1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

I Don't Like Sunroofs...

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Susan4ET, May 9, 2018.

  1. Susan4ET

    Susan4ET Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2007
    429
    52
    0
    Location:
    Central Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I find it hard to believe my bad luck that if you want the safety package including the HUD you must get saddled with a useless sunroof--this for a 2018-3 or -4? This may kill my new lease and I'll just finance and continue driving the 2015-3.

    I live and drive around Central Oregon and unless you can come up with a great reason I don't see in the sunroof it is a waste that will remain closed and/or leaking?

    Maybe Toyota, putting in this build constraint all for the HUD and safety features, will just help me bow-out for at least another year. Damn them.

    Can anyone help me feel better about this? Thank you.
     
    #1 Susan4ET, May 9, 2018
    Last edited: May 9, 2018
  2. orenji

    orenji Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 17, 2013
    5,884
    3,486
    0
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Sunroofs don't leak, if you don't like it just leave it closed and forget about it. I would not let it keep you from buying one if it has everything else you want.
     
    HPrimeAdvanced and krmcg like this.
  3. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,041
    7,580
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'll second you on that - in my shortlisting of cars for my last purchase (PRIUS), there were 3 which I excluded when I realised the top model which I wanted (because they had RADAR Cruise and some other goodies) MUST also have a Sunroof. No way out of it. I live in the semi-tropics and almost nobody has sunroofs here. The cars I've been in with sunroofs in the past, they've either rattled or contributed wind noise even when closed, and 2 diminished the head room considerably - though I haven't experienced them leaking since one about 25 years ago. Crazy idea.

    Same thing happened with wheels - 2 cars, to get the top model, you had to take low profile tyre/wheels, which wrecked the ride quality.

    Is it only 2018 models where that anomaly happened? What about 2017?
     
    Merkey likes this.
  4. The Professor

    The Professor Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2018
    598
    809
    0
    Location:
    UK
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Excel
    Here in the UK the HUD comes on the highest trim level (the Prius Excel), and maybe others. However the Excel doesn't come with a sunroof.
     
    RCO likes this.
  5. sclevine

    sclevine Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 23, 2016
    110
    133
    2
    Location:
    Northeast Florida, USA
    Vehicle:
    2024 Prius
    Model:
    XLE
    I found that I really like the extra light it brings in from above.
     
    MPGboss and robsnyder20 like this.
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    My wife always gets saddled with the sunroof on the upper equipped hycam. We just live with it, none have ever been opened.
     
    RCO likes this.
  7. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    5,596
    3,770
    0
    Location:
    So. Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Another "no" vote on sunroofs. Keeping solar out of the cabin as much as possible is very important here. We've had them on several cars because they are mandatory on certain trim levels that we wanted and never use them. Luckily only one of ours has leaked causing headliner stains.

    Really? o_O

    Leak in Sunroof | PriusChat

    Moonroof Leaking?? | PriusChat

    "Need to source a new seal/gasket for my sunroof. I know that its not the drains, Im watching it drip right thru the seal and pool into my cup holders." Help! Sunroof Leak! - Toyota 4Runner Forum - Largest 4Runner Forum
     
    RCO likes this.
  8. Zythryn

    Zythryn Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 28, 2008
    6,155
    4,146
    1
    Location:
    Minnesota
    Vehicle:
    Other Electric Vehicle
    Model:
    N/A
    I agree with the OP. I’ve never liked sunroofs. I never open them, and all they do is add weight, noise, and gives one more thing to break/leak.

    That said, I do like the added light they provide. They can provide an additional sense of openness even when closed. And I would trust Toyota’s engineering over just about anyone else’s engineering when it comes to things like the sunroof.
    Is that enough for you to offset the negatives?

    Edit: Given Fotomoto’s post while I was typing, perhaps investigate the reliability aspect more. o_O
     
    RCO likes this.
  9. Susan4ET

    Susan4ET Member

    Joined:
    May 9, 2007
    429
    52
    0
    Location:
    Central Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Thank you for all the inputs--except for the first reply. As much as I would love to play and experience the HUD and all the other safety gadgetry in the Advanced Technology Package it only gets worse... Not only does the ATP mean you've got to live with the sunroof elephant but I have to give up the Harvest Beige interior too. Funny how the Prius Prime doesn't even offer a sunroof. Disgusting marketing traps... Black, white, silver, and grays seem to be the only exterior/interior colors car owners like.
     
