I want to v-lieve...

(with apologies to the X files for that title...

Hello, gang. I'm planning to make the plunge into Prius ownership with a v, hopefully fairly soon, and figured I'd come by and join this here party.

My last car, a trusty and beloved '02 Subaru wagon, recently met the end of the road - or rather, met a freeway guard rail at near head-on after a 90 degree spin, at which point crumple zones crumpled and airbags boomed. Shortly after which I stepped out of the car with a small bruise on my left knee, no other damage whatsoever, and much gratitude for Japanese safety engineers. I've been wrestling since then with deep and difficult questions, like "Does my love of Subaru's AWD and my newfound first-hand experience with their superb crash safety outweigh the allure of twice as good mileage in a Prius v?", and "Could that characteristic Prius shape someday be as near and dear to my own heart as the Outback's rugged good looks?", to "What matters more: the Subaru AWD's ability to handle whatever winter throws at it, or the Prius v's ability to help, partially, prevent climate change from throwing winter entirely out the door?" I even, briefly, thought about casting a wider net: "Do all those nifty features in a v, from the world-leading engine technology to the clever storage bins tucked under the cargo area floor, make up for its being a little bit 'less exciting' to drive than, say, the new Mazda3 hatchback which reportedly gets 40 mpg?"

And, well, here I am. So I guess that gives away the answer to the questions, doesn't it?

It's been a pleasure to read through the various threads here, which have answered a lot of my questions, in particular about some of the aftermarket modifications possible. I don't plan on doing any really serious tuning, that's not my style at all, but I do kind of want those heated seats in the Two that otherwise fits all my needs.

Looking forward to seeing where the road takes me from here...