I'm thinking about buying a new car this year, and I find myself in a position similar to some corporate insurance buyers who are considering the type of insurance program they're going to go for next renewal.

I'd really like to buy a hybrid, but now that gas has retracted from the $3.00-plus-a-gallon price of a few months back, it's hard to justify the extra thousands that I'll have to pay for one.

But I really believe in the idea of saving oil and emissions. I'm also old enough to remember the gas shortages of the 70s and can see myself driving around in a hybrid—albeit slowly—when my friends can't find enough gas to get to work. I also think gas probably will go up again so think I'll recoup some of the initial investment eventually.