Not quite new, but still...

We've owned our #2 package 2006 Prius since September of 2006, and it's the best investment I've ever made in a car, bar none.

The first week I owned it, I took a three week trip back home, 550 miles away, and put about 1600 miles on it total. On that trip, I got 54+ (56 calculated from gas usage) mpg on the freeway.

Since then, we've put about almost 45K miles on it, without a lick of trouble. I have a 30 mile round trip to work, and aside from that, we drive it bloody everywhere. Even at 350 to 400 miles per week, I can't remember the last time I put more than 9 gallons in my tank. That little statistic really irritates one of my co-workers, who was the biggest and most vocal detractor of my purchase.

During the warm months, which around here is roughly March/April to October/November, we get between 52-54 mph every tankful, and during the colder months, around 46-48. I don't bother calculating mileage any more, except to spot check every few tanks, since I did it regularly for the first few months we owned it, and it came within plus or minus 1 to 3 mpg almost every time. I figured it wasn't worth my time.

Even though the mileage was the initial draw, it's just one of the attractions of this vehicle. The smooth ride, the lack of road noise, trouble free operation, interior comfort and various amenities all contribute to my enjoyment.

Our other car is a 96 Honda Civic, and if we could afford it, we would hand that down to our son and get another Prius in a heartbeat.

We haven't looked back.

And thanks to all the posters on these boards, and the valuable information they've provided. I've only been perusing these forums today, and look forward to gleaning more good info from them in the future.