Ruminations on the gas buggy

I haven't posted on this blog in a very long time, because no one reads it.  But that's not  really a good excuse not to post.

In December 2013, after my last disgruntled post, my father's house, which continues to appear in my dreams, was finally sold.  Hallelujah.  For a whopping $180,000.  At least we didn't have to resort to calling one of those "we buy ugly houses" numbers.  The money was duly divided between my brother and me, and what was left of my half not spent on pricey house repairs was deposited in my savings and invested with Fidelity.  I finally bit the bullet and made a huge down payment on...

a Prius!

Yes, my fifteen year old Honda Civic, which still runs beautifully with 147,000 miles on it, has rusted out as all New England vehicles eventually do.  My mechanic informed me that within six months my car would be unsafe to drive.  This sent me into a tizzy, because naturally I didn't want to wait for that dire eventuality.  So...what car to buy?  For years now, I have been fantasizing about a Prius, which, while pricey, is at least in the range of the possible, unlike a Porsche or Ferrari.  I soon found that a new one was out of the question, so I researched the prices of used ones online.  I decided that no way was I dealing with a used car salesman.  Instead, I asked Pat Regan, my mechanic, who buys a few used cars and sells them from his service station, to find me a used Prius, no older than 2010.

A few weeks went by as I prayed to my Higher Power to send me my Prius.  I wanted the gunmetal gray one but I said I'd settle for any other color.  My prayers were heard and answered!   My Prius, which I have named "Fairy," is a light silver color and looks quite elegant.  As the cashier at Regan's told me, silver doesn't show dirt or scratches as much as a dark color.  Another plus!  The car, which had one owner, is in admirable condition, with "only" 47,900 miles--this is considered low mileage for a Prius.  2010s are selling for as much as mine with 60, 70, even 80K.  And the service manual goes all the way up to 120K.  And it's not just optimism.  Apparently they just keep going and going, virtually trouble-free.  Everyone I've spoken to loves their Prius.

My main reason for buying a Prius (at $16,000 and some change, about $10,000 less than a new one would cost me) is of course the environment.  If I keep this car for 120K plus miles, I will be releasing a lot less crap into our suffering atmosphere.  Although, as my friend Nelson pointed out, there is still the problem of disposing of the battery: if it ends up in a landfill, it will leach toxic chemicals into the groundwater.  I'm hoping that by that time someone will discover how to render theses chemicals harmless.

What I wasn't prepared for was the virtually silent ride the Prius delivers.  Smooth.  It's not a hot rod, and it doesn't accelerate 0-60 like a Maserati, but hell, it's sleek and beautiful, and it's cool.  There aren't as many as you'd imagine on the streets of Newton, being an uncool place.  The word is that California is full of them.  Proof positive of coolness.  For Californians, the Prius is the VW beetle of the 2000's.  More evidence that the West Coast is where I really belong.

Other advantages of the Prius are easy loading of equipment due to the hatchback, which creates a higher ceiling inside the car.  And the low gas mileage--50 mpg on the highway, the most economical hybrid around.  Gas prices are now falling precipitously, and the irony is not lost on me.  Oh well, it'll cost me even less to drive my new (used) car.