    RCO and bisco like this.
  10. Whiteyprius

    Whiteyprius Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2008
    389
    105
    0
    Location:
    North Carolina, USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I had an unwantd sunroof on a Mitsubishi and just ignored it. Never had provlems
    Sent using Hello Moto
     
    orenji likes this.
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    54,474
    38,105
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Yeah I hate sunroofs, the reduced headroom, and I just don't "get" them.

    Regarding frustrating packages: up here in Canada, if you want to get the tech package, which includes the ability to detect traffic laterally when you're backing out of a parking spot, you lose the spare tire. :confused::mad:
     
    goldfinger, RCO and alanclarkeau like this.
  12. Starship_Enterprius

    Starship_Enterprius Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2014
    312
    152
    0
    Location:
    Ottawa, Ontario
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Premium
    man am I so lucky. I love sunroofs and I love buying used even more. Thanks to you guys my future supply is ensured :D
     
    216Lindsey, orenji and Since2002 like this.
  13. Since2002

    Since2002 Senior Lurker

    Joined:
    Nov 12, 2011
    936
    1,097
    0
    Location:
    Duluth, GA
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Sunroofs are definitely polarizing. People who like them don't mind the drawbacks (loss of headroom and potential leaks). The problem is that if you don't want a sunroof but your car has one you have to live with the drawbacks whether you wanted it or not.

    Interestingly the Ioniq hybrid does not have an available sunroof in any trim level, however the Ioniq Plug-In does, but similar to Toyota it's not a separate option, it comes with the tech package. They don't have HUD but if someone wants adaptive cruise control, navigation and all the other goodies then they get a sunroof whether they want it or not.
     
  14. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2017
    891
    1,796
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoan in TX
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    The only sunroof I ever liked was on my first car, a 1983 SAAB 900S. It was a heavy, metal sliding "pocket door" that made a lovely solid thunk when you closed it, just like the doors did when you closed them.

    I have the Advanced Tech Package but I hate the sunroof. It's as useful as lipstick on a pig in Texas. If I were still in Chicago, it might be somewhat more useful, but I hate that it kills the structural integrity of the roof.
     
    RCO likes this.
  15. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 22, 2009
    5,596
    3,770
    0
    Location:
    So. Texas
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Yeah, I've notice that it seems most folks who want a sunroof live in cooler climes; just like winter packages don't sell real well in Florida! ;)
     
    RCO and pilotgrrl like this.
  16. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2017
    891
    1,796
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoan in TX
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Blizzard Pearl/Moonstone was what I could get out of a list of 4 color combinations I gave the internet sales manager at the dealer where I bought mine in 2016.

    Lombard Toyota in Lombard, IL was being stupid and didn't trade the blue/moonstone one they had because they thought I might go back there and pay them more for it. Apparently nobody in Chicago had a Hypersonic Red at the time.

    Toyota builds them and hands them out to dealers. Unpopular colors get stuck on the lot. I have only ever seen one black Prius around, and that is my colleague's 2016 (package unknown, suspect it might be a Two).
     
    #16 pilotgrrl, May 9, 2018
    Last edited: May 9, 2018
  17. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,038
    10,012
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    My first one (not a Toyota) did, when the plastic drain tubes shrank with age and pulled themselves off the drain pan nipples.

    I haven't had the second one long enough to see if that is going to repeat.
     
    #17 fuzzy1, May 9, 2018
    Last edited: May 9, 2018
  18. pilotgrrl

    pilotgrrl Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 23, 2017
    891
    1,796
    0
    Location:
    Chicagoan in TX
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I had the SAAB for 8 years, and the sunroof never leaked. I've had my Gen 4 for nearly 2 years, no leaks yet. But I've never lived in a climate like the one here in DFW. Anybody have any preventative maintenance tips for people who don't have covered parking available?
     
    orenji likes this.
  19. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,038
    10,012
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    That leak was in a car I kept 17 years, the leak happened at around 12-14 years.

    My spouse's daily driver is 29 years old. And no surprise, her aftermarket sunroof leaks. But not being a factory item, it doesn't have a drainpan with drain tubes, so even the slightest seal seepage becomes an interior leak.
     
    #19 fuzzy1, May 9, 2018
    Last edited: May 9, 2018
    pilotgrrl likes this.
  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    107,571
    48,862
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    some folks pay to have a hole cut in the op of their car...
     
    orenji and Since2002 like this.