Well, I did it

[sepdet]

Occasionally, stubbornness and buttheadedness comes in handy. I have clawed, whinged, and batted my eyes until I got 3,000 knocked off the price of the car I wanted, plus I made them take the #@#%#% leather seats out and put cloth seats in, and I now own... a new car.

A NICE new car.

A Prius, which I have wanted since 1999, and have been saying "that will be my next car" for at least 2 years. I have never, ever, ever bought a new car before so this was all scary and Big and Gods I Am Spending MONEY, but I think I did all right.

And yes, it really did get avg. of 55.5 mpg on the way home, traffic jams and all.

Other perks I have tried:
~ watching it recharge every time I hit the brakes
~ programming the built-in garage door opener
~ playing with very many controls on the steering wheel (oddly, I was listening to Kerry's speech for its maiden voyage)
~ telling it I like it to be 76 degrees, please
~ playing with the touchscreen GPS map and locating all the Japanese restaurants in my vicinity (I cannot, in fact, tell it "find sushi", but that's pretty close)
~ spending 15 minutes in the gas station (free gas up) trying to figure out how to get it out of park -- oh yes, must hit Power button while foot is on brake
~ going in and out of my garage several times because I've peeled the side mirror off my old car and like HELL I'm going to do it to this one, which is a slightly bigger car.


All right, so what does it look like?

Comments

[tayefeth.livejournal.com]

Ooooo.... Pretty...

I want a car that gets 55mpg. On a good day, with a steady tail wind and on the highway, my Caravan gets 20.

[nmsunbear.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I want one! Congratulations! I've only been saying "That will be my next car" for a few months.... Which is fine, 'cause it'll be a while. There's nothing wrong with the Prizm, and we're still paying for the RAV.

[gamerguy.livejournal.com]

Congratulations! Ahhroooo!

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Woo! Go-go-gadget hybrids!

I should take pictures of my Civic Hybrid someday.

[naekos.livejournal.com]

How much was a Civic Hybrid?

[tersa.livejournal.com]

I got a top-end (automatic with variable transmission) Civic Hybrid last year (2003) with several pricey options (Lo-Jack, 6-CD in-dash changer, Touch of Class seat and paint treatment, and essentially loan insurance) for about $26K. If I'd not gotten the options, it probably would've been about $22K.

[akycha.livejournal.com]

EEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's BEAUTIFUL, love!

Are you going to drive out and see me, sometime? :)

Other Rose

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

Congrats! The first new car is a real thrill.

[aerynvale.livejournal.com]

Woohoo! Blue is a good color. I like it. Have you made the GPS thing talk to you yet and give you directions as you drive?

Also, the bit about 'find sushi' made me giggle.

One day when we've got computers like in Star Trek, we can say, "Computer! Locate all sushi restaurants in the southwestern portion of the northern continent!" and the computer will list them off with Majel Barret's voice.

[akycha.livejournal.com]

I want to know why "Majel Barret" isn't an option when choosing a voice for your Macintosh.

I can get an English accent, but no Trek computer. Sad.

Welcome to the club!

[kirbyk.livejournal.com]

I love my '04 prius as well. Mine's white, and super quiet, like the good Ninja from GI Joe.

It's really a great car, not just a curiosity of efficiency. It'd be a great car if it got 30 mpg. It's wonderful that it does better than that. (And, actually, I think the super low emissions move me more than the raw gas efficiency, in an envirogeeky way.)

Some days, being an adult (in at least a few senses) pays off.

absolutely

[sepdet.livejournal.com]

and it's not always going to get mileage like that, but who CARES. I fell in love with the idea of a Prius because it was eco-friendly. The gas mileage appeals to so-called "practical" people who don't realize why environmentally sound tech is more practical, or, to look at it another way, it drives the point home.

I continue to discover its toys, slowly and surely. I wandered back to the car to check something and the interior lighting came on, very gently. There is a strange satisfaction in having a car that recognizes mommy (which, I confess, is how "home" is marked in its memory.)

I do wish that they hadn't put a "Motortrend Car of the Year" sticker plastered across its butt.

I also need to rent and watch Tron. I've never seen it, but I have a suspicion this creature escaped from it. Although the interior, particulaly the energy use diagram, are very Next Generation bridge.

Re: absolutely

[tersa.livejournal.com]

I'm jealous! I want the GPS option! I didn't have a GPS option!

Wow.

[naekos.livejournal.com]

Do you mind if I ask how much it was?

[wheeker.livejournal.com]

Congratulations. It suits you. I love the photos.

TPQ