My girlfriend owns a 2005 Toyota Prius. I remember the first day I met her, gorgeous good looks, a great sense of humor, sharp mind, Ph.D., warm smile, honest demeanor, and the Prius was the clincher.

A hybrid car isn't just a good idea; it represents a forward thinking individual. It's a symbol of world-consciousness. All of that is very attractive. I would have fallen for her anyway, but the Prius made it even easier.

Do you have some misconceptions regarding this car? Hopefully, I can clarify:

"They're weak on the Road:"
Wrong. These cars are just as able as other cars on the market. They aren't weak on power -- even on the highway they perform just as well as other cars in the class. The Prius is peppy and responsive. It maneuvers very well and has a convenient turning radius -- for those side-street U-turns. This car has 2 motors: one electric and one gas. If that isn't fascinating enough...what's even more incredible is that the vehicle will switch between the two while in motion quite transparently to the driver. Most people wouldn't even know when power is coming from the electric or the gas or both at the same time. That's very impressive technology. So don't be afraid that this car is less on the road. No, it's only less costly at the gas pump.

"They stall at stop signs and traffic lights."
Wrong. Sort of. This "rumor" may have been started by someone who said, "The gas engine cuts out at stops." And in fact that's true. Why waste gas in an idle? Add up all the time you and your car are idling in city traffic -- then subtract all that gas -- that's a Hybrid. I'm amazed. I didn't know gas engines could be so nimble. Starting and stopping so easily -- without much warming at all. I don't get it, but it works. The car itself is not stalled. The electric engine is at the ready and if you punch the accelerator, both engines kick in at once and give you just as much thrust as you'd get with lots of other cars in its class.

"They can only go short distances."
Wrong again. That's crazy. While you're on the highway, you're using more of the gas motor than the electric (but getting great mileage), at that time the battery is charging for electric usage later on down the road (no pun intended). Some people think the Prius is an electric only vehicle and needs to be "plugged in" at night. Nope. It charges while you're driving (and braking -- somehow). However -- read the mileage section below*.

"They don't get that great of mileage."
We'll there's truth to this one too. We'd love to get 80mpg or even the 50 that was sort of promised. The reality is more like 45ish. Still, that's a very nice number. One weekend we filled up my Mitsubishi van's tank with gas then drove to my girlfriend's family (about a 2-hour round trip). As we returned home, I was nearly down to half a tank. We did the same trip with her Prius the next weekend -- I didn't notice any movement on the gas meter.

*(I recently (2006) screened the film Who Killed the Electric Car and learned that some engineers have converted a regular hybrid Prius to a “Plug in Prius.” They claim 100+mpg (with some limitations). Anyway, this technology is really exciting. For more on the plug in hybrids see: CalCars.org.)

Interesting Features:
The car comes equipped with a GPS and very large LCD screen (built into the dash) for monitoring. This unit will speak to you and tell you when to turn left or right if you just punch in the destination prior to leaving. I like it, but hate that it requires you to push "I agree" every time you use the GPS. My girlfriend likes to leave the GPS on when driving, it drives me crazy. Fortunately, there is an off display switch. But the display does more than GPS. I love the schematic that shows which motors are working in real time.

Car Design/Function:
The Prius body style is a bit odd looking, but has its own charm. Further, I find it extremely functional. Cup holders pop out everywhere. The radio has good sound and steering wheel controls. Climate controls are also on the steering wheel. Though it looks small, the car has a lot of room. The two back seats fold down, and the hatch back pops up -- we had no problem bringing home a full size house door. In fact, I bet you could sleep back there rather comfortably with a few tweaks. Throw a nearly six-foot board over the trunk/folded back seats, lay with your head toward the back and you can watch the stars as you fall asleep. (I've not done it, but I've daydreamed about it -- one of these camping trips we'll do it.)

Drawbacks:
1) The green LED display panel/speedometer glares across the windshield while driving at night. Slightly annoying to me, my girlfriend doesn't even notice it. 2) The little gear shifter is a pain to get used to. PARK is a separate button. So what I end up doing after I stop the car, I accidentally shift it into REVERSE (gearshift up - where PARK is on most cars) and then think I'm in PARK. This is a very bad design. I'm guessing, they realized the likelihood of drivers making this mistake so perhaps to remind us the car beeps (Inside only) like a little truck while you're in REVERSE. This is quite annoying when you already know you're in REVERSE. But a welcome reminder not to step out of the car while you've left it in REVERSE thinking you're in PARK. Anyway, I hope Toyota takes a look at this, it annoys the heck out of me. But, then again, I'm switching between my non-hybrid and the Prius. My girlfriend (who seldom drives my car) has already adjusted to the Prius and finds no problem with it. The car also has a very cute ON button. I love it. However, for new drivers, there is the possibility of inadvertently shifting the car into REVERSE (Thinking it's in PARK), then stepping out without shutting the car off (because the key works electronically). This concerns me -- a potential safety/damage hazard. (If this has happened to you - kindly write in and let me know.) 3) Because of these quirks in shifting, the car may be a problem when leaving it with Valets. I'm impressed that Toyota considered this problem and includes a small post-it size quick-instruction for Valets that you can slide onto the key ring while handing the key over.

Overall, despite the seriously non-intuitive gear shifter design, the Prius is a wonderful little car. I love driving it. It's fun, peppy, functional, smart, and a long-overdue step in the right direction regarding fossil fuels.

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