> What state do you live in? In Oregon there
> is also a $1500 credit. Colorado is very generous
> with a credit of $3,285.

For worse or for better, I live in Maryland. I don't think the state does me any favors (they don't even pay for Driver's Ed in the public schools).

> You maintenance with a Prius will be much lower. Probably in excess
> of $3000 in savings over the life of the vehicle, if not more. Brake
> shoes don't wear out. The engine is never stressed, lots of reasons.

Yes, but what about the batteries? That's an unknown at this point, isn't it? Even if there are some high mileage Priuses out there, couldn't the batteries wear out with time? I'm not trying to be disagreeable, I'm just trying to be realistic before I plunk down twenty plus grand.

I'm also wondering what improvements in this relatively new technology will happen in the next few years. In 1984, I bought a PC for over $2000. Last year, I bought a PC that was what--several hundred times faster? with nearly 100 times as much RAM memory and 100,000 times as much disk space, for about 20% of the cost. To be sure, I've done a lot of things with that PC and with all the PCs I've owned since, so I don't regret the purchase (much). But if cars were to improve that quickly (they won't, so this is a hypothetical), then maybe I should hang on to my Apple I, err, ancient Corolla for a few more years until the Prius II, or some other new and improved hybrid comes out. Not forever, obviously, I don't think I can get another 100k miles out of my Corolla, but long enough for s.t. even better and/ or cheaper than today's Prius to come out.

> In comparing vehicles for MPG, I just use the differential between
> the EPA numbers. Why? Because if you can nurse great milage out of
> a Corolla, you will do the same with a Prius.

That was my original question: can I really do better than the average Prius mileage? Or are all you guys getting 48 mpg out of your Priuses the same kind of driver I am, so you'd be nursing 38 mpg out of a Corolla stick shift too?

Again, I thank you for taking the time to reply!