First time Owner!

So - not so quick story first. I'm 32 years old, and I've never bought a new car in my life. I used to have a 2006 BMW 530i. It got about 22MPG. I spent over $10K in repairs over the last two years, and I was done, but what car to buy? Never in my life, did I think I would buy a Prius.

My dad, who is 62 years old, researched cars for months. It was kind of cool as both my parents and I were in the market for a car at the same time. That might sound strange to some, but defintely a good bonding experience. We both did research, and after test-driving several Hondas, my dad called me one day and said he bought a Prius. I laughed at first and asked if he was serious, and he said, "yes, you have to come over and drive this thing!"

I pushed it off for over two weeks, but finally, one day, I was close enough to their house where I had to stop by. My dad let me take a test drive, and I was sold immediately. I was shocked at how responsive it was, and after reading all of the negative comments about handling, etc, I couldn't believe what I was driving.

Maybe, I liked it because my BMW had sports handling with an M steering wheel. It was very sensitive and awkward to other people who would drive my car. The steering on the Prius is definitely more loose than my BMW, but it still feels tighter than rentals I drive, and the braking is more crisp as well. I think they make "normal" cars for people who don't know how to drive. Perhaps I'm a little too cynical.

In any case, I bought a brand new 2011 Prius III on Saturday. Red, with the solar navigation package, and a whopping 7 miles on it. I'm still learning everything about it. I've watched the video and read the entire manual, but I'm proud to admit that after 108 miles, I'm getting 52.3 MPG. By far, this is the best car I've ever had. I could not be happier, and I appreciate any advice anyone can give about maximizing the MPG. I drive a lot for work, so this car has everything I want.

Thank you to those who read this entire thing
Jason

 

I appreciate everyone's well wishes and hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I've gotten better at using the ECO meter and coasting whenever possible. My average is up to about 53 MPG, but I'm still working on it. Fantastic vehicle!