I have no firsthand experience with diesel but I'm kind of wary about it since I've heard of some complaints, like about noise, smell, and acceleration. Still, maybe I should test-drive or test-rent a Jetta TDI. My complaints about my Jetta are fuel efficiency, repair frequency, and repair cost. That's pretty much it. Unfortunately all Volkswagens are very difficult to repair and thus expensive, and I've had constant minor problems with the car (mostly electrical) though nothing too terrible. But in the 6 years I've owned it (92k miles) I haven't had it actually break down or anything, and I've driven it roughly sometimes.

As for the Prius, even the short dealer test-drives I've taken did turn me off to it, along with the fuel bladder problems I keep hearing about. It sounds like even with excellent FE I'd still have to fill up often (~ 350 miles). But I'll probably rent it anyway next weekend.

I would suggest testing out a TDI before you rule it out, diesel really isnt as dirty, smelly, or noisy as it used to be. Sure, i can tell that when a TDI has pulled up next to me, but it isnt any louder than a normal car like some older/other diesels, i can just hear the different sound. Though if VW reliability is a problem (wich it is, though i dont know that the TDI's are as bad) you might want to stear clear.

Hidden Views Photography

I drove a Prius II from Huntsvill AL, to Milwaukee WI at 80 mph, about 780 miles and averaged 44 mpg. Doesn't seem that I drive that differently than you. I get 50 to 55 mpg otherwise on my daily comutes. Test drive that car if you can find one to rent.

I'm thinking that considering a Jetta TDI is a good idea. I am in California however; would that make things difficult? Stringent pollution controls and all that.

CGameProgrammer said:
VW TDI's are probably not available in CA, NY, VT, and MA (states that use California air pollution standards). In the US, modern diesel engines are much cleaner and quieter than they used to be, but still produce a lot of pollution compared to the better gasoline engines. A TDI gets an EPA score of 1 (bad) and I think a Prius gets a 9.5 or 10 (out of 10). Diesels put out lots of particulates, even biodiesels. This could probably be fixed, but the cleaner technologies won't be produced until we have lower sulfur diesel in the US.

I have a 2000 Honda Civic HX (CVT) that is rated at 38 mpg highway. Driving a little slower than you (say 70mpg on the highway) I've gotten 36 mpg. I just got my worst tank ever (28 mpg with AC on for the whole tank plus I have mechanical problems). So I'd expect significantly better than mid 30's in the HCH even with AC.
---Walter

....my five-speed Insight gets 40mpg cruising at over 90mph.

Driving from Dallas to Fort Collins, Colorado, I did 80mph much of the trip - 90+ over an hour letting a black Suburban know I did not fear him. Got 60mpg. In about ten days, I'll do it again going the speed limit for a change....


Only problem is it's a two-seater.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

I'm thinking you could aptly substitute "HCH" for "any and every moving vehicle ever made" and the sentence would retain its poignancy.

How is this any different than this post you created on March 22nd where you drove the Civic and said you hated it then?

Well if you read carefully, you might notice that everything I wrote here was not written in that other post. The other one was written after a 3-mile test-drive. This was written after a 91-mile rental with a used "broken-in" car. In March I hadn't had time to notice anything about the car besides the fact that I didn't immediately hate it, though its mileage had appeared bad.

As for the comment about the Insight, I'd consider that car but I doubt I'll have any luck finding one to test-drive.

22-23 does sound very low. I did around 800 or so miles, Virginia to Florida at speeds of 85mph up. Most of the time was around 90 while exceeding 100 mph at times. In the end I still ended up with around 32mpg. With the steering you mentioned it sounds like the tire pressure might have been low or even factory set (at those speeds I can understand the steering acting jerky) For those wondering what I was doing driving those speeds in the first place, we had a group of cars trying to do good time as we had been away from home for a few days.

The main thing is changing your driving habits. My HCH usually do around 65mph on the interstate. If I begin to hold up traffic (even in the right lane) I'll bump it up to 70 til traffic clears. My wife thought I'd never change my driving attitude but oddly enough I did, I was very much a "Type A" attitude driver.
As someone said earlier, if you want those mileage numbers maybe a Honda Goldwing is what you need, maybe a Jetta TDi might get near those numbers as well...maybe. Actually as said before as well, an Insight is probably best suited too and it may help you learn to just slow down and smell the roses. Once you get 70mpg for the first time you'll start adjusting to leave a few minutes earlier and slow down a few mph, an awesome feeling.

Good Luck in your quest.

'00 Insight "Wazabi" -75,000+ miles
'03 Toyota Matrix - 81,000+ miles
'03 HCH-CVT-OSBM-41,000+ miles (retired 04-10-06)
"I'm very secure with my little Insight, no Prius envy here."