Next time I buy a car, I'm going to get a hybrid. Maybe it won't be a Prius, but it will be a hybrid. I saw a commercial with Shaq advertising a hybrid - that car had a ton of room for him to sit in it! It's an American car, and I usually drive Japanese cars, but I admit that I may consider Shaq's car for the size. I have a family member who drives a Prius and loves it. Am I correct that a Prius is bigger than a Prius V? Any chance you could have a Prius instead?
How much do you spend on gas every month? That might be your deciding factor. Then again, since your dad is giving you this as a gift, maybe the difference in what is paid for a hybrid versus what is paid for a regular car doesn't really matter. (Can't get a discount on a hybrid.) The other thing is that you don't sit as high up in a Prius as you do a CRV. I always seem to feel safer when I'm higher up in a car, which is why I liked my SUV so much. (But the gas mileage stinks!)
Good luck deciding! If you are worried about the size of the car, would your dad let you pay the difference in the Prius and the Prius V? Then you'd get bigger AND good gas mileage!
Dawn