:: YogiSutras: Yoga Blog - Journeys into Yoga ::

On my continued quest to make my little mark in saving the world by reducing my personal and family oil consumption, I drove the Toyota Prius last night.

It’s not an Audi (BUT!), it is a really nice car. The edition I drove had leather seats. It was a hot evening, and the air conditioning kept us very cool. The dash was somewhat spaceship-like, which I got used to it very quickly. No key is required, which is a programmable-brain-shift for most humans, but I’m sure we can all adapt.

The next thing that it took getting used to was the “nob” that you use to shift from reverse to drive to park. It’s literally a little nob. Not a shifter like we’re all used to, but a single nob on the dash. I think of it as “cute”.

Backing up, I used the Backup monitor, which gave you a 3D look of everything behind you. Very cool. I took the car down a windy-road, and it hugged the road very well. Then, I took it down the highway, and while there were no twin-turbos, the car accelerated well, and the continuous shift system delivered a smooth ride.

The interior of the car is quite spaceous. If I fold down the seats, I can easily fit my three large dogs, and some Costco groceries.

The purchasing process is much like adopting a child. Yes, there is really a wait-list for this car. The process goes like this: Select your preferences, and pay a deposit (the Boulder Toyota dealer offers a REFUNDABLE $500 deposit, because the line is so long). They get on average, two Prius’ in per month. When the cars arrive, the dealer goes down the list and matches the car’s features to the right buyer, and that lucky buyer gets a call. When I was at the dealer, there was one white Prius awaiting it’s owner. Within the time it took me to test-drive the car, that lucky owner came and adopted his vehicle.

I’m getting on the list. Can’t wait to adopt my new child.

~Namaste