Courtesy of the US government and the Cash for Clunkers program, we traded in our much loved 14 year old mileage challenged Ford Explorer...



For this...



Toyota Prius (51mpg city, 45 mpg highway).  DH and I bought the Ford Explorer long before we had kids and it was a good truck but it was time.  Case in point...



The body was developing a few holes although not bad by western NY standards.  (Winters here are tough on cars.)  But the undercarriage was getting, well...



( *Sorry.  Couldn't resist the Princess Bride reference -- one of my very favorite movies.   Luckily no flame spurts or lightning sand in the truck.   "As you wish."   

And..


I'm actually sure I found this chunk in the driveway recently. 



And it was alway Christmas-on-the-dash with all the pretty lights.  These are the lights that came on during the last year or so and just stayed on.  (We have had them checked and most of them are sensors that have just gone south.)

So one less old gas guzzling vehicle on the road and as a bonus we have a very nice "Brand New Car!" <--- you have to say that in your best the Price is Right game show voiceover.



I promise we'll make them actually ride in the car.

(OK, all that being said, I'll miss driving the Explorer because it was a standard transmission and I love the control of the stickshift.  No comments from the peanut gallery please