Jack Walden 
2016 Toyota Prius v Wagon Two 4dr Wagon (1.8L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
Pinto Lover Moves On
 Okay, so the Prius v reminds me of the new 1979 Pinto wagon my wife and I went on our honeymoon in. But only in the most basic ways. The color. When my friend started driving Priuses in '06 I made every kind of joke possible including one about buying two Corolas, one for Sunday - for the same money. So I coughed it up for a '16 model 2 and have been in hybrid bliss ever since. I traded a Honda Fit in. It was one of the last Japanese '13s available. I put 57,000 miles on it in two years. It was causing me pain. Not from a lack of reliability or the type of pain that sprouts from a hip pocket. It was cheap, very good and cheap. I was beginning to avoid driving because of the neck and shoulder pain it created. And fortunately for me I wasn't going to be driving as much. My new car rides smooth and the seat has allowed me to drive for up to six hours without my neck throbbing. Some critics complain about the lack of exceleration, but I have not felt underpowered even in heavy interstate traffic.The Prius is quite. Really quite, pedestrians are frequently surprised by it in parking lots. Oh, and the mpg, 45.8 in the first 2500 miles with the AC blasting away. Even though I got the lowest trim level, the Bluetooth works perfect, and the back up camera is great. All in all it is a well thought out design. The door openings are very wide making it easy for this senior citizen to access every area. I'm yet to lay the back seats down and actually haul something. The car is so nice I don't want it to be utilitarian. I had the windows tinted complete with a strip across the top of the windshield. The tint seems to unify the design while killing the fishbowl effect. I'm not too keen on the smart key. The fob is expensive to replace and a bit awkward in my pocket. But, the Prius is about change. It may be the same color as our Pinto wagon but the similarities stop there.More, More  August 5, 2017On the first anniversary of my car's purchase I had clocked 22,000 miles.My wife and I visited Austin, the big antique shows at Round Top in late March, and Columbus, Ohio about a month later. The Prius is a fine auto to travel in. We can't get over how much space is inside. In my earlier post I mentioned that the I hadn't lowered the seats, well now a little of the new is worn off and it's being treated more like a wagon.I'm a younger retiree and I enjoy raising plants in containers. We also have a booth in an antique mall, so frequently the wagon hauls something besides groceries and grandchildren.My wife drives an Honda mini van and it sits at home as much as possible. I much prefer my Prius to her fine van, before you get to the gas mileage issue. I'm still averaging around 45 even with the iceberg of an air conditioner on full blast. I have breathing issues and the heat really knocks me out, sometimes I let it idle for 15 to 30 minutes and it doesn't seem to wreck the mileage.I've really enjoyed the free 2 year service Toyota provides. I plan on staying faithful to my dealer and even purchasing my tires from them. In the past I have tried to avoid the service department, I'm a terrible skeptic thst sold Lincolns in the early 1980's. I've seen some service departments that make a casino look like a consumer affairs counseling center.Over all I'm very, very, pleased and particular about this wonder wagon. It is my favorite car of a life filled with the new car smell.If I have to replace it, I would try to get the highest trim level so I could get the JBL radio. My only complaint is that the dash shows dust.12,073 miles ... my wife has retired  and I don't get to drive my car every day. She has an Odyssey mini van that gets a little more than half of the mpg I'm getting in the Prius.  It's a very nice ride, but it's not a Prius. It feels big and bulky. It's hard to park, but it does seat eight.There have been no problems with my Prius, but I do take it in to the dealership for service. It's free for the first  24,000 miles. They even rotate the tires.I had a bit of a medical emergency that resulted in an ambulance ride. My young GP parked my Prius in a safe place. I was afraid to leave it the main parking lot overnight. I am a bit pocessive concerning the car. He asked me as I was being rolled along on the gurney, "Jack, does your car have a motor in it?" It was a great laugh at his expense.Today I'm going to remove my grandson's car seat and lay the back  seats flat.Then the stereo will blast Joshua Bell's new Bach recording via Bluetooth from my phone, very loudly, on my way to pick up a 175 year old Sheraton chest my wife bought yesterday. I guess some of the new has worn away. Here's to old friends in the making. If there has been a failure in my long time relationship with Toyota it would be that I don't drive them long enough. 135,000 miles is the most I've ever put on one, I hope to top that this time.The Prius v continues to be my favorite car I recommend it highly.