THE RIGHT CAR?

This is the 08' Hybrid Toyota Prius

This is what we just bought to take with us on our trip and to have as our next vehicle for the extended future. The color is metallic grey. Although we went in to buy the Silver Pine we found that it comes with a light tan interior. As soon as I got into the car and put my shoe on the mat there was a mark on the floor. We then chose the dark grey car with the grey interior so that it might stand a chance of looking decent and clean past the first week of our use. Most important to us about this car though is that it gets well into and over 45 mpg.

We have previously rented the Prius on several trips to the mid-west to see if it was the car for us and to see if the car performed as they said it would. I have to say that it did and was more than we expected in mileage and comfort. And that is why after looking at, test driving and even putting a deal together on an Altima Hybrid (which we felt remorse about before we walk out of the dealership and then canceled as soon as we woke the next morning) we came back to and purchased the Prius. We are very satisfied and emotionally moved that we were able to purchase this car. We feel like we have to have a car at this point and place in our lives and this to us is by far the best choice that we can make, all things considered, now.

When I told my Dad that we were renting this car the first time he scoffed that they all lie about the mileage and that people had told him that they were only getting 30 mpg in the Prius. We left on the trip from Middletown and stopped for gas in Pennsylvania just over 500 miles away and had just put in 10.5 gallons. Averaging approximately 50 mpg, I called my Dad with the excitement of a teenager with his first car. At that time gas was right around $2.00 per gallon and I had just filled up for about $22 for the 500 miles traveled. I was ecstatic. The coolest part about the whole deal is that it is rated a Partial Zero Emissions car in California (a state with some of the most stringent emissions ratings) If we must have a car, this one seems a great one for us to have. We said almost 4 years ago that we wanted to own a hybrid as our next vehicle and have once again fulfilled on making our intention our reality. I love when this happens and it happens a lot, (thankfully).

I know it seems like a strange choice when we are driving a motor home around the country

but maybe when we are all averaged out we will have gotten 25 miles to the gallon. We intend to park the RV and use the car to site see, visit and get to the playgrounds of this majestic country.

Actually, when you look at these two pictures, they kind of look like the same size vehicles. Not as big of a discrepancy as I had originally thought.