cross the US have significant environmental and cost ...(Read more of this comment)impacts too.
I am not sure if anyone has shown us the complete and accurate cost picture for various types of automotive transportation.(Show less of this comment)

I have a 2007 Prius and I do drive in the mountains and the city. I average 56 mpg in city and 54 when driving the mountains. It took awhile to learn how to get the best mileage. Also the key is to keep the tires filled to maximum.

It is too bad that my hard earned taxpayer dollars are subsidizing other people's cars. If they aren't cost effective on their own, then why are we buying them for these consumers? Pay for your own car! Besides, if these environmental wieners had not opposed nuclear power we would have massive supplies of clean efficient energy to power electric cars with zero emissions. Again, the government needs to get out of the way.

I am driving a 2002 Civic EX non-hybrid, and I am getting 40-42 MPG on my work commute (~15mi city + ~15 mi interstate). I do this by never getting the car over 3000RPM (<62 MPH) and staying in the highest gear I can at all times. I have a good friend with a Civic Hybrid, and although he gets better mileage than I do, it's not enough to warrant me ditching my car.
The point I'm trying to make is that we can all get much better mileage with what we have, IF we would simply put forth the effort. If one station was selling gas for say %20 less than everyone else around, would you wait in line an extra 20 minutes to get it at that price? That's the difference in driving slower, plus you're spreading that time out over a longer span.
Kudos to Honda and Toyota for building better cars! I'd like to see a minivan hybrid that gets at least 30MPG!

We're pretty happy with our Prius. We upgraded this year from a 2000 Honda Accord, which averaged about 30 MPG. The Prius has been 43 MPG in the winter months and 49-50 MPG in the summer, driving among the hills of northern Kentucky, mix of highway and city. I agree with the statements about making large SUVs hybrids - I laughed when I saw the Tahoe at the car show this year. I keep hoping Toyota will do the RAV 4 in a hybrid soon.

We own two Prius'07s Touring Models and average 44-45mpg. Some claim to get more than 45, but I doubt it. They may live in the Bonneville Salt Flats, but not in Virginia. Interesting that the experts claim better mileage is from intown driving, not so by our experience. Highway driving is better mpg. When driving a hybrid one should accelerate quickly from the traffic light, not like a jack rabbit, then coast for the best mpg. However the acceleration negates the coasting in town. Unsure if the 'experts' actually drive hybrids or just read Toyota literature.

Addition to previous comment: Yet people pay the upfront premium, knowing they will continue to pay more each time they pull up to the pump). So back to my Camry hybrid, even without the government incentives, my payback pretty well began when I drove the car off the dealer lot. And what a pleasure it is to go 600 miles on a tank of gas. In summer, I consistently get 41 mpg, tank after tank of normal highway and city driving. In a week of city driving, I averaged 50 mpg, measured over a distance of about 200 miles. For inferior all around performance, economy and practicality, people are willing to settle for compacts and subcompacts, with one exception: trunk size. On a winter trip to Florida and back, 3500 miles of mostly highway driving, I averaged 39 mpg.
I will admit that the economy gauge on the dash has influenced my driving, but I assure you that there is seldom a time when I am not driving over the speed limit by an amount that I judge to be under the law's radar.

It's interesting how so much hybrid bashing happens because the writers keep comparing apples and oranges.
For example: Comparing the mileage of an SUV with that of a compact, as is implied here in this article is a bit of a stretch. If you insist on owning an SUV, a hybrid version is most likely more environmentally friendly and is going to get better mileage. (Now I admit, some of what calls itself hybrid is mainly marketing hype).
Here's another thing: When the payback period is estimated on the price premium of a hybrid, it seems that no-one considers that a hybrid may be better equipped. Case in Point: A couple of years ago, I bought a 2007 Camry Hybrid which came standard with technical bells and whistles that are options in the standard Camry. The price I paid in the end was roughly the same as that of a similarly equipped V6 Camry,. (Have you ever heard of anyone calculating the payback period for the price premium of a 6 over a 4? Of course not. It's negative. Yet peo...(Read more of this comment)ple pay the upfront premium, knowing they will continue to pay more each time they pull up to the pump). So back to my Camry hybrid, even without the government incentives, my payback pretty well began when I drove the car off the dealer lot. And what a pleasure it is to go 600 miles on a tank of gas. In summer, I consistently get 41 mpg, tank after tank of normal highway and city driving. In a week of city driving, I averaged 50 mpg, measured over a distance of about 200 miles. For inferior all around performance, economy and practicality, people are willing to settle for compacts and subcompacts, with one exception: trunk size. On a winter trip to Florida and back, 3500 miles of mostly highway driving, I averaged 39 mpg.
I will admit that the economy gauge on the dash has influenced my driving, but I assure you that there is seldom a time when I am not driving over the speed limit by an amount that I judge to be under the law's radar.(Show less of this comment)

Sometimes hybrids are overkill. I drive mainly highway miles, I bought a Honda Civic but not the hybrid version and still average 40 mpg. The cost increase to buy the hybrid version would have taken me 8 years to make up based on gas at $4.10 a gallon (I was projecting increased cost) and a 40 mile a day commute. Also hybrids cost more in insurance and maintenance but with some solice in tax credits. I love my civic and will drive it till it wont go anymore!

I know Hybrids have gotten a bum rap, my Prius (with 55K miles) has averaged 52 MPG. On a few of my trips I have averaged 62 MPG. I love it and will never get rid of it.