5K is not a small money for many who’s
salaries are cut
state taxes are hiked
food prices increase.”

Yes, I agree with what you said.
But a Cruze Eco of 18,175 capable of 40+ mpg highway comes in M/T only, and it’s pretty basic: without cruise control, or USB connection.
The Eco with A/T that is only rated 37 mpg, and it starts from 19.6k.

Based on 45% highway, 55% city driving, 15000 annual miles and a fuel price of $3.38 per gallon (same as Yegor’s post), Annual Fuel Cost is:
Cruze Eco M/T – $1536 (from $18,175)
Cruze Eco A/T – $1690 (from $19,625*, GM package the A/T w/ cruise pkg costing an additional $525)

* at $19.6k it is not far off Honda Insight LX (19.9k).

DMLMA : Escape hybrid has been there since MY-2005, so MY-2011 is the 7th year. The price of that model has gone up steeply and is now 29K. Except the Insight who’s prices have gone down, all other Hybrids are expensive.

I dont think automakers will drastically reduce the price of Hybrids. May be Chinese automakers should step in, just like their Solar PV makers stepped in and reduced the price / watt of PV Panel by 50% in the last 2 years.

Hybrids are even a much better deal with these hidden ICE fees.

Maybe Ford and others would sell more hybrids if they were available to the public. The Ford Escape Hybrid has been on the market for over 3 years now and IF a dealer has one, they have ONE and they’re selling them above MSRP.

Why can’t we learn from Toyota and make hybrids available, then maybe we’d see the 10,000+ numbers per month.

Supply does not equal demand from US manufacturers.

Basic Ford Focus Hatchback Auto Transmission is actually $19,160.
Why would you buy Ford Focus if Honda Insight costs less but will save you huge on fuel costs? Even Prius will return the investment in a few years (you will also save on brakes – they last much longer in hybrids).
From fueleconomy.gov website:
Based on 45% highway, 55% city driving, 15000 annual miles and a fuel price of $3.38 per gallon. Annual Fuel Cost:
Ford Focus 28/40 MPG – $1536
Honda Insight 40/43 MPG – $1237
Toyota Prius 51/48 MPG – $1014

Toyota organizes a new recall, this time to fix the water pump of the Prius model. Toyota Prius recall affects 650,000 units world wide, for the models built between 2004 and 2007. The most units affected by the water pump recall are in the United States of America – 378,000 units. The faulty water pump has the role to circulate the cooling fluid in the hybrid system for cooling it and enhance its performances. Until now, the guys of Toyota have not received any complaints about the cooling system of Prius or about the respective water pump.

The faulty water pump of Toyota Prius allows air bubbles enter the cooling system, leading to reduced performances of the system and slowing the circulation of the cooling fluid. In case of overheating, a dashboard LED lights up, and in extreme situations the model enters in the safety mode, reducing the engine’s power. Once power is reduced, the driver will have to push the throttle harder, leading to an increased fuel consumption and reduced efficiency.