From the it's not what you drive, but how you drive it department.

Yes, that's 33.6MPG from a car that's only rated for 25MPG on the highway. The reading checks out with some good old fashioned math. In town I can usually squeeze 24-26MPG out of the engine if I keep the revs down below 2,000 RPM. Now that I'm past the 1,000 mile break in period I can really stand on the throttle and watch the gas milage tank.

I'm glad I didn't go the econobox route. The WRX is much more fun to drive and this has changed driving for me entirely. Now it's more of a recreational activity instead of a means of conveyance. I've actually been driving less since I made the new car purchase too. Strange, I know. I guess you can put that down in the eco-friendly column as well. I've been using more public transit and walking in town more to save wear and tear on the car, not to mention parking on campus is mostly a demolition derby.

These days I mostly just drive on the weekends for longer distance trips, even then I'm taking the longer less busy route as it's more fun. Having a car that's more focused on being a driver's car instead of just a means of transportation has really changed my habits, for the better I think. I'm all for the environment but a Prius or an underpowered econobox is a horrible choice for anyone who is a recreational driver or a car person. I think the the trade off of driving less is a fair one. That is until the Tesla Model S comes down in price.

To quote Jeremy Clarkson: "much better don´t change your car, change your driving style."