So, I finally picked up my Toyota Prius. It is a 2008 Prius, color is described as beige on the registration, but I consider it tannish-gold. It has 37,000 miles on it, and is a Toyota certified vehicle. So, my first thoughts are that it is a funky, beautiful little car. Very unique looking and I find it fun to drive. I LOVE the room in it. I am a 6'3" male, and have plenty of room in the front and back and my head does not hit the ceiling. Plenty of room for someone my height which is awesome. I was driving a 2003 Hyundai Elantra, which got decent mpg, but felt cramped. Then I upgraded to a 2007 Hyundai Sonata v6 and had room, but the mpg was horrendous. Usually averaged between 18mpg-23mpg. Was spending a lot on gas and long trips were usually terribly expensive because of the gas. I would totally rejoice when I saw gas under $3.50. Even though I have only been driving the Prius since 10am, I am totally in love with it. I feel like I don't even worry about gas prices anymore because of the mpg. I do miss the quickness of the Sonata. Only thing I miss about it. So, my first trip in the Prius I averaged 38mpg, which is great compared to what I had. Of course, I was using my usual driving style. Quick off the red light, and slightly faster than I should be driving.I altered my driving habits to accelerate slower than usual, and maintain the speed limit, and *POOF* was getting 50+ mpg at a steady rate. I love the way it handles, and the back up camera is pretty nifty. One thing that I found funny was that almost every other prius driver I saw today gave me the "bro nod" like Harley riders give each other. Seems like some type of camaraderie from having a Prius. Like that a lot for some reason. Back to the room in the car. Can't get over how much I love it. Plenty of room in the trunk. Also happy about the room in the backseat. More than enough room for a baby seat, and since I have one on the way, I couldn't be happier. My fiance loves the car as well and thinks its a great family vehicle. I live in Florida, so the flat roads definitely help with the mpg. I don't see many prius drivers around but there are a few. Mostly I see large trucks that average 2mpg (lol). Feel good being in a high mpg vehicle. I also really like the smart key. Like not having to pull my keys out to start the car As for insurance, I was paying $175/month with the Sonata, and I am now paying $145 with the Prius. My fiance says we should just combine our car policies, and I did a quote for it with came to $180 for both of us. $90 a month I LOVE THIS CAR! Prius owners, I made fun of the Prius because I was ignorant...but having one, I now know that it is one of the best cars on the market, and based on others experiences, it seems incredibly reliable.
My 08 just turned 40k, you got a great car! Make sure you register on the Toyota Owners website, you can acces the service records for the car. There are several TSB's that apply to your year, you should make sure they have been done! Welcome to the board. 53+ in nothing to feel bad about