http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/Mike/8033 Strangers are always coming up  my wife and I asking us how we like our Toyota Prius. I never get to answer, because my wife practically jumps in front of me (face all lit up), eagerly telling them it was her choice to buy the Prius.  It was her first and only choice, when she saw the style of the car and the gas mileage rating.  I was reluctant to trade in my Dodge Dakota, because I just knew I would get some use out that truck bed someday,and since I am retired I couldn't’t continue to use the “I need a high water vehicle” line anymore ,now we can just wait until it stops raining and the water goes down.  After the salesman showed her the great hide-away compartment in the back , with a curtain to hide your purchases, I just knew making a return trip to Killebrew and the other car dealers was going to be useless.  The $30,000 was a little steep for the #5 option (GPS, backup camera, and electronic road stabilizing control) considering the salesman said he couldn't get one for six months. I almost had her considering looking at a new Dakota, but I started calling around, and I found a salesman that actually had a Prius in Corpus Christi.  The salesman actually had six on the lot with “Sold” on the window. The salesman told me it was a tactic they used to get around giving up their hot sellers. One year nine months later, and I have stopped saying “We could be riding in a Dakota.” The car is still small, but I have adjusted to driving at knee high level.  That was hard.  The 41 mpg in town and the 47 mpg on the road are not the only pluses.  We're getting ready to go to Chicago for a one-week vacation in August and I calculated that we will use 73 gallons at about $4.50 a gallon ,totaling $328.50,not bad ;ask any trucker.  For old geezers like me, that large digital speedometer on the left side of the dashboard is a must, and that GPS system has saved our marriage more than once.  Oh, did I mention the $1575 income tax credit for buying an energy efficient car at that time.  The Toyota comes with an eight-year battery with a replacement cost of $5,000. Someone is going to get a good deal on a used Prius in year seven. Strangers are always coming up  my wife and I asking us how we like our Toyota Prius. I never get to answer, because my wife practically jumps in front of me (face all lit up), eagerly telling them it was her choice to buy the Prius.  It was her first and only choice, when she saw the style of the car and the gas mileage rating.  I was reluctant to trade in my Dodge Dakota, because I just knew I would get some use out that truck bed someday,and since I am retired I couldn't’t continue to use the “I need a high water vehicle” line anymore ,now we can just wait until it stops raining and the water goes down.  After the salesman showed her the great hide-away compartment in the back , with a curtain to hide your purchases, I just knew making a return trip to Killebrew and the other car dealers was going to be useless.  The $30,000 was a little steep for the #5 option (GPS, backup camera, and electronic road stabilizing control) considering the salesman said he couldn't get one for six months. I almost had her considering looking at a new Dakota, but I started calling around, and I found a salesman that actually had a Prius in Corpus Christi.  The salesman actually had six on the lot with “Sold” on the window. The salesman told me it was a tactic they used to get around giving up their hot sellers. One year nine months later, and I have stopped saying “We could be riding in a Dakota.” The car is still small, but I have adjusted to driving at knee high level.  That was hard.  The 41 mpg in town and the 47 mpg on the road are not the only pluses.  We're getting ready to go to Chicago for a one-week vacation in August and I calculated that we will use 73 gallons at about $4.50 a gallon ,totaling $328.50,not bad ;ask any trucker.  For old geezers like me, that large digital speedometer on the left side of the dashboard is a must, and that GPS system has saved our marriage more than once.  Oh, did I mention the $1575 income tax credit for buying an energy efficient car at that time.  The Toyota comes with an eight-year battery with a replacement cost of $5,000. Someone is going to get a good deal on a used Prius in year seven. en-us