$50 a day gas bill?!

In article <michelle-E986B0.23285010052007@news.east.cox.net>,
Michelle Steiner <michelle@michelle.org> wrote:

> Consumer reports grossly underestimates the mileage that a Prius gets.
> It says it averages 44 MPG (which isn't shabby at all); I get between 48
> and 51 MPG, with very rare drops to 46 or increases to 53. I know of
> people who routinely get 55 MPG or higher.

I get between 30 (bunches of short trips in the winter) and 46 or 47 in
my Prius.

I'd say Consumer Reports is dead-on. Are they reporting actual survey
results?

> My dad just bought a fully loaded Corolla a couple of days ago for
> thousands less than a base Prius costs. You have to factor in ALL the
> costs in this kind of discussion, not just the cost per gallon of gas
> because that does not equate to cost per mile driven. If my dad bought a
> Prius instead, he would spend much more money per mile because he's a
> senior citizen who just uses his car for shopping, getting to doctor's
> appointments, the gym, and other neighborhood places. Rarely does he go
> anywhere further than 20 miles from his home.
>
> I am new to this newsgroup. Every time I see a Prius on the road, I keep
> thinking how cool it would be for me to buy one when the time comes to
> replace the car I have now. The trouble is that for a decently loaded
> Prius, I would easily spend around $27,000 and the miles/gallon would
> not justify the additional price over a car like the Corolla or Civic
> considering that I average around 12,000 miles of driving per year.
>
> I believe Consumer Reports did a review of hybrid vehicles a year or two
> ago and they said the cut-off point to actually save money on gas by
> buying a Prius will occur when (if) gas gets to be around $4.50/gallon.
> At least in the area where I live, gas is a lot cheaper than that.
>
> In comparing the costs of a hybrid with a standard car, you have to
> factor in all the costs, not just gas. Examples ore the sale price, the
> number of miles you typically get out of your cars, maintenance cost,
> expected resale value, etc. Someone who drives a Civic might be spending
> less / mile then you do with your Prius when you factor in the costs of
> the two vehicles, total miles driven, etc.

Apparently, for most owners, it's not ALL about the money or "breaking
even",
or "cut-off points". And (I hope) most owners aren't really hoping
for gas to
reach the magical $4.50/gal level just to be able to say "I'm really
saving now,
suckers!".

Otherwise, wouldn't the Kia Rio (or the current cheapo champ - the
next Yugo)
be on top of the list?