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One other thing to consider is that the Prius is highly optimised for the "average" commute - lower speeds and stop-start traffic. Think about the physics of it.
Highway driving - constant, higher speeds where aerodynamic drag is the dominant force to overcome with energy from fuel.
City driving - lots of stopping and starting, acceleration to replace the energy lost by deceleration is the main use of fuel.
The Prius uses regenerative braking to recover ~60-70% of what would normally be lost as heat in the brakes, and this is where the main savings come from in city driving. How many cars do you know that use less fuel around town vs on the highway?
Also, on the highway the impact of any headwind is exaggerated because aerodynamic drag is proportional to the third power of the speed. At 70 MPH a 10 MPH headwind increases the aerodynamic drag by nearly 50%...
Horses for courses - the Prius excels around town and does damn well on the highway too.
Simon
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