You see a lot of hybrid cars around the Austin, Texas and Leander, Texas area. I myself drive a recycled Toyota Prius. Occasionally you see an old Honda Insight which rendered significantly better gas mileage than the new Insights. The Union of Concerned Scientists or UCS has a Hybrid Scorecard in which the Toyota Prius is a top performer at a 9.8 Environmental Score. This score is based on the measure of improvement in smog forming emissions as well as improvement in global warming pollution. I am proud that my Prius is a Near Zero Emissions vehicle.
- Toyota Prius
My current vehicle, this Prius, pictured to right, is my third Toyota automobile. I have loved and had confidence in them all. The first was a recycled Toyota Camry with the TRD package. The second, my 2003 Camry SE, saved my life when it was totaled August 19, 2009 in an accident by an Austin, TX morning rush hour crazed driver. I hated to see my car go. My Toyota Camry had taken me so many miles with no trouble at all. Among those places were to Denver, Colorado for the Green Real Estate Convention, camping in the beautiful Colorado and New Mexico countryside on the way back. It was so emotional to say good-bye in the wrecker yard when I got my belongings out and surrendered it : (. I was able to replace my Toyota Camry with a recycled Prius. My Prius has great safety ratings, side curtain air bags as well as front air bags. The seat feels good on my now injured back- it gives great support, so much so that I feel I could drive it all day. I get about 47-48 miles per gallon and did not give up a lot of space from going to a Prius from my Camry. If we need a bigger car for my 6′ son and 6′ husband to go on a long road trip with lots of luggage we’ll just rent one with all the money I save everyday PLUS saving the Earth. When I look at the BP oil spill, all the poor animals covered in oil, not only does it hurt my heart and turn my stomach but I am so thankful I drive my Prius. When I look at 9/11 and our dependence on foreign oil and terrorism- I love my Prius. When I have money in my wallet- I am so glad I drive my Prius! I don’t want to support big oil’s deep and dirty pockets. We’re America- we need to be FREE from that! My Toyota Prius is a step and a statement beyond that.
One Sunday, when I am not doing an Open House at Las Casas Verdes, I was thinking about putting my Prius hybrid in the Cars and Coffee Car Show in Leander, Texas. There are no Green cars there at present. So many people ask me about my Prius – how I like it, what gas milage I get, etc. I thought it would be good to show it to interested people. Kirk Clennan, Leander’s Economic Director puts it on in Old Town Leander. I am hoping to be there for one of more of these dates: 9/26, 10/31, 11/28. The next date is Sunday 8/29 but I will be at Las Casas Verdes solar community in South Austin.