I've given an arm; or, what price will you pay for gas?

I think the Daily Show said it best, when it quoted a M.O.S. soundbite, "I just close my eyes and pump."

(Their punchline, "That's what he said about his wedding night, too" was good. But I would've gone with "Rejected Vegas slogans."

Don't worry, I'm not going to bore you with yet another "OMG gas prices are high! WTF? I am seriously not ROTFL" story - there's enough hot wind out there to power all the turbines on the eastern seaboard (eco-joke, hey-ohh!). I'm sick of those.

However, I am considering doing what I can to save myself some cash - especially since I'm really not making a whole lot at the moment. I read an article on hypermiling a couple weeks ago and I'm happy to report I'm now getting about 40 extra miles a tank by shifting to neutral, coasting down hills and generally pissing off tailgaters.

I am of the opinion, though, that gas prices still haven't reached the point where they'll actually affect everyday American life on a widespread level. Yet. Oh, they'll get there, sure enough. But we've only started to see small lifestyle shifts - the big ones have not yet come.

On a small level, if you're interested in rollin' down the block in a tricked-out S.U.V., they've never been cheaper. That's because people are eating up the small, 4-cylinder Civics, Corollas and the like. They're not going hybrid or electric or bio-diesel - just going smaller. (For proof, just visit your local used-car lot... all those types of cars will be listed at retail price, which never happens, while S.U.V.'s are basically buy one, get one free). While some might think this is a big step, that opinion falters when you look across the pond and see what everyone over there is driving - you could basically fit two Peugeots inside of one American Toyota.

The big changes in oil consumption, when it comes to autos, are still a couple years away in the U.S. But they're coming - just check out the recently announced Volkswagen (pictured above) that will get 235 mpg or the start up competitor Aptera that'll get over 300 mpg AND be priced in the mid-$20,000 range. Both space-age looking cars should hit the streets in 2010.

I've come to the point in the life of my 1998 Toyota Camry (200,000+ miles and a bushel of dings and dents) that I need to start thinking about my next car. I've like the Camry and, although it's pretty banged up after a half-dozen years of parallel parking, it's still running well. But who knows how much longer that'll last as I near the 1/4 million mile mark? I've started the preliminary research into buying a new car - a decision that I'll have to pull the trigger on next year, more than likely.

However, I'm debating waiting until 2010 until that VW enters the market. Think about it - a car that gets that many miles to the gallon could potentially pay for itself. I did the math and even though I currently get 30 mpg, I could save roughly 8 bazillion dollars a month (I might have carried a 5 one too many times). In reality, I probably could save close to $200 a month in gas (at current market value). But that amount might pay for a car loan.

The thing with any of those high-mileage concept cars is that they require you to give up some of the luxuries we Americans have grown accustomed to. For one, none of them are fast (most top out at 75 mph), nor zippy. Others, like the VW, have the unfortunate requirement that the passenger sit BEHIND the driver - like Woodstock and Snoopy chasing the Red Baron. They also concede a ton of space in the name of economy (forget Big Gulp-sized cup holders). Some have to be plugged in. And all of them look quite ridiculous, guaranteeing the driver will the be talk of the party, but might be asked to park in the back next time.

But, hey, if gas hits 6 bucks a gallon, I can get real good at holding conversations via a rearview mirror and toting around extension cords real fast.