I'm actually planning to buy not a Liftback/Gen III but a Prius c in either Super White or the somewhat flashier white called Moonglow. I have doubts about my local collision shop's (my family has used them for decades) ability to truly match the Moonglow, if I were to get into a fender-bender. So I'd like to hear from liftback/Gen III Blizzard Pearl owners whose cars have been repainted by non-dealer collision shops: Did they match the Blizzard Pearl so that you're satisfied?
Not direct to your question, but a Toyota body shop repaired my rear bumper and The new paint is perfect.
Toyota doesn't make paint and anyone can buy it. If the color is difficult to match than every shop is in the same situation. If the guy in the shop is good you won't be able to tell the difference. FWIW, the bumpers of white cars don't always match the body so the factory doesn't get it perfect 100% of the time.
My brother in law owns a bodyshop- he said Blizzard Pearl is a 3-step process paintjob. In some cases you may have to simply paint a whole panel rather then spot painting. Don't let that stop you from choosing that color- it's awesome...
I picked it because I wanted a white car to combat the heat here. But I rather like the pearl sheen it shows in certain lights. 3 step paint? Is that why this is an "extra cost paint option" from Toyota?
I think JimN meant: Toyota does make paint and anyone can buy it. I'll be buying a Prius c, and preferring the no-extra-charge Moonglow (based on what I've read on the Prius c main forum) over Super White, so my thought was: if Blizzard Pearl (available on the larger GenIII Liftback) has been hard to match, then probably Moonglow would be, too. (P.S. I have not talked to my independent body-shop owner yet.)
I did a search of Blizzard Pearl threads, and some people had problems with just touch-up, and with some body shops not able to match the paint after an incident. One person also mentioned that on a new car the bumpers didn't match the body with the Blizzard Pearl. It is a three step process. I guess it would be OK if you happened to get an experienced shop. For me, I wouldn't consider the premium paint on a new 2012, but it does look good.
Why is difficult to match the blizzard pearl? Is it the way the paint has been applied to the car in the factory or the color? I would assume that of it is the latter, using the correct color code should solve the problem....but again I know little about body work.
I had the rear bumper cover replaced on my 2011 Blizzard Pearl Car and it looks like a very good match (repair was done at an independent body shop). Would the bumper cover come pre-painted from Toyota?
Doubt that the bumper would have come pre-painted from Toyota...would probably have cost a lot to do so.
OT: I just saw in another thread that you lost a hub cap. You already have bumper damage on your 2 week old car too?
Supposedly it's: primer coat + base color coat + pearl coat + clear coat. So even parts like a mirror or bumper, rocker panel, etc take more steps (and the shop has to purchase the pearl coat in addition to the primary color) to complete. More steps = more billable labor time.
Sigh, yeah. The hub cap was Toyota's fault. The bumper, I backed into the car cross the street. Only two month's old (not two weeks, the hubcap was in the 2nd week.)
I have the Barcelona Red and after I bought the car used, I found out that the dealer had repainted the front bumper. In certain light, the bumper was a different color than the rest of the car. About six weeks ago, I hit a possum and broke the bottom of the bumper, cost my deductable to get it replaced. The new fresh painted bumper looked really good and matched the rest of the car. All was well for a couple of weeks and then the bumper is a different color when out of the sun. I suppose as the paint cured, it changed color slightly. Two other vehicles and different body shops have had the same results with inability to match paint, maybe I'm just too picky.
Same reason I picked it and I'm in the Northeast, not as hot but warm enough in summer. Wish I'd gotten the Bisque interior instead of dark grey but my salesperson screwed up and I was in a situation where I had to get a car quickly. The grey seats are nice in winter, though. don't need heated seats. Aside from that, do love that pearl sheen exterior!
Did not mean to rub it in. It happens. When my 2002 Camry was 1 month old, I backed it into a parked car across the street, when I was dropping my friend off at his house. It was my first car with a spoiler. The front of the other car was below it and I was only watching the mirror on the windshield so I missed it completly. My insurance paid for the other car. In my case I elected to ignore it for 1 year, then bought some touch up paint and fixed it myself. It was easy to hide imperfections on a white car.
Not to worry, my grown kids and son-in-law had a field day asking me how my backup camera was working out. Sorta funny if it didn't hurt so much.
