On the Prius

After spending a week in a Prius, I can say that I do get their appeal. Though they are bland to look at, not terribly fun to drive, and looking out the rear window requires as much guesstimation as anything else with its small bisected rear glass, it does sip gas. On our 900 miles of driving over significant elevation changes, we averaged over 49mpg. Impressive even over flat earth. So, there is that. If you value that above all else, I don't think much compares. Still, it would take a lot to get me to ever consider buying one.

I am not in love with my current car, the Mazda 3. I like it fine, but it is a bit less engaging driving than I had hoped. After driving my Rabbit, which was small, fun, and very peppy, the Mazda seemed overlarge and somewhat sluggish considering its Zoom, Zoom moniker. However, after spending a week in a Prius, the Mazda feels like trying to tame a jet engine. I get it now. It is all in the comparison. I am of average height, but put me next to an NFL lineman and I will look incredibly wee. Put me in a room full of midgets and I will appear towering. The Mazda feels like a true, unadulterated sports car now that I have spent a week in a Prius. Of course, it does get about exactly half the gas mileage.

But, beyond the fuel conservation, there is little to like in the Prius. It isn't attractive and it isn't remotely 'fun' to drive. The braking is mushy and the acceleration is below average. What was, I think, most surprising, was the interior. I knew there would be tradeoffs for good gas mileage, but I didn't think those tradeoffs would be seats with no lumbar support and the lack of features like automatic headlights (they might not come on a Yaris, but even a base level Prius is going to cost you in the low/mid 20s). It has a fun electronic dash with different levels of display, but aside from that, meh. Give me a TDI any day.