How to Beat a Hybrid's MPG

Ah, the hybrid: So efficient, so expensive, and so often carrying a solo driver. With demand for hybrid vehicles holding relatively strong (sales are down, but they make up a growing share of the light-vehicle market) we decided to look at how the green machines compare to some of the most efficient, affordable, and overlooked cars on the road. Where can you find these mystery vehicles? Look to your left. They're cruising in the carpool lane.

While the Prius might be the one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the U.S. market, a Honda Accord uses less fuel than two Priuses driving the same distance. If you have three people, then heck, even piling into a Hummer would be more efficient than having each person drive a hybrid. (Of course, three people in a hybrid would be the greener choice.) If you're looking at hybrids as a way to save money on gas (rather than a way to feel environmentally virtuous), good news: you can save even more if you've got carpool buddy splitting the tab for those sips of gas.

--Michael Fox