This one line sums up the entire article and similarly makes a societal statement:

But with gas close to $4 a gallon near his home in Paso Robles, Calif., Mr. Collinsworth has been driving the Yaris instead of his BMW X5 sport utility and GMC Sierra pickup.

This sort of thing is ridiculous both economically and environmentally. You’ll spend far more on depreciation and insurance on an extra car than you will save on burning less fuel. The amount of energy that went into making, transporting, selling, maintaining, and disposing of the car won’t be offset by your better mileage unless you’re driving a heck of a lot of miles (which, as a Yaris-driving commuter, you’re almost certainly not).

Laura and I own a Toyota Highlander non-hybrid SUV which gets a mediocre 19/25 mpg. This is our only car. I work from home, and Laura works part-time relatively close to home. I’d be willing to go toe-to-toe on transportation and environmental costs with any two- or three-car family, even if they own hybrids. On top of our savings, we get a nice, comfortable vehicle with great visibility that can handle less-than-perfect roads (handy in the mountains) and haul a bunch of cargo when necessary.

Smaller cars are often status symbols and political statements rather than conscious choices for better living. Be sure to recognize them as such.