Following a quick jaunt to Atlanta earlier this month, I now have a secret wish every time I travel for work – please, please, please let there be a Toyota Prius available at the rental car company. I am hooked, and I want one for myself.

I am not the kind of guy to gush over cars, or to pay attention to what’s hot on the lot. In fact, I still drive a Malibu that’s about 10 years old, and a lot of these new cars look goofy to me. (The boxy Element, the Dick Tracy-ish PT Cruiser.) But once my Malibu goes ka-put, I may have to splurge on a hybrid. The extra money I spend on the car payment, I can probably make up in gas mileage. On my last work trip, I averaged about 42 miles per gallon – all interstate, but going over mountains, as well as busy highways in Atlanta. Still, this has to be the first time I’ve ever driven to Atlanta and back for less than $40.

The shape of the Prius is curved, so it’s hard to set things on top while you’re packing the car. One of my friends said it drove like a big golf cart — which is pretty accurate. At first, I struggled to even start the car. There’s no metal key. You have to press a button twice, with the foot on the brake. I must have sat at the rental car place for 10 minutes trying to figure that out. The agent finally helped me, but confessed she didn’t like the car. At that point, I wasn’t totally sold either, but once I figured out how to get in motion, and then saved some serious gas money, I couldn’t wait to get back on the open road.