That doesn't necessarily count you out. If you drive some number of miles, that 42mpg difference may cover the $75/mo plus insurance, or a portion of it.Well I guess I gave up on the Elio dream because I bought a tiny little 2014 Scion IQ. It gets about half the stated MPG of the Elio and cost 2.5 times more money but it is here and here right now.
For example, I just got myself a Prius C last week, trading in my 2007 Prius. (Situation was beyond my control) I'm getting 53mpg out of it right now. And I'm stuck on lease for 3 years.
But I'm still going to get my Elio next year. I drive 2300miles a month, 84 round trip to work. I'll save $65 a month in gas, and that will just about cover the Elio financing. However, there is another benefit. I won't be driving the PriusC as much. That means the total miles later will go down extremely, and at the end of my lease I'll have more choices about turning it in for trading, or walking away, or refinancing.