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09/10/2008 03:20. Beth: The word “hybrid†has essentially become synonymous with “tree-hugger†and “granola,†and at least in the Prius’ case the title is earned. We averaged fuel economy in the mid-40s in a week’s worth of normal Chicago driving, and I felt very environmentally friendly when I managed to drive a little over a mile with the gas engine only firing — briefly — twice. What I didn’t expect from the Prius, though, was that it can get up and go when it needs to. If you want to drive in an uber-efficient manner, you can. And if you need to make it 90-plus miles in an hour, you can get there only a few minutes late. (Not that I tested this theory out myself, of course…)

Amanda: I was likewise impressed with the pick-up in the... // Cars.com