Hi to everyone here. I'm new on this site. With the "Cash for Clunkers" about to go into effect I'm looking at getting a new car. Let me lay out a little background for you all.

I live in CT and work in Providence RI. I have a 40 mile commute each way, split up as 17 miles on two-lane surface roads and 23 miles on I-95. Once I get out of my neighborhood I only have two or three stops on that 17 mile leg(depending on if I catch the light red or not). It is somewhat hilly two lane with a 45 MPH speed limit.

My current ride is a '95 Ford Crown Vic with the 4.6 L V-8 and over 200K on the clock. I generally get in the mid 20's for mileage but lately I have been trying to do some hypermiling just to see how far I can push the mileage numbers. On my last tank I managed to get 26.55 MPG and on the current tank I have 400 miles with just over 1/4 tank left. I estimate that I will get around 29 MPG from this tank if the trend holds. I'll be sure to update after I fill up again.

Anyhow, I'm looking to get a new car when the Cash for Clunkers program gets up and running. I am considering three hybrids and one gas powered car. The hybrids are the third gen Prius, the Insight, and the Fusion. I can get any of these three cars decently equipped for about the same price due to the tax credit on the Fusion and having access to the Z plan through my father.

Here is the question I have that so far I have not been able to get a decent answer to. I know that the Fusion can go up to 47 MPH on electric drive alone. With the 17 mile leg being under that limit would the Fusion be a better choice since it appears, at least on the surface, that I could run in EV mode for almost half my commute. I understand that the engine would kick in on the uphill portions, but there would also be some regen on the downhill side. It isn't rated as high as the others and there isn't a lot of real world user data out there yet since it's new for 2010.

I've looked at the mileage table on this site and it looks like the Honda has the edge in MPG over the Prius, but then again there are a lot more Toyotas to collect data from, and no Fusion hybrids as of yet.

If anyone can give me any input it would be greatly appreciated. I tend to keep my cars for a long time and I don't want to make a $25,000 mistake....

The Insight will be the smallest of the three cars you have picked. It is also a new model but does use Honda's IMA system that has done well in the Civic. The IMA systems tend to do well on the highway but are not as good in towm as the Toyota or Ford system which are functionally the same.

The Prius tend to be bullet proof and will get high mileage both both sections of your commute with more useable room than the Honda but less than the Fusion. You will be limited to 42 mph while in EV mode.

The Fusion is larger, will run faster in EV mode (as you stated, 47 mph) but will not run the entire commute in EV mode. The best you can hope for on level ground is 2 or 3 miles (same for the Toyota). You can learn to "surf" it over the hills and use the regenerative system to extend the range however.

One other car to look at would be a camry hybrid. It is the same size as the Fusion and would also make you a nice commuter car.

In the end, try for at least a 1 day trial (or rent one) to see the faults that each car has and what you can live with. If they are are a "equal" in cost and optioned the way you want one, I would go with the Fusion or Prius for the milege on both legs of your drive.

Thanks for the reply, I was beginning to wonder if I was being considered an outcast or something because I don't actually have a hybrid yet...

I filled up the Crown Vic today, 521.6 miles on 18.877 gallons for 27.63 MPG. Not as good as I had hoped, but for an old tank I think that's pretty good. I got 120% of the rated highway mileage.