VANCOUVER – Steve Sidhu is the 10th final participant of the Province Commuting Challenge and in many ways represents the concept behind the series.
That being, to dispel widely held notions about compact hybrid vehicles — in this case the 2013 Toyota Prius c — by allowing Metro Vancouverites the opportunity to do their weekly commute in one.
Before picking up the Prius c in White Rock, Sidhu had this to say about small hybrids: “They are good on gas but slow with lousy drivability. Very small and can’t fit four adults.”
And after his week behind the wheel?
“It was more comfortable and a smoother ride than I thought it would be,” the South Surrey resident admitted, adding, “It was fun to drive and fit four adults comfortably.”
The operator at Triumf also found the hatchback’s acceleration and general performance better than he expected — even driving in eco mode. Which, judging from the numbers he posted over the course of nearly 650 kilometres of driving, he did quite often.
Of the 642.3 klicks travelled over the course of 15 hours and two minutes, one -quarter of those were done on solely electric power, greatly aiding Sidhu’s excellent average fuel economy number, which was 4.7 L/100 km.
“I think having the car for a week in a part of my daily life was a great way for me to determine if this would be a good car for me or not,” he said, noting that it was, obviously, much cheaper on gas than his current vehicle, a 2000 Lexus RX300.
He also liked the fact the small car made certain things like u-turns and changing lanes, easier.
“It was great! Better than I expected. I would really like to buy this car now.”
amccredie@sunprovince.com
