I came across this article in reading about an MIT/Boeing project to decrease noise and increase efficiency in commercial airliners:

http://silentaircraft.org/efficiency/

Notice the car they chose to compare to in terms of fuel efficiency. Not "Modern 4 passenger hybrid," or "car," but specifically, "Toyota Prius Hybrid Car." I almost expected to see "NHW20" at the end of the label.

Just found the choice a little funny. The Prius has come a long way in terms of notoriety given the low consumer acceptance fears it began with. Interestingly, the linked plane suffers from the same fears.

 

Finally, actual proof that my summer of 2006 drive from Dallas to Florida to Dallas (2 passengers) was not only less expensive (easily verifable - $130 for the drive vs ~$1000 for 2 round trip tckets) but that I actually used less fuel too. Fantastic.

 

haha Indeed, such absurd data yet it has some real purpose. It's too bad they couldn't put a "Mach * Lift/Drag" number on the Prius. It does have some lift afterall - would have been funny just to see what they came up with.