Most you probably know this, and possibly do it, but I've found for road trips, renting a car is a great way to make my own car last longer. Last weekend I made a quick trip to Seattle for a family wedding and rented a Toyota Prius. My first time behind the wheel of a hybrid!
The gas mileage is awesome, but there is a learning curve--a slight one--when you're handed a key bob with no key! I pressed the unlock button, slid behind the wheel and searched for the key. I pressed the sides of the black gadget hoping the key would flip out like a switch blade. Nothing.
Finally I found an attendant...a nice young man who thought he was dealing with a geriatric:) and he kindly pointed out the key is wireless...something like my iPhone WiFi connection! What a novelty. I followed his instructions, laid the gadget in the cup holder, pressed my foot on the break and pushed the power button on the dash. The dash display flashed all the information you can imagine and the electric motor made not a sound:)
This is old hat for those of you with hybrid vehicles, but very exciting for someone driving a seven year old Subaru Outback with a regular key, engine and gear shift! Don't get me wrong, I love my Subaru, but it was fun to try out the current technology.
Renting a car for your road trip isn't only a great way to save mileage on your car, but a great way to test drive the latest and greatest!
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It’s good that you are trying out different cars. This opens up the opportunity for you to compare how great Subaru cars are from other makes. As a matter of fact, Subaru has just gotten further with its technology. Have you heard of the new 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek? It has the Brake Assist system which can sense a panic-stop situation and apply full braking force to help it stop faster, combined with the capability of All-Wheel Drive, it's a win-win situation for the road ahead.
ReplyDeleteSebastian Gaydos