Help Me Choose

Of course, only you can decide for yourself. I've always found cloth much more comfortable than leather, maybe because I wear shorts in summer. And the Prius cloth is an excellent fabric, extremely resistant to spills and stains.

As for NAV, I prefer after-market, for the simple reason that sitting on the dashboard, the map is where I can see it without taking my eyes off the road, and I can still have one of the other screens (usually the CAN-View, which does not work on the post-05 MFD) on the Prius's own screen.

June of '08 might be too early to know what the '09 will bring. Toyota seems to be awfully reticent about future models. While GM makes grandiose announcements of miracle cars that it never intends to market, Toyota doesn't say what's coming until it arrives.

Whatever you get, it's sure to be a great car.

 

all NEW CARS look good in black, however, after a few years the swirl marks and rock chips and fine scratches show up too prominently on black cars. So if its a lease, go ahead and lease the black one.

however, if you plan on keeping the car more than 2 or 3 years, black is one of the stupidest colors you could ever buy, you'll feel like an idiot down the road. (Chevy Corvette is the exception cause the fiberglass panels are virtually chip & scratch proof, so its okay to buy a black vette) So if its a purchase, buy the barcelona red, it looks awesome in the touring edition, i just saw one at the dealership last week.

everybody with dog(s) always buys the leather cause its more durable & cleans up so easily. I hate leather cause its so hot in the summer (prius has no moonroof to vent the heat) and its so cold in the winter (prius doesn't have heated seats).

mainly i hope i've talked you out of making a huge mistake & buying black, as for the interior color & material, see what everyone else posts before making the final decision. If you lived in Michigan you wouldn't even get to choose leather or cloth. In Michigan if you want touring + Nav you HAVE TO GET LEATHER, the only way we can buy Nav + Cloth interior is to buy the non-touring edition.

 

This schmuck hasn't bought a Prius yet?

 

Personally, the fabric is awful. I have never been one to get leather, but it was a MUST have in the Prius for me!
As far as pets go, leather is the way to go. Your dog's nails should be clipped, anyway. And you can always get a seat protector if your dog is in the car a lot. Mine rides in a carrier.
Anyway, get the leather, I love it. As does my pup (but he only gets to enjoy it with me in the car keeping an eye on his paws).

 

I agree. I've had both - the cloth and the leather.

I love the leather seats in my new Prius. Soft, but not too soft. Not too slippery. Attractive to the eye. A pleasure to sit in.

 

Black is a tough one to maintain-
leather is easier to maintain that cloth in the long run
factory NAV prevents people (generally) from breaking in and stealing the after-market unit you forget to hide when you park.
I love my heated seats in the winter along with the aftermarket leather I had installed whenthe car was new- still looks new too.
Good luck!

 

I'd get cloth seats, sheep skin seat covers from the Woolshed Home Page
and a TomTom portable GPS and mount kit like these. Kiosk Communications -

You will get more comfort, better GPS and you can see your MFD displaying MPG while using GPS and take the GPS with you when walking or driving another car.

 

I mount my TomTom with the suction cup holder that came with it, a few inches underneath my rear view mirror.

Anyway, it avoids a more permanent holder and the suction cup stays put without any effort and it's easy to move.

but either way.

I too would suggest a portable GPS unit instead of the ridiculous extra cost to get GPS in-dash.

Got my TomTom XLS for $229 shipped and I can take it in either vehicle.

 

The leather in the Prius is awesome!
Here in Chicago it was -4F this morning and after about 5 minutes the seat was nice and comfortable. I've had heated seats in other vehicles, and they are nice, but the leather in the Prius is better than what I would have expected.

Comfort wise, I actually think the seats are better than what I had in my H2.

 

Husker4theSpurs, the paint is black. The primer is white. The Prius is a scratch magnet. Factor in the cost of VentureShield or 3M plastic protection. Buy a Garmin or TomTom & save the difference over the factory nav.

 

I've never understood heated seats. In Fargo, North Dakota, at 30 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, my fingers and toes froze just about solid, but my butt never felt cold. The cloth seats just don't draw the heat out of you, especially if you wear long johns, which you need when it's that cold. But I'd have paid an extra thousand dollars for a heated steering wheel!

 

With sheep skin you never need or miss heated seats.
There is a TomTom GPS which has built in bluetooth hands free for mobile phones. Go 720?

 

What options would you choose - especially those of you who have chosen and own a Prius, with the different option packages? Is the "touring" model worth the price differnce? And, within each category, what do you really get and are they worth the price? Thanks.