However, 25mpg isn't that crazy. That's about what my wife's 2005 CR-V gets in around-town, short-trip usage. I'm sure the newer ones are better than that, but paying $20K less for the car leaves enough money to invest that the gas is effectively free. (5000 miles/yr at 25 mpg is 200 gallons. At even ~$3/gal, that's $600. $600 is 3% of $20K and it's not hard at all to clear 3% on investments.)
He is right about the wasted time though.
Edit: had to look it up. 25 mpg is a joke in terms of fuel consumption.