Well you know Ambergirl, you've just said DIRECTLY what I've been hinting at. I don't KNOW if GM and Big Oil have some kind of "agreement" but I do find it interesting that NOT ONE car manufacturer has released a high mpg (40+) gasoline powered reasonably priced car in the US market in the last couple of years. Instead they release hybrids that don't get high mpg (GM's Yukon non hybrid 14 mpg city 21 mpg highway GM's Yukon hydrid 21 mpg city 22 mpg highway) and certainly have to cost more to make than an updated (read fairly safe) Honda CRX etc.

I don't like to engage in "conspiracy thinking" but hell when the answer is staring them in the face and they still don't take it it makes you wonder.