Look – say what you want about the Toyota Prius, but we were touching 58 MPG AVERAGE at one point.
58 miles per gallon!! Let that sink in.
We drove this Prius loaded down with luggage, from ATLANTA to ORLANDO. And then we drove it around Disney for 2 days. And THEN we drove it back to Atlanta… all for 60 BUCKS TOTAL!!!
60 BUCKS TOTAL!!!
That’s a game-changer. Hell – true story, we spent more money on dinner most nights. Non-Prius owners criticize the Toyota Prius for being smug, dorky vehicles. Sure. They criticize it for being boring to drive. And they are. We all know the stereotypes here, and it’s easy to casually dismiss the Prius from the sidelines.
BUT….. the freedom & opportunities that open up with that kind of MPG efficiency…. is anything but dismissible.
It’s invigorating… and a huge breath of fresh air! A weight off your shoulders. The Toyota Prius lets you get out there and say YES to more spontaneous roadtrips & adventures… without feeling the weight/burden of expense. And listen – that’s a hard feeling to fully grasp until you experience it firsthand. And then it gets really hard to let go of.
One time I heard somebody say something about Jeeps that made a lot of sense to me: “The Jeep is a totally unique type of vehicle, and as a car enthusiast, you should experience owning one at some point. If for no other reason, just to broaden your understanding & exposure.”
Well that same principle applies to the Toyota Prius in a lot of ways. I’m not saying that we should all sell our sports cars and/or 4x4s and go buy Priuses lol. But as car enthusiasts, a vehicle like the Prius should spark a certain level of curiosity & intrigue… and NOT necessarily instant condemnation.
*Buuuuut here’s the catch. Is the Prius a great value? Yes. But you actually have to DRIVE the Prius in order to get the value out of it. Meaning – it’s not gonna do you any good if it sits in the garage while you constantly drive your ‘other car’ for street cred. There’s an initial puppy love period when you’re riding around getting supreme MPGs. But after a month or so… I’m not sure if I’d be mature/sensible enough to drive the Prius regularly enough… to really get the value out of it. Hats off to people who would. But personally – I’d probably say ‘screw it’ and take one of my fun cars on a nice day. And the Prius would be another car sitting the in the garage taking up space that I’d need to pay insurance on.
The Prius is a great vehicle and a GREAT value… but only if you’re responsible enough to actually drive it most days. 95% would recommend a new Prius to someone who needs a good car & doesn’t care about car culture.
MSRP: $23,500+
MPG: we got 58 city & backroads… & 45 hwy
Horsepower: 121 (eeeeasy now)
Fuel tank capacity: 11.3
