Prius hype? 57 MPG in the real world

EPA estimated MPG is far off in the real world. Some critics have used this fact to criticize hybrids, yet they typically, conveniently, forget to mention that conventional vehicles often miss their EPA estimates by 20%. A neighbor of mine, driving in city traffic, achieves more than 70 mpg in his Prius, and Joe achieves 57 mpg (more Prius experiences). While driving conditions and habits do affect fuel efficiency, how can either of those numbers be hype?