Would getting a different car be smart?

Sadly, yes. The best gas mileage we can seem to get in a non-hybrid or non-electric car is usually low 30s. I was looking at the Cruze and Sonic - both from Chevrolet. But they only average 33 miles to the gallon. I like the Leaf, it's a cute car. But even if I could swing the downpayment for it, I haven't looked into what it costs to charge those things. Do you have any idea what it runs over here in the States?

Hypothetically speaking, if the gasoline price you are paying is around $3, and your home electric rate is about $0.10/KWH, then you are looking at about paying somewhere between 1/3 to 40% of the total gasoline cost for the same distance you are driving each month on full electric only. If your hybrid mix electric motor and gasoline engine constantly on its drive train, then the figure can be higher let say around 1/2 -3/4 but lower than full gasoline engine. So if the gas pump price go up, then you will save more if your electric rate remain the same. The best way to save on gasoline and great mileage per gallon is to get an electric car. No other better way than it.

The thing is though, that each year hybrid and electric technologies keep advancing, so it might do you well to just keep waiting. Plus, do you really want to buy a new/new-used car and have to worry about car payments all over again? Also, re-charging an electric vehicle may be difficult (or next to impossible) depending on how it needs to be charged and the availability of charging stations in your area. You don't want to get to your destination only to find out that you don't have enough battery power to get back home!

No, the turbo uses the energy in the exhaust gas to spin a compressor that compresses the air entering the engine, thus getting more air in and thereby allowing greater fuel as well. More air and fuel, bigger bang, more power. But, compressing the gas causes it to expand (Boyle's law) so then running it through an inter-cooler (A radiator) cools the air contracting it. Best diesel engines are Peugeot's in cars. Now things get a little more complicated since Land-Rover invented high pressure diesel injection, which VW adopted, using a different system called common rail. Most modern diesels are common rail, which also increases power but at perhaps some cost regarding reliability. Now, Peugeot diesels are still good but common rail diesels heat the return fuel to a high temperature and it needs to be cooled because some diesel tanks are plastic! Peugeot, for some reason better known to themselves, choose to put a diesel line cooler under the vehicle very low and this can cause problems, worth checking if you go for a Peugeot. Ford Mondeo uses a Peugeot diesel engine and presumably benefits from a Ford gearbox Merky des also makes good diesels all the best, urban

A Volkswagen is looking kind of good. I have found models that are turbo diesel, but none that state they are inter-cooled. Is it possible that we don't have them? Would a turbo diesel be as good? Or is the inter-cooled part assumed?