| Gas, gas or gas. No one rides for free.

Rude: Most Prius owners I talk to gush about there vehicles. They are of course quite efficient as eLzar noted, have a nice technophile factor and in true Toyota form are extremely reliable from a maintenance stand point. All this and they are classified as a mid-sized sedan, unlike most other efficient vehicles. They also hold there value really well.

The Mini Coops are great little cars and for a standard gas engine are one of the most fuel efficient, although not as much as the Prius. They tend to get real mpg numbers in the high 20's for the city and mid-high 30's for the highway. Art has an S model and says, even when driving like a shithead, he gets mid-30 mpg. Also, they are quite peppy, especially the S model) and definitely feel a bit like a go cart, in a good way. I have a lot of fun driving my mothers when I am in LA. They do have a major downside though, to make them that efficient, they have made the backseats very tight. The legroom is killer in the backseat for long trips or large people. Also, the luggage space is definitely tight, but not impossible. They are a snap to park though. There is also the clubman model which is something like 4 inches longer; however, they look a little dis-proportioned to my eye and you do lose a slight amount of mileage.

If so inclined, you may also look at Diesel vehicles. They are quite efficient, more so than gas but less than a hybrid, and the modern diesels are much better than the pigs of prior decades. Typically turbocharged by default (really a requirement for diesel), Faster/peppier, quieter and much cleaner. Unfortunately, they suffer the same cost premium issue that afflicts hybrids. Also, you would need to buy new or near-new. Diesels were a bit of a problem in California until the past year or so due to smog issues that the manufacturers needed to solve.

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