Total newbie - about to make the purchase - i think!?

There have been several threads on what options to get, but usually it comes down to customer preference. I have package 1 (the lowest available), and I'm just fine with it. Others say you shouldn't even consider a car without VSC, and some need their built-in DVD navigation system, or bluetooth voice recognition, SKS, backup-camera etc. I only know of leather seats and GPS navigation as being common aftermarket options as well as Toyota options, and there are threads discussing both of those. There's a BT Stiffening plate you can buy that's supposed to improve the cornering, but this might have made a more noticeable difference on pre-2006 cars that apparently had weaker stiffening plates.

Coming from an upmarket car, you probably would appreciate the Touring option, with the better suspension/wheels, although it might knock off 2 mpg. I had a Subaru Outback before this, and I thought I'd miss the space and the AWD, at least in the winter. And I did, for all of about 2 months. Warmer weather hit, my mileage went up, and I haven't looked back since. But I do remember a guy griping about the handling and acceleration and this and that. Then he listed his other cars that he had driven, and they all started at $40K and up. The Prius starts at $23K, after that it's comfort options, but for the handling and performance, just remember it's a $23K car.

On the plus side, you have the multi-function display showing the mileage in 5-minute blocks and for the tank (or last reset), and that becomes like a video game, trying to beat your last mileage. You concentrate on your driving techniques every bit as much as in a sports car, just for a different purpose (if you're into that kind of thing, some people just drive it without much regard for mileage and still do pretty good). It sounds like you put on enough miles and you live in a warm climate so you should get pretty decent mileage (above 45 mpg overall if you can keep it mostly below 65 mph would be a quick guess). But the climate brings up another point - why own a black car in Houston? I like the darker colors, but black is hard to keep looking good, and it does get hot.

For your gas bill, that could be right. Does your Acura use premium gas?