New Prius Owner Must have List.......

I know when I get mine that tinting will be top priority. Second will be finding the best way of integrating XM into the car.

 

Hi and congrats on your new toy.

My recommendations for your mods list are as follows:

1 Seat covers, try either GTCovers or GreatCovers. GTCovers can be found via the internet or scanning through threads here and GreatCovers is selling on ebay. They have a much better price, but you might want to go take a look to make sure that the quality is up to snuff. They are located at 4547 A Telephone Road in Ventura. Hours: 8-5 Monday-Friday.

2 Floor mats, Costco is a great place for these. You can also find some really nice all weather mats at Target for very little (under $10 for the full set of four). Folks also swear by exact mats. They are a bit more pricey, but make really nice mats that would be custom cut for the Prius.

3 Windshield Shade, Target is again my vote for this one. They have a great spring type shade that is currently on clearance for $4.98. It fits the window really well and stores small and flat with the twist of a wrist. There is also a thread here about another company that custom makes shades for the Prius.

4 Window tint, according to the OC Prius Club this is the place to go - Al & Ed’s Autosound
16732 Beach Blvd. ,Huntington Beach, CA 92680
(714) 848-4552

If you have a NAV system, be sure that you install the non-metallic film. Legally, you can not tint the front windshield. I got five windows tinted for $180. They did an excellent job.

5 Bumper applique - Check ebay for this one. I got mine there for $28 ($20 for the item, $8 for shipping). Genuine Toyota part originally intended for a Corolla but looks and works great!

6 Door edge guards, Kids & pets can lead to door dings especially if you have more than one car so for $12 at PepBoys you can get a 25' roll of StyleGuard door edge guard. Comes in gold, silver or black. Very understated when applied but a single roll will do four doors on two cars at least.

7 Gasoline/Electric Hybrid decals, Paul Demmitt is your man for these. He sells a full set (2 doors & rear hatch) for $15. There is a discount if you buy more than one set. They come in white, grey or black. See the appearance mods section or the Album to get a gander at how they look when applied.

Personally, I think this is actually more important than it appears. I refer to it a "stupid proofing" as this will help to eliminate some of the challenges that may arise when you choose to take advantage of incentives offered to hybrid vehicles. See my thread regarding Hybrid Parking costing $35 in L.A.

8 Cargo tote, this is another thing to visit Target for. They sell two sizes in two colors (tan or dark grey) for $8 for the small and $10 for the large. Again this thing folds flat for storage but holds about 6 large full paper grocery bags, has a nice zippered top and pockets all around. It is much nicer than the one that is offered by Toyota for five times as much.

9 Micro fiber towel, technically this is not a mod, but it is a really great thing to carry with you. For every interior task from dusting off your dash to wiping finger marks of your MFD this item can't be beat.

10 Car bra or bug deflector, I thought these were just vanity items until I drove from California to Arizona. The front end of my car was crusted with bug wreckage so thick that you would have thought my car was two-toned.

Toyota is your source for the vinyl/naugahyde and 3m makes the clear protectant film for the hood, headlights, backs of the side mirrors and front bumper area. I am not sure of the source for the bug deflector but I bet someone here will know. All three of the above can be viewed in action in the Album or Appearance Mods sections of PriusChat.

That is all that I can think of right now, but I will add to the list if I get any other brainstorms. You might also consider checking out the info posted in Clubs and Road Trips here to find out about the upcoming new owner's rally to be held in Orange County at the end of this month.

I hope this helps!

Take care,

Tisza