We drive a 1995 Nissan pickup. 5 speed. It has never gotten below 18mpg city! I've gotten 23 out of it. It handles most of our hauling needs - minimal. So I feel really good about using it.
I've looked hard at the hybrids. I agree, too expensive. Yet, $$$ need to be spent to purchase and further alternative fuels.
I've also looked at the diesel beetle. A friend of ours bought one and gets 52mpg! Convert to biodiesel, and you've got an efficient, reduced fossil-fuel vehicle. Now... I'd love to see a similarly small vehicle with a small bio-fuel engine as a hybrid! Triple goodness! Make it a convertable and... well... sold.
Note: Bio-diesel has a % of fossil diesel in it. Bio-fuel, on the otherhand, is usually 100% veg oil. And the extractives used to make vegetable oil are damaging to rubber and plastic parts. In cold country, a fuel pre-heater is necessary for biodiesel to liquify it and bring it up to a combustable temp.