I finally got a chance to drive a Toyota Prius last week in greater Washington DC. I had to rent a car from Avis to get to a few speaking gigs in the area, and they gave me the Prius.
What a ride! Once I got over the quietness of it, I fell in love with it. Not only does it feel rock solid, it has a great deal of pep. The on board computer calcluates your mileage, which makes driving like playing a video game. I drove about two hundred and fifty miles over a few days, yet filling it back up only cost me $17.00!!!
I thought it was roomy, had great visibility and highly recommend it. One curious by product of this car is the reaction you get from other people. Three different people (a toll bridge operator, a person at a light and a custodian at my hotel) all thanked me for making the decision to own a Prius. I explained that I was renting it, but thanked them for noticing. I’m pretty sure that when my lease is up next year, I’m going to get one!
Recommended: If you travel and rent, request a Prius from Avis and give it a spin. Even if you seldom rent a car, invest one hundred bucks and call your local Avis store and rent one for a few days. You’ll see what I mean. I think this is a great way to get an extended test drive.
