La Dolce Veloce

The lack off new postings here is due to me traveling all the way to Colorado to road test a Toyota Prius and a Chrysler Sebring (ok, turkey and gravy may have had something to do with it as well…). Since these were relatives’ cars, I didn’t do a real road test, I babied them as you’d expect but did try to pay attention to the subtle details.

I found the Prius’ most enamoring trait to be its power monitoring display, and found myself actually trying to get better gas mileage. Being conscious of the fuel-friendly image Prius drivers have, though, I did try to counter that by flooring it leaving one stop light, and found that the Prius will easily beat most cars off the line. Well, as long as they’re not actually trying to race, that is. The Prius’ gas pedal seems to have just two positions, cruise mode and subtle acceleration. I kept wondering (hoping?) if perhaps the pedal was blocked, and I just couldn’t press it far enough to get full power. Toyota did a good job of providing adequate power, but really no more than that. As for its handling, the car’s harsh ride (probably due to its tires) leads one to expect some level of sportiness, but those expectations are quickly dashed. The electronic key took some getting used to (leave pocket in key, press ‘power’ button), as did the stereo, providing a mix of traditional panel-mounted controls, and controls accessed via the touchscreen display located a healthy distance away.

Also tested over the weekend was a Chrysler Sebring convertible, a few years old. I was pleasantly surprised by this car, not expecting much out of Chrysler. What I found was a car with decent acceleration and a healthy growl emanating from the engine compartment. It cruised comfortably on the Colorado freeways, though its soft handling really made itself apparent once you encountered a corner. Definitely more of a cruiser than a sports car.