Today I returned the Prius to it’s rightful home in Berkeley, CA.  As I rolled across the microsoft office 2010 educational discount Bay Bridge I could definately feel it pull towards the land of Yippies and microsoft office 2010 educational discount Hippies.  I’m convinced that there’s more Prius’s in Berkeley than anywhere else; at least that’s how it feels.

As Chris and microsoft office 2010 educational discount Sara are spending 2 months in Zurich, I thought I would try out my commute in their Prius.  At first I really excited at the microsoft office 2010 educational discount possibility since it was my understanding that my $3 bridge toll could now be free.  No such luck…. a microsoft office 2010 educational discount registered Prius can drive through the toll plaza in the carpool lane, but still must pay via Fastrack.
I then was counting on the mileage to make me want a hybrid car.  I can microsoft office 2010 educational discount report that my MPG was definately higher, but maybe not what microsoft office 2010 educational discount I was hoping.  I was averaging 40-41 MPG.   My commute is microsoft office 2010 educational discount 20 miles of driving through local canyons and then surface streets through Hayward with stoplights and microsoft office 2010 educational discount such.  The last 6 miles is freeways, crossing the San Mateo bridge.  On the freeway averaging 70+ MPH, the mileage dropped to below 25 MPG.  In the microsoft office 2010 educational discount city streets and driving downhill, it averaged closer to 60 MPG.  By comparison, my Passat averages 26 MPG and microsoft office 2010 educational discount I am guessing that my Outback averages 22 MPG.  The 40 MPG of the microsoft office 2010 educational discount Prius is a lot better than your standard car, but in my head I was expecting 50-60 MPG.
The ride in the Prius was what you would expect in a compact car.  The tiny wheel diameter and microsoft office 2010 educational discount short wheelbase give it a stiff and bumpy ride at high speed.  I like how the microsoft office 2010 educational discount hood is very short, pushing the front wheels forward so that microsoft office 2010 educational discount you can turn earier in parking lots and on those narrow streets in Berkely.

I didn’t see any reason to microsoft office 2010 educational discount keep packing miles onto their car, so I returned the Prius aftyer 2 weeks instead of the microsoft office 2010 educational discount planned 2 months.