These pictures were taken the day that I bought Isaac. (June 12, 2002). Click on the appropriate link to see the full size jpegs. The dark blue car is Mandy.
This is a 2002 Toyota Prius. That's pronounced "preeus". It's a Hybrid, which means that the car has batteries and an onboard generator to charge them. The engine only runs when it is needed and turns itself off when at stoplights and when coasting. A computer manages the whole thing, so you "just drive it" like any other car. It has a unique transmission that never has to shift. It's simple, smooth and very effective. It seats 4 adults comfortably. Prius owners tend to love their cars.
Isaac's short butt. The trunk is actually big enough for
two suitcases, a days shopping or even a wheel chair. We've loaded two shopping carts at Costco and brought it all home in one trip. The 2 foot by 4 foot plywood sheets almost fit (missed by an inch)! They came home in the back seat.
Easy to Park My other car is a full sized
pickup (named Bubba) which requires a full size parking space.
Some parking garages in San Francisco won't even let me park my pickup there.
Isaac fits in just about every parking space, no matter how crowded the parking lot.
The electronic steering makes it a dream to park.
The Prius turning radius is exceedingly sharp, allowing U-turns in the middle of city streets and parking lots.
If you haven't looked into a hybrid, you really should. They have the power and smoothness of a small V-8 and the fuel economy of a motorcycle. 50 MPG is not unusual in a hybrid. They create out less pollution than just about any other car while using regular gas. They can climb any hill (they've been driven up Pikes Peak) and drive for hours at a time (500 miles on 10 gallons) without stopping. They get great mileage (40 to 50 MPG) even in stop and go driving or hilly areas.
As of November, 2003, you can get a hybrid from Toyota or Honda. The Toyota and the Honda use vastly different designs, so you should look into both. Toyota's been selling hybrids for 6 years now. By the end of 2005 you should be able to get a hybrid from most auto companies. They are the car of the decade because they require no changes in your driving style but privide immediate benefits in economy and lower pollution. They are never plugged in, the batteries are charged by the engine.
In short, they are great cars and I heartily recommend them.