 You do not know you are driving a Hybrid. It just drives like a very regular car. It feels smooth and quiet like a Lexus ES or LS. I like the CVT. It is really smooth and transparent. Electric motor assists the gasoline engine when you need the power. Sweet! I have not achieved 35 MPG yet, I only get between 30 and 33 in Kansas City. For the driver and the front passenger, seat belts are particularly hard to grab/reach. There are some fitting issues. The auto-dimming rear-view mirror is wobbly on all cars at the dealership. The NAV display has strong magenta color cast. The JBL stereo does not display CD-Text correctly. (It has trouble with the artist name!)