1) I bought mine because my previous car broke down, and I needed a car immediately -- the Prius wait was 2 months at the time I was looking, while the CVT HCH was available immediately.

2) Last year I drove from Colorado to Iowa, and when going 75 to 80 miles per hour I was getting around upper 30s to low 40s in MPG. My regular commute (speeds below 65 miles per hour) I get an average of 48 MPG in the winter and 53 to 55 in the summer. City driving, I get 45 MPG in the winter and 50 in the summer.

3) At the time (March, 2004) the CVT Civic was around $2K to $4K less than the Prius depending on the option of Prius you wanted to get.

I'd say that you should just get the one you think you'd enjoy more. You'll find that driving for high MPG will become habit, so then you'll end up being more concerned with how much you like the car itself.

Good luck in your purchase!