DEFEND YOUR RIDE: Dennis At California Family Fitness

Q: Hi Dennis! Welcome to Defend Your Ride Sacramento. Can you tell us about your vehicle?

A: Mainly commuting. I still have my original car that I used to drive around, which is an SUV. But obviously, driving around in an SUV isn't fuel efficient. I actually bought it off the lot brand new in 2000. It was a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport. And at the time, gas prices weren't that bad. But now, after gas prices escalating, I had to find something because my commute extended to Marysville.

Q: How many miles is that from Elk Grove?

A: Well, from my house, just over 51. So just in a day's commute, it's over 102 miles right there.

Q: So the Prius helps you out with the commute to work in terms of fuel efficiency?

A: Absolutely.

Q: You have children. Do you ever use this car to transport them anywhere like activities?

A: To ballet lessons and swimming lessons. They have confirmation classes at the Cathedral.

Q: Do you ever use it for longer trips?

A: Oh yes, I've taken this car to Fresno. As far as Fresno just because, again, this is a subcompact and I only needed to go by myself. I didn't have to transport the whole family. It just made more sense for fuel efficiency. I think Fresno's the farthest. Then a few jaunts to the Bay Area. Still predominately staying in the Central Valley and Northern California.

Q: Have you tried to commute by bus or van pool?

A: I speak to a lot of people who take the bus. There are also numerous van pools. I think there are three different van pools from Elk Grove to Marysville. It was nice to know that the service was available. I spent the first year commuting five days a week, and after the first month, I realized that the fuel bill was just crazy with my SUV, and I had to change it.

Q: What made you get a hybrid?

A: Gas mileage. I found out about this car. It's used, but it had about 20,000 miles on it. I bought this from my dad.

Q: Was it because the Prius was available and your dad was willing to sell it?

A: I already knew the gas mileage. This averages over 40 miles per gallon. So we're talking about a 10 and a half gallon tank. I'm putting 400 miles per fill up. Average 425 miles in the summer because I'm not running the heater. My dad said, I'm going to trade in my Prius and get the new 2010 Prius. I said, "Dad, if you're going to give it to them, I'll buy it from you. I'll pay you more."

Q: This is a second generation Prius. Name me some of the bells and whistles in this car.

A: The GPS pulls up the destination on the map. AC, heater, standard equipment. The back-up camera if your vision is not the best. Power windows. Phone without needing to wear anything like a Bluetooth.

Q: Have you had any problems with the Prius?

A: They say the battery life is 100,000 miles. I'm only 55,000 miles into this vehicle. I've never had a problem with it. I've racked up about 35,000 miles on it, on my own, and had no issues with it. I could spend four to five thousand on a new battery or just trade it in.

Q: Did the recalls completely skip over you?

A: I had two. I brought it to the dealer, and it didn't cost me anything. They were minor, and it was no skin off my back.

Q: Would you buy another Toyota Prius?

A: Yes! They're just more spacious. They were based on the Toyota Tercel. Now, the ones coming out now are based off the Toyota Corolla platform, so they are bigger vehicles and more spacious. For me, as a guy, you have to give up the power and the larger size of a vehicle. But once you see the newer ones, you want the newer ones.