Randy,
Trust me, I'm living this math... But the ~15 mpg in my truck is costing me a FORTUNE! Using round numbers... 165 miles per day = 11 gallons @ $3.50 = $38.5 per DAY, 5 days a week = $192.5 per WEEK, 4.4 weeks per month = $847 per MONTH...
I used to have some coworker's that made fun of my little cars, but I drove small cars for over 20 years, since I had a 104 mile commute everyday. If you are willing to get into a small car, something the size of a Geo Metro, is pretty good. I was careful in my driving, and did well over 40 mpg. That geo replaced a 3/4 ton chevy, that got about 12 or 13 mpg. The gas savings definately covered the payment. And the more expensive truck didn't get as many miles racked up on it. When you are doing 35K a year, that adds up in a hurry.