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For the record: I have a 2005 Prius, and I think Al Gore's global warming is a bunch of crap that government uses to gain more control over the unsuspecting populace. (Son of a meteorologist) Still, here's something I calculated a little while back for those looking at fuel savings of the current models of the Prius:

In typical driving, the Prius gets about 50MPG, and the standard sedan gets about 25MPG.

This means a Prius uses about 2,000gal of gas for every 100,000mi driven, and a sedan uses about 4,000gal for every 100,000miles driven. Thus, over a sedan, the Prius saves about 2,000gal of gas per 100,000mi. Depending on where you live, the savings could be between $8,000 and $10,000 per 100,000miles at current gas prices. Most people nowadays keep their cars well over 100,000mi and sometimes as long as 200,000mi. If one keeps a Prius for the latter, that's where the gas savings really start to shine. The lower-end models of the Prius start at around $22,000, so if gas prices held steady (but realistically will keep going up), the net price of the car would be $2,000-$6,000. Add in the tax breaks that our good friends in the government give, and it looks even better. When you compare a Prius and a sedan that both have high-efficiency air filters and properly-inflated tires, that 25MPG difference in fuel efficiency broadens even more. I'm currently getting about 53MPG with a $50 permanent air filter that pays itself back quickly over replacing a $15 one every six months.

Aside from all the monetary savings, there's no denying that the US needs to stop tossing money at the terrorists' coffers for oil and that air pollution is a very real problem. So this all comes down to a win-win-win situation!