Diesel vs. hybrid... help!

[nutz4cars]

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice. I'm in the market for a new car (I'm definitely buying used) and I want better gas mileage. I'm considering a 2006 prius, but I'm also considering a 2006 golf TDI. I've never owned a diesel (not really even driven them much) and wanted to see generally what people thought about the comparison. The main reason I'm considering it is that I've got a long highway commute and I don't do a lot of city driving so a diesel might work better for me. I'd appreciate any feedback, particularly on the diesel! Here are the two specific cars: http://vlane.com/comparison/2118

[drdisque]

diesel works much better on the highway.

The Prius' highway mileage is nothing spectacular and offers truly horrid performance on the highway while the TDI offers great highway mileage and much better performance.

Hybrids are only good for people who spend a lot of time sitting in traffic.

[autolender]

Diesel fuel is over $5 a gallon in my state. I would certainly look into a hybrid. The new Tahoe Hybrid comes out later this year (expensive though) and it is claiming highway MPG's that are equivalent to a small 4 cyl car!

[BobMackey]

This article's a little old, but explains the pros/cons of diesel pretty well: Gas Vs Diesel Power. Even with higher costs per gallon, diesel will be cheaper on the highway. Hybrids are aimed more at city driving.

The good news is that the engine will last nearly forever. The bad news, being that it's a Volkswagen, is that the electronics will flub up regularly.

[Charger02]

With the way gas prices are I would never buy a car that uses diesel gas. It used to be cheaper than regular gas but that is a thing of the past...