My 2012 Prius 3 (+)

Starting a journal thread. Traded in my 2006 Prius Base last week for a 2012 Prius 3 "Sport" which included the 17" forged wheels and aero kit. Only had 30k miles, certified and they were asking 17k. I couldn't resist! I've been eyeing the Plus Performance Package Prius since they first debuted, but could never justify the price until now.

Needless to say I've already begun completing the car to be a true Prius Plus Performance Package edition. I installed the TRD sway bar and Prius Plus badge last night, ordered the TRD springs and have the Plus floor mats on the way. With the car already coming with the 17" forged wheels and Plus Ground Effects Kit, I've saved a lot of $$ on the transformation. After these mods I plan to get the windows tinted and I should be good for awhile. LOL

Old and new


I really like these wheels!



Dashcam
Mobius cam and windshield mount kit. I've run the wire up along the windshield and down the A pillar and under the glove box and have it plugged into the outlet under the shifter. Comes on automatically when I start the car.


TRD Sway bar installed! Car feels much more planted and obviously less roll. I managed to install this on the car without even lifting the rear by following this thread. It wasn't easy but was doable with some patience. DIY: How to install Prius PLUS rear sway bar (PTR11-47010) | Balancing Act


Keno vent mount for the iPhone. Love these things!

 

Springs have arrived! Install coming this Friday and I can't wait.

On a side note I've noticed my non JBL touch screen is randomly restarting on me. Anyone else have that happen?

 

Finished installing the remaining Plus Performance Package items! Springs, alignment and floor mats and wow this car does NOT feel like a Prius on the road and in the turns. l absolutely love how the car hugs the road and still gets 45+ mpg. Additionally when heavy braking the nose of the car no longer dives down.

Next up is tint and retro-quik HID conversion.
Retro-Quik: Toyota Prius (10+) - Application Specific Kits - Complete Retrofit Kits

 

Thanks!

btw.... if anyone is looking for a quality shop in the DC/Baltimore area, I highly recommend JE Import Performance out of Baltimore.

 

Until I can get the HID retrofit project done I went and replaced the 3 year old OEM low beam bulbs with some SYLVANIA H11 SilverStar Ultra High Performance bulbs. They are actually pretty good and exceeded my expectations. They are indeed whiter and a tad brighter.

SilverStars on the LEFT OEM on the RIGHT




Tried to get a good photo of the lights in a very dark area but the camera kept trying to over expose the light making it appear brighter than it really is. I used a quick edit to reduce the brightness to as close to what it actually appears while driving. The lights are aimed straight it's just the road ahead is going down to the left.
RAW Photo below. The lights are NOT this bright/intense.

 

I ordered all the suspension pieces off Amazon.

 

New photo of the car with the full Prius Plus Performance Package goodies installed. I love the lower stance and improved handling. Additionally I tinted the windows and replaced the summer tires with some Michelin Primacy MXM4's. These tires compared to what I had are noticeably quieter and ride smoother. They also have a real nice rim protector too.



Photo of the car BEFORE the TRD springs, tint and new tires installed.

 

Very exciting update today 2/18/19. I just visited Lightwerkz for a clear lens upgrade and couldn't be happier! I've been running the Morimoto Elite 5500k plug n play kit from theretrofitsource.com, but wanted to dial it in and this lens upgrade did the trick!. The folks at Lightwerkz seemed very impressed with the lumen gains as they almost doubled with just the swap of the lens!

Check out the one photo (IMG_1129) for a nice comparison. Stock lens on top and clear lens on bottom.

 

There is no light above the cutoff. Lightwerