For the duration of our stay in Manchester, Jester rented a car, so that it would be easy for us to get around. It also let us to stay somewhere not too near the city centre, or else the hotel rate would be more. With a car, it also enabled us to go anywhere at anytime we want. We would not have to wait for taxi or get on a bus to go places.
We had a Toyota Prius for our use while in the UK. It was a hybrid car; it ran on petrol engine and electric motor. During normal city driving, it would run on the electric motor and switched to the petrol engine while driving on the highway. When we got the car on our arrival in Manchester, the tank was just slightly less than half full (or is it half empty?). We filled the tank on that very first day. During the week we were there, we used the car everyday to get to the city centre, a return day trip to Cheshire Oak, which was about 30 miles from Manchester, and a day trip to Leeds, which was about 50-60 miles away from Manchester. Amazingly, after all those trip, the fuel tank indicator returned to almost the same point when we got the car. As a courtesy, we also added about 5 litres of petrol just before we returned it.
The display showed which, either the petrol engine or the electric motor, was being used. Above, it showed the petrol engine was being used. The yellow arrow indicated that the battery for the motor was being re-charged.
To get around, Jester borrowed this TomTom Navigation System (or as said by this person we met in Manchester, GP.... GP....). Perhaps, the road system in Brunei is not that terribly complicated, but it may be fun to be told to go left or right on the next junction.
The TomTom Navigation system. Just don't leave this on the windscreen when you park to go the shops or at home; otherwise you will not see it ever again.
We were impressed with this car. It saved us a lot on the costly fuel, which amounted to almost GBP1 (or about BND2.40) per litre. It may not be the fastest car, but it was economical, safe and environmentally0-friendly as well.
I heard that NBT Brunei might start selling this car in Brunei in the second half of this year. If your driving is mainly in the city, perhaps it may be a good idea to get this car. And a new model is available soon too. We also saw this adert that a hydbrid-version of the Lexus RX400 is available too.
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2 comments:
Hybrids are all the rage here in the US, especially since the price of fuel skyrocketted. And the GPS is a staple in most cars here, especially for those long interstate drives. The drawback is, though, that for those who've gotten so dependent on it, they tend to lose their sense of direction!
I love the Prias and am glad it did you well when travelling around Manchester. There is lots more info on buying one at http://www.exchangeandmart.co.uk/ - hope that is a help. There is also lots of advice about cars in general which you may find interesting. Good blogging with you
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