[geeks] Race Tracks

[Sheldon T. Hall]

Quoth Lionel Peterson ...
> [I wrote]
> >BTW, if you want "a very nice, high mpg, smooth, quiet, 
> >comfortable little
> >car," try a Prius.  It ain't all that small inside, and it's 
> >got the "very
> >nice, high mpg, smooth, quiet, comfortable" bit down pat.
> 
> Smug Alert! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smug_Alert!

Heh.

I don't have a Prius.  My son does, though, and I rather like it.  I'm
waiting until Toyota puts the same or similar underpinnings in something
more like a minivan (and, no, the Highlander SUV ain't it).  While the Prius
is a comfortable size, and will haul a lot of stuff for its footprint, we
need a car with room for a big dog crate.  We've got this huge sheepdog,
y'see....

Even at the current price of gasoline here (US$3.19/USGal today), however,
you have to drive some huge amount of miles to get back the premium you pay
over an equivalent straight-gasoline-or-Diesel car of the same
size/comfort/quality as the Prius.  I'd find it a bit hard to feel smug
about that. 

Fuel economy aside, though, I think it's a very interesting car.  Very
programmable, it turns out, though the UI is a bit odd. 

-Shel