I currently drive a 2003 Nissan Maxima. As some of you may or may not know, this is a 3.5L V6 rated for 255hp at the time. According to the new EPA guidelines, it gets a combined 20mpg highway. My main concerns are maintenance (since I won't have a warranty anymore) and cost of filling it up. Premium fuel + 'average fuel economy'...

Economically, the breakdown is as follows:
Fuel Economics
Cost to Drive 25 Miles
$3.89

Fuel to Drive 25 Miles
1.25 gal

Annual Fuel Cost*
$2333

By comparison, the 08 Altima Hybrid I have been looking at gets a combined 34mpg. This is an increase of 70% and really just blows my mind away. The economics on the Altima are:
Fuel Economics

Cost to Drive 25 Miles
$2.29

Fuel to Drive 25 Miles
0.74 gal

Annual Fuel Cost*
$1372

So really I save a dollar sixty for every 25 miles I go. Over 5 years I will have paid 6860 in gas with the hybrid instead of 11665 with the Maxima. That's a huge chunk of cash and doesn't even factor into account the expected increase of gas to $4/gallon this year.

I do want a car with some sportiness to it and from what I've read, the Altima hybrid is the most sporty sedan on the market right now. Do you think I will be happy with the CVT overall? The main complaint I have about the transmission in the Maxima is that it sometimes shifts hard from one gear to another (4 speed auto).

I have never driven a stick. All the auto enthusiasts I know swear by it. Long Island other than major parkways / highways is all stop and go traffic so a stick could really be a pain.

The Altima I would get is as follows: 05018
2008 ALTIMA HYBRID 4DR AUTO
K12-G
RADIANT SILVER, CHARCOAL
AKP ALUMINUM KICK PLA
CAL CALIFORNIA EMISSI
CNV CONVENIENCE PACKA
FLO FLOOR MATS
SRF MOONROOF
WDF SUNROOF WIND DEFL

The technology package looks appealing to me with leather seats, bose system, nav system built-in, etc but it sort of negates the economic benefits of buying a hybrid. I have not yet spoke with my carsdirect.com contact in detail about the financing, but based on what I see on their website it will run me around $26807, then subtract the tax credit of $2350 and that drops to $24457.

At the same time, I see used non-hybrid 07s for around $18k with not that many miles on them. I want to be good to the environment just as much as the next guy, but when you can make some compromises and save a third of the price on a vehicle it really makes you think about the right choice. Feedback appreciated.