Good Gas Mileage – Good Will
2013 Toyota Prius V
By: Melanie Droz Shawcroft
If you dream about fuel economy and cargo space, the 2013 Toyota Prius V is certainly the car for you. I sure was happy to experience those features when I was able to test drive the front wheel drive wagon last week. Even though we moved into a bigger home leaving San Diego and moving back to Phoenix, 
we still had accumulated too many things, so it was time to unload as much as possible at the nearby Goodwill.
With 67.3 cubic feet of max cargo space, a passenger seat that folds flat, rear seats that fold down and liftgate rear cargo, the Prius made it extremely easy to load multiple heaps of goodies.
Since there were so many mounds of hoarded “stuff,†I did have to make several trips, but that was fine by me because the Prius V gets 44 city miles per gallon and 40 highway miles per gallon. It even comes with a low fuel level warning which I think is kind of funny; I did not come close to having low fuel, even after driving the vehicle as much as I did..
It even comes with a low fuel level warning which I think is kind of funny; I did not come close to having low fuel, even after driving the vehicle as much as I did.
Like I said, the 2013 Toyota Prius V, 1.8L 4-cylinder hybrid CVT automatic is a dream come true for cost-effective drivers who want efficiency and space.
However, that is not all the Prius is good for. It was splendid to have an entertainment system that kept my energy up as I made trip after trip to the Goodwill. I even blasted the 8 JBL premium brand speakers while parked in the garage loading the large cargo space to the brim with kid toys, kitchen appliances, blankets, clothes and anything else I could get my hands on. 
I also used the voice activated navigation system to find the closest Goodwill and satellite radio with real time traffic to find the best route there. That was just for the initial trip, so for every trip following, I either blasted the radio (turning it up with the steering wheel controls) or used the hands-free Bluetooth to catch up with my friends.
I felt secure with all of my cargo knowing the Prius has 4-wheel ABS and emergency braking assist.
The Prius also offers comfort with cloth, bucket front seats and reclining rear seats that move forward and back. Too bad old clothes and used toys were the only ones taking advantage of the backseat comfort. Stopping to hydrate, the 2013 Toyota Prius V offers front and rear cupholders which allowed me plenty of space to keep all the fluids I was in need of. After all, it was not the wisest choice to do hefty moving in Phoenix during the summer. But, I was able to keep cool and safe in the Prius – I utilized the rear camera to back up to the drop off zone at Goodwill each time I pulled up, and I felt secure with all of my cargo knowing the Prius has 4-wheel ABS and emergency braking assist.
With an MSRP of $28,569, the 2013 Toyota Prius V proved to be worth it especially in regard to fuel economy and cargo space. Driving a hybrid and donating to Goodwill all in the same week – I am on my way to being an economical citizen.
