yeah, i agree...it's one of those "if you gotta ask, you can't afford it" kind of things...the best way to conserve gas is don't goose it unless you need to, don't drive unnecessarily, and factor fuel consumption in to your activities so you know how much things really cost--lunch for five bucks costs more than five bucks if it's halfway across town, for example.
i don't need to drive much, so i don't worry about mileage, just the monthly expense for gas--two tanks in a month for the usuals, and the rest gets factored in to playtime expenses under the "if you gotta ask, you can't afford it" heading. i will also buy gas in advance if it's cheap, just stash it for when the price jumps from 1.30 to 1.70 overnight, then i can enjoy a hearty laugh when i drive by the pumps with the needle on E.
now on the other side of the coin...around here it's easy to get pump shock, as they change the prices ~20c/gal every week or two, and it's not a gradual change, either, it's an overnight change. after a while it's not shocking, it just makes me cynical--as if i need to be more cynical
--so i do understand the desire for better mileage. why? for the principle of it, and besides, well, why the @#$! not? i want my cake and i will eat it, too. there is no "karma law" that states a comfortable, powerful vehicle must get terrible mileage...you are limited only by physics and the depth of your pockets (or your ingenuity in overcoming shallow pockets and marketing scams).
-sean