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If you are leaning towards "ecomodical" (nice word...might be the first time I've seen it in print) then I would recommend the Prius in that case. Clearly, it would be an upgrade from your Cobalt.
I can't tell you how many times I've been stuck in bumper to bumper traffic (even on the highway) and had a smile on my face because while everyone is wasting fuel ideling...I'm running gas free and can keep it gas free as long as I use a feather foot and don't engage the ICE. I even hope for bumper to bumper on the highway so I can maximize my time on the highway until I can get back to city driving where I get much better mpg.
Economically, it's probably a wash from a Cobalt to a Prius when you take into account the higher loan amount you would be paying for your Prius (unless you can find a great deal in the same range as your monthly Cobalt loan which I'm guessing was around $13k new). If you spend $3000 a year on gas now you might only see $800-1000 savings over a year compared to your Cobalt (40 mpg vs. 60 mpg).
I anticipate using about 500 gallons of fuel/year less in my Prius than I did in my 4runner so from both economics and ecomodics it was an easy choice for me. If you are keeping the Cobalt for another 400kms...one can only dream.
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