Anybody with a fuel efficient car, hybrid or non, is feeling pretty good about it right now. Even at a paltry 40mpg, I'm really happy I didn't go with one of the less efficient options that I had when I was shopping. Part of me wanted a V6, more power, etc. but the little voice prevailed. Learning how to drive for more FE this spring was a real bonus, giving me 25% better gas mileage than I saw last summer.

Even so, I have to wonder what the world is going to look like as energy prices continue on up the charts. Even when you are getting 40, 50, 60mpg or more there has to be a point where gas prices start to catch up. I'm not going to complain about a healthy dose of volatility to keep us all on our toes (i.e. thinking about our fuel consumption) but the threat of a sustained, dramatic increase much above what we see now is something to worry about. Let's not get TOO smug There are bound to be consequences for every one of us, even if it isn't directly related to our gas receipts.