By Don Hammonds

I distinctly remember the first time driving a Toyota Prius many years ago.

It looked and felt like it came from some century beyond ours at the time, and it was teeming with all kinds of hardware, gadgets and gauges that fascinated everyone who saw it. But all the while–it was still a Toyota–with all the virtues that come with the brand: Well-built,  quality everywhere, and the sense that you were well taken care of while behind the …