Hybrid of some sort. Either a Civic (what I already had), or maybe a Prius. Prius gets better mileage, but I hate that bar through the rear window. Prius had a better trunk, but I hate that bar through the rear window.

The Honda dealer is also much more convenient.

If you can afford the fuel, one of these should survive until old age

A friend just got a Ford CMax and loves it. It's a little big for a single guy, but it's flexible for hauling people or stuff. It's in the news for not getting as many MPG as they claim, but it's still a hybrid that does pretty well.

I did see a hybrid comparison article, that put the Ford Fusion on top, so I may be looking into Fords.

But the local Honda dealer is so convenient...

Read some news stories about MPG claims before you buy anything. CNET (or maybe it was Car and Driver) said that they got 35 MPG average instead of the advertised 47 for the Ford. Depends on your driving style. Not sure if some manufacturers are more honest than others. You can probably do some back of the envelope calculations based on vehicle weight and engine size.

You want hybrid for the gas mileage or the greenness?

The new gas powered sentra gets 35 mpg average! The Altima is 31 and thats a really nice car.

I got 40 average in real life on my Civic, and that's low for a hybrid, so I'd rather not go down from there.

glad you're ok Happy Monkey

Pete's getting 33 - 36mpg in her Subaru Impreza AWD. It seems like the hybrids need to do better...

I think the hybrids really pay off with the larger vehicles. If you can take a minivan from 20 MPG up to 35 MPG by putting a hybrid system into it, you're doing more than if you take an econobox from 35 MPG up to 50 MPG.

Over the life of a minivan that lives 200k miles, at 20 MPG, you will use 10,000 gallons. A 35 MPG hybrid minivan will use 5,714 gallons. So the hybrid minivan will save you 4,286 gallons.

Over the life of a enconobox that lives 200k miles, at 35 MPG, you will use 5,714 gallons. A 50 MPG hybrid model will use 4,000 gallons. So the hybrid econobox will save you 1,714 gallons.

The hybrid minivan's 4,286 gallons in saving is way bigger than the econobox's 1,714 gallons in savings.

They had regular old Honda CRXs in the 90s that got 50. No hybrid nuttin' no 'lectric. They just did.

We're being had.

Hybrids need city driving to excel at what they do

In minivans, the regenerative braking is perfect for panicky mom drivers jumping on the brakes to avoid running over plastic bags in the road

What is regenerative braking?

I was behind someone the other night who hit their brakes (on the interstate) every 10-20 seconds. Like, you go the speed of the car in front of you or you pass it or you let it get ahead. You don't ride their ass and have to hit the brakes every 10 seconds. And at night with all the traffic brake lights indicate to me that all traffic is slowing down...not just the asshole who can't regulate their speed.

Miles, I was behind this bozo. I hung back but saw those damn brake lights, albeit farther and farther away, for miles.

Braking charges the battery.