The new hybrid ride

So, the bug was great and a lot of fun, but the fun really wained when trying to get a baby in and out of a carseat in the back of a 2-door car. There was the possibility of increasing access to the interior, plus the fun of taking a reciprocating saw to one's car, but we decided against installing gullwing doors on the beetle.

And, of course, there was the option of keeping the bug and augmenting it so it would be even more fun to drive. However, there is insufficient free time for installing a jet engine.



So we shopped around for several good, practical vehicles such as the Pontiac Vibe (aka Toyota Matrix), Subaru Legacy wagon, Honda CR-V and the Mazda 5 microvan. The Vibe was the frontrunner, but the biggest problem was the extremely limited variety of models/options in stock, and the delay of ordering one with only practical options. Because of that, I decided to have a look-see at the Toyota Matrix to find out if there were better trim levels in stock. The conversation turned to the Prius. That conversation turned to the dealer giving me the keys so we could test drive it to our heart's content. We made the deal that day, and I've been getting awesome gas mileage ever since.