Moving to a fuel efficient vehicle

With gas prices being up, have you though about buying a more fuel efficient vehicle but wondered if you could afford the payment? I had this same dilema awhile back myself. At the time I had been driving a SUV that got 16 MPG then it broke (really really broke, like $4,000 repair broke), I tried to buy a $1,000 "beater" to get me buy till more bills were paid off, but soon discovered the hard way, that I needed to get something more reliable, and it would cost me at least $3,000+. I wasn't looking for luxury, just someting reliable and safe. Since I didn't have that kind of cash, I had to look at what payment I could afford. I was hesitant to buy anything that required me to make a payment for fear that I would have a difficult time affording it if one of us lost our job for whatever reason (this is how I look at all payments)....then my mother so gently remended me that I could get something that got better gas milage and would save fuel cost that could be applied to the payment. Whew, that was close...almost ended up with a family sized bicycle (not really, but makes for a good story). Now I am the proud owner of a "previously broken in" KIA that gets 31 MPG. Not exactly a dream vehicle, but its reliable and safe transportation for me and my family. And guess what.....I am making half of my payment with the fuel savings money....YEA! So when you are considering a new vehicle, keep in mind you need to calculate the difference in fuel cost (along with insurance cost) from vehicle to vehicle.