What does rear bumper applique look like on this gen?

Almost invisible. It's basically a clear PPF with just the word Prius in one corner in small, white lettering(or maybe it's a very small Toyota logo). Even on my red Prius, I can barely see the writing, and only if I'm looking for it. The edges might show up a little more if the back of the car is very dusty.

 

duplicate post

 

No, it's very different from previous gens. 3rd gen was a large black plastic plate that glued to the top of the bumper cover. I believe you could either get a black or chrome plastic protector or a film applique for the 4th gen, but the applique was semi-translucent with Prius or Prius Prime very prominent. Gen5 is completely transparent except for the tiny Toyota logo in the right rear corner. I think the logo is less than one cm in diameter. Only negative is that it protects less than the older, thick plastic protectors. But I'm sure the aftermarket will take care of that eventually for those that need it.

I'll try to get a photo soon, but it's about 40F and intermittently raining where I live. <brrrr>

 

Some photos. On the first one, you can see the lower right edge of the applique because there's still a little moisture clinging to it after I wiped the area down. I took two close-ups of the logo to show its size and that it's almost invisible at some angles. Overall, this applique is much thinner from front to back compared to the gen3 and gen4 just because the bumper cover on the gen5 has much less of a "shelf". When closed, the liftgate covers whatever little horizontal portion there is.

 

I've got it on mine (also red) - can't tell it's there unless you're seriously looking for it. I was unaware that there was even any printing on it.

 

I didn't know there was a logo on it either - and my G5 is black...
Word of warning: if you wax your car (old way or new spray style) or pay a detailer to wax it, make sure to wipe AWAY from the PPF. If wax is wiped towards the film it can go underneath. My detailer f*d up and now the PPF lines show up in some areas because there's a white line at the edge. The car was only a week old. I was able to fix some of it, but not all and it's very noticeable on a black car. He tells me he bought some soft rubber tool to run at the PPF edge to get the wax out - but he'll never touch the car again.

It has a 5 year warranty - I'm going to wait until that coat of wax starts coming off in a few months and then hit Toyota up for a replacement. Then wax it myself or pay someone who knows how to treat a car with PPF.

 

What are they charging for that; it’s a far cry from 3rd gen.

 

I didn't have a choice in the matter since it was port installed - they charged $700.
Not bad considering it's not the whole car - front bumper, hood, mirrors, under handle, under passenger doors and rear bumper. Just the hot spots for road debris and general handling.

 

I have the rear bumper applique. Itemized price for it was $69.

 

Interesting. The Gen 5 Prius that came in for me back in July seemed like it had a much narrower bumper protector. You could barely see it when trunk was closed and didn’t really protect much. Maybe they have two versions or the photo makes it look bigger than it actually is. I was shocked and annoyed to see how small it was compared to the protector on my 2009. Same price for both.

 

You can also buy paint-protection film (PPF) from Amazon, which will look nicer and be cheaper than the bumper appliqué, and unlike the bumper appliqué, it will not possibly damage the paint but be removable. Spray water on the paint before you apply the PPF.

 

Ask yourself: What's the purpose of the applique? Answer: It's to protect the horizontal portion of the bumper cover from light scratches when loading and unloading. If you looked as closely as you said to be shocked and annoyed, you should also have noticed that the horizontal portion of the gen5 bumper cover is much, much narrower than previous generations. In other words, there's much less to protect. So why would the applique be as big if there's not as much to protect?

 

I guess I should feel grateful that this is the first time on this forum that I’ve been handed a dose of mansplaining. Thank you for giving me this moment of gratitude. Seriously speaking…you usually are quite helpful and I DO so appreciate all the time you take to share your experience and knowledge here but…

I am well aware that the Gen 5 and Gen 2 bumpers are a different design/size and therefore the protection strip would not be the same shape or size. I’m also aware of what this protection strip is designed to do.

The Gen 5 Prius I was viewing had a protection strip that did not cover the entire top flat surface of the bumper and barely covered the bent edge therefore wasn’t going to protect the area I wanted it to protect. Even the salesperson’s response was “this is ridiculous”. It was especially annoying because of what I went through to get it port installed.

 

Thanks although I would probably drive myself nuts trying to cut it to fit. : }

 

Why? It has a backing material. All you need is a ruler, pen, and a pair of Fiskars scissors. Draw on the backing material and then cut it. You can also use a box cutter or similar knife and a straightedge if you prefer, which could be even easier.

You then spray some water on the clean paint and apply the PPF. You can reposition it because you sprayed water. Just ensure you have no air bubbles.

Incidentally, the plastic bumper, unlike metal, scratches extremely easily, as the paint barely sticks on it. Therefore, if you have a tendency to rub things on it, it is a good idea to apply some PPF.

 

We've had a lot of suitcases dragged across ours, elephant hide!

 

Thanks. I guess I’ve been lucky so far. I drag garden tools and pottery clay in and out of my cargo area and never damaged my bumper. I will be hyper vigilant with a new car. : }

I watched a guy remove some music equipment from his small car and he covered the entire opening of the hatch with moving blankets. It was perfect because he didn’t have to worry at all about anything dropping and damaging the bumper.