MOST of us can’t afford hybrids. They sound good and all, but they’re not a killer reality for many families who one, have a strict budget, and two, need more space than the most affordable hybrids allow.
Instead…
- Make your own ride as efficient as possible. If you drive a serious gas guzzler but you drive less than other folks you’re still gonna come out ahead. Make a goal to drive less, combine trips, and bus it or bike or (gasp) even walk more.
- Empty out the trunk. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that simply removing excess weight from your car can green your ride. For example, when you lose 100 pounds of gear your MPG improves by 2% – which adds up.
- SLOW DOWN! How super fast do you really need to get to the store anyhow?
- Keep your car properly maintained. Things like old oil filters, badly inflated tires, and other basic maintenance blunders will make your car less efficient and thus less eco-friendly.
- Carpool whenever possible.
- Buy cheap gas – which sounds bad but actually the higher the octane, the worse it is for the planet. Aromatics, otherwise known as harmful pollutants, are added to high octane gasoline.
- Use cruse control on the freeway.
- No matter the car you purchase, make sure it’s got a longer life rating that average. Long lasting = greener.
And of course, keep on saving up for your dream hybrid 
There’s data available on what people are really buying. This is the list of the top 20 sellers for Sept 2009:
http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html#autosalesC
And if your dream hybrid is a Toyota, please let Toyota know that you’ll look elsewhere unless Toyota withdraws from the US Chamber of Commerce in protest of the Chamber’s position on global warming legislation.