If gas is your focus for looking at a hybrid, stick it out a few months. All indications are in that a price collapse is coming in gas prices very soon. The gas/oil market is extremely volitile and momentum rules the day on prices. Consider this: You own a gas station where you can put up to 200K gal in reserve or you can pay as you go. If wholesale gas is rising, you want to stockpiles as much as possible, becuase every day the gas is getting more $$. This feeds demand as it forces your competitor to do the same. The extra demand cuts the supply and prices rise faster.
But, let gas fall and you want to pay as you go. Why stockpile today at $$$ when you can buy it tomorrow at $$? At the beginning of this month, the feds anounced reserves were at an all time high. Translation, there is no more rorom to stockpile-which eases demand-which over feeds supply. Not to mention the fact that so many people are changing their driving habits. And that OPEC is running 100% production becuase they are still trying to meet the demand, which is no longer on the market. There is a perfect storm on the market now for much lower prices.
Long story shorten to this: (As long as Iran does not disrupt supply) You will be paying close to $1/gallon within 6 months! And as far as Iran, I think we will overthrow the little dictator from the inside within a year, but that's a different story.