I just drove a Prius for the first time - it was terrific.
I was in New England to give ASHRAE DL seminars at the University of New Hampshire Manchester and the Maine and NH ASHRAE chapters. I had the opportunity to rent a Prius for my drive from the Boston Airport to Manchester, then to Portsmouth, then to Brattleboro and North Bennington, VT. I finally dropped the car off in Albany, NY, after putting 354 miles on it.
When I went to fill up the car just before reaching the Albany airport, I had about ¼ tank of gas left. Being accustomed to a car that gets about 23 mpg, I had figured that I might be getting about 35 mpg, so I assumed that I would have to put in 10 to 11 gallons of gas.
Imagine my surprise when I put in only 6.7 gallons – putting my fuel efficiency at an astounding 53 mpg! And that was with a lot of higher speed (above 55 mph) and mountain driving; otherwise it could have been even higher.
You know what else I noticed about the Prius? It’s a very nice ride! The driver’s seat is phenomenally comfortable. And the car is quiet, roomy, and has plenty of storage. It actually has so many storage places I almost forgot where I put stuff. But be aware that the quietness on startup does take a little getting used to.
If you ever have the chance, test drive one of these remarkable, energy efficient cars. At least rent one for a couple of days. And let me know how you like it.
