I finally did it. I bit the bullet and bought a brand new Prius right off the lot. Just in time, too. With revolutions in the Mid-East, the cost of gas is skyrocketing and doesn’t show any sign of abating soon. With luck my Prius will get 54 miles to the gallon the road, 51 mpg in the city. After researching my options, I chose a 2010 basic Prius because it’s essentially the same as a 2011, without the frilly tweaks.

Driving my Prius I feel like a character straight out of the Jetsons. The car has no sound when it starts. And it’s so sensitive it senses my presence (as long as the fob is in my pocket). No need for a key. Or for starting the ignition and pressing my foot on the gas. I just slip into the seat and push a button. The car starts. It’s as simple as that. The gears change at the slightest touch. It’s an amazing vehicle. A whole new generation of automobile.

I never thought I’d like a fully computerized car (preferring the reliability and fun of a stick shift), but I was wrong wrong wrong. The digital readout tells me at a glance exactly how fast the car is going. No guesswork involved. Couple that with my favorite feature—a color bar showing when the car is in eco-mode and when it’s not—and I can easily save gas simply by easing my foot up the slightest bit on the accelerator. Doing this without losing speed is my newest challenge as I learn how to drive this incredible machine.

I didn’t trade in my old car, a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder that has saved my life in a snowstorm more than once. With 220,000 miles, the old red machine isn’t worth much to anyone else. Because we take excellent care of our cars (spending the money to maintain them when they need it and updating the mechanics when necessary) it’s still a reliable vehicle, especially in heavy snow which occurs several times a winter where I live in Iowa. It’s worth more to me than I would get on a trade in. So I resolve to park it in the garage and use it when the four-wheel drive comes in handy. Otherwise, you can find me in my Prius—when I’m not on the bus or riding my bike.