ARE WE HAVING FUN YET? Halfway home with our long-term Prius.(News)(Product/Service Evaluation)

Byline: WES RAYNAL

Six months into its year with us, our long-term Toyota Prius continues to stir up the fisticuffs. Comments range from praise for its roominess and economy to downright scorn for the low fun factor and what many feel should be better real-world mileage.

First the positive. Some of us get a kick out of the hybrid drivetrain, "not just for its quirkiness,'' as one staffer wrote, "but for its functionality, economy and surprising level of git from a standstill.''

True, our Prius is not getting the mileage Toyota and the EPA claim, but it consistently puts up numbers in the 45-mpg range. Compared to a lot of gas-suckers out there, some of us think that's impressive. "Not that anyone cares,'' read one logbook comment, "what with plentiful and cheap gas in America, but the day is coming when fuel economy will play a lot higher in the public consciousness.''

The scorn? We've got that, too. For some, the fun of driving the Prius wore off after just a few miles. A few of us are disappointed the EPA's 60 mpg city/51 highway is not being achieved. "Good mileage is the reason for this vehicle's existence,'' a logbook entry says. "Not that 40-plus mpg is bad, but come on, unless you're drafting an 18-wheeler and there's a tailwind, you are never, ever getting close to 60. The new-breed diesels can't get here fast enough for me. Real cars, real engines, with as good or better mileage.''

Some of us share the mindset of the staffer who wrote that driving the Prius is "almost as much fun as any car with no power and tiny tires; that is, not much.''

Clearly, we remain ...