New Prius - Can't decide what to buy

Sunroof available in both 3 and 4. I think the radar cruise and pre-collision system that goes with it are great convenience and safety features, but I will never buy another car with low profile tires like on the 5, unless the dealer agrees to swap them out for free. The ride is far far better with the normal tires at normal psi.

FYI, the hdd 7.1 inch nav is not available on the 3. I don't use it enough anymore to make that an important consideration. Haven't used the lower end nav system. Despite the clever marketing by Toyota, I wouldn't go out of my way to get softex - if you don't want cloth, spend your money on locally installed leather.

 

You had a Five in Sandy Beach Metallic, right? I have long suspected Toyota went overkill with the 45 series tires AND the 17" rims. 16" OEM wheels and 55 series tires would look fine on a stock Prius. Plus you'd get better MPGs and more reasonable ride.

17" wheels and 45's are for Civic Si's, etc ... and aftermarket Prius setup.

Not just about Softex or not, OP may want to spring for the 10-way power seat, not the 6-way.

 

Yep, that was me with the sandy beach. I'm surprised how much difference the regular tire makes in the ride.

Yes you are right, I should have researched a little more. Looks like the 8-way seat is standard on the IV and the V, with softex. The 8 way seat is worth the upgrade from a III. Makes the seating much better and much more flexible.

 

Rather than start a new thread, I figured if just tag along here. Regarding the headlights on the V, can someone offer if they make a big difference? I start my commute around 5am and head home at 4pm. In the winter, I am pretty much driving in the dark all the time. I know some cars sacrifice headlight quality these days for design and would consider getting a V for the visibility advantages...if there is one.

 

You say "V", I assume you're referring to the Prius 5. I have a Prius Plug In Advance, which has the LED headlights. They're excellent, but if better lighting is your main incentive, you'll pay a premium to get the better lights. I like the extras that come with the Prius 5 and Plug In Advance. I can justify the higher price. If it was just the lights, I'd pass and upgrade to aftermarket HIDs. Reasonable cost, and a big improvement over factory halogens. For the record, I like the 7.1" NAV, SofTex, the 17" factory wheels, electric adjustable seats, radar cruise, LEDs...

 

Yes it does !!!
I have a 4 and I have the solar/sun roof I think the car feels bigger inside loooooooooooooove it

 

Hey Everyone, I am new to the forum and I am considering buying my first Prius. I have narrowed down my choice to a Regular Prius 3. However the only thing that I am missing in the Prius 3 is leather seats. I looked around and there are no available add-ons packages for leather seating.

Do dealers offer the softex leather seats as an add-on package? How much would they charge for something like that if I want to pay for it?

I have looked at the persona edition but I am not sure if I want to go for the 17-inch alloy wheels. I read that they are a bit on the heavier side.

What are your recommendations?

 

then you want a Persona with the softex seats it's a upgraded 3

 

Harsher ride with the 17 inch tires, worse mpg, and only marginally better handling. Softex is synthetic and feels like it. May hold up better than real leather. Readily available aftermarket softex option at a reasonable cost seems unlikely. Aftermarket real leather option is readily available through any dealer or third parties, for say $900 to $1,200 (depends on quality of leather, and whether you choose perforated, etc.).

 

Correct, I thought the "van" Prius was a "v" and top of the line Prius is a "V". Ideally I think I'd get a Prius "4.5". I don't really care about the advance technology stuff. I think the 17" wheels make a world of difference in how the car looks. Like the better headlights. I'd like the bigger nav screen. I need to determine if I want/need the power seat for comfort. I like my sunroof now, but I'd have no use for the solar roof feature. My car is garaged at home and in a parking garage at work, so it isn't regularly out baking in the sun. "Leather" or fabric...don't really care if the seat is comfortable. I like heated seats, but it isn't a deal breaker.

Since the whole idea of this exercise (for me) is to keep commuting costs low, I'm tempted to get a III and call it a day. But I'm worried I'll want those seat adjustments. Really my "needs" at this point are 1) reliable, 2) fuel economy, 3)comfort on what often turns into 2 hours sitting in traffic, 4)entertainment for those 2 hours....USB/BT streaming audio and SiriusXM built in.

While toys are nice, I could live without navigation (especially if it is just an average system at best), a $1300-$3k sunroof package, heated "leather" seats, and low-profile tires that invite damage from potholes. I vowed to never buy another car without an auto-dimming mirror, but I can live without that too I guess. Or add one someday. I drove a IV with the heads up display. I guess I don't feel the "need" to see my speed on the windshield.

Upgraded stereo would be nice, but you can upgrade speakers on your own, unless the Prius headunit only works with some sort of "green" speaker, in that the HU pushes too little power for "regular" speakers to be effective. Not sure what they mean by the JBL "green" thing.

 

I have a 2012 Prius Plug In Advance. I spent around $1500 for a nice set of the Prius 5, 17" wheels, tires, and sensors first week. Not cheap, but worth it for me. I doubt there's much difference in ride quality. Many Prius owners and most Plug In owners inflate their tires to the max, regardless of size. What's considered rough? With a Plug In, if I lose a few MPG, I'm not concerned. I wouldn't call the 45 profile tires, "low profile". Plenty of rubber on that size. Go to a dealer and check out the SofTex seats with the electric adjustments before you decide. Cushion and adjustments possibly the best I've experienced. I was going with the Prius 5 w/ATP before I decided on the Prius Plug In. More options is best for me, and I found them fairly reasonable. I've had sunroofs and hardtop convertibles before, could care less about a expensive Prius sunroof. Good luck in your decision.

 

So the 17 inch tires are not preferable & the regular stock 15 inch tires are better? This will help me decide whether i should look at prius 3 (or) prius 4 depending on the price quote i get.