Somebody's Auto Insurance Company is Paying for a Prius

[liz_marcs]

Not to keep. (I wish, though.)

You might recall that some asshat hit my car while it was parked in a lot, and then failed to leave a note saying "sorry."

Well, the car is now in to the autobody shop and, since I'm a paranoid sort, I had car rental on my auto insurance just in case this sort of thing happened to me. Which means I basically get a free car rental while my car's being fixed. (Still have to pay the $500 deductible to fix the car.)

Anyway, due to circumstances beyond Enterprise Rent-A-Car's control, all they had to give me was a Prius for my rental.

YAY!

Okay, the interior of the car is totally space age and it took a little Q&A to catch on how the thing worked — A chip instead of a key to start the car? Pushing a button to start the engine or put it in park? And where the hell are the door locks! Gah! — but I'm feeling somewhat Jetsons-y now that I've had my first spin.

I want one. I really, really want one. Can't have it tho' because my beloved Saturn will never forgive me if I fail to drive him into the ground while riding him hard all the way....ummmm, that sounded better in my head than it reads...

I'm actually thinking of posting pictures of the dash of this thing, because...yeah. Not exactly a flying car, but definitely a flying car dashboard. It's a start, right?

I should note that one or two people that I work with has begged and pleaded that I give them a ride. So it appears I'll be "doing lunch" tomorrow. Heee!

Comments

[vichan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Priuses ARE spaceships. And you can't really hear them running, even when standing next to the engine.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

That's the thing that really freaks me out about it. When it switches over to battery, there's no damn sound and it's quite possibly the smoothest ride I've ever had in a car.

I think that's why there's no key. You'd be automatically reaching for it to turn it because you think the car's stalled.

[cuddlycthulhu.livejournal.com]

My car was hit-and-run by people in parking lots twice in as many months starting last December.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

God. Please don't say that.

*has nightmare of spending another $500 to fix the car before the end of the year*

[tnrkitect.livejournal.com]

Lucky you. I'm driving a Kia from Enterprise right now while mine is in the shop. :-(

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

I would've had a Kia, but what happened is the local utility company threatened to go on strike, so said utility company scooped up just about every rental car for a 35-mile radius around Boston just in case they had to send supervisors on the road.

End result, my local Enterprise essentially had only their most expensive rentals available for those of us who put in our reservation a week ago. :-)

Hence the free upgrade.

Have I mentioned that it's a really cool car? 'Cause it is. But if I had $22,000+ on me, I'd be putting a downpayment on a house, not buying a car.

[stephanierb.livejournal.com]

The Prius is awesome. I'm a Zipcar member and they have a few in their fleet, and I've rented one a few times now. I love the rear view camera.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

Oooo, I haven't tried that one yet.

I'm too busy watching the engine and the battery kick back and forth on that dashboard screen...mostly because I keep thinking that the car's not running when it switches over to battery because it's so quiet.

But...yes. I must try the camera in the next day or two before they make me return the car.

[taerowyn.livejournal.com]

This is where I think I'd get in trouble. I love watching that as a passenger...or the screen view where you can track you current mpg, your average mpg over a certain time frame, etc. All fine while a passenger, but who's to say I wouldn't forget to, you know, pay attention and drive!

[justhuman.livejournal.com]

I Love My Prius!!!

I needed the tutorial at first too, but you get used to it fast-but it never stops being fun :-)

Mine replaced a saturn - sadly, "run into the ground" for a saturn stars showing signs at around 138k. I gave up on mine before 150k and I'm the woman that took a Ford Escort to 189k - a feat they couldn't have been done.

But hold out a bit the new hybid that Honda is putting out this year is supposed to be a lot more affordable.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

That sounds awesome. And a bit weird.

[crossoverman.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I want one! But next best thing - you should take photos :D

[adpfromga.livejournal.com]

A sea kayak would look so stylish on top of a Prius....

[hjcallipygian.livejournal.com]

Are you still driving that same Saturn? I still quote you when you said, "Saturn, the official car of single women everywhere." =) But you totally work hard enough to earn yourself a Prius -- the Saturn will understand.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_finn_/]

Does it make that "Whm-whmwhmwhmwhm" noise the Jetson's cars make?

It totally should!

If not, you need to make a recording of it and play it through the speakers at max volume =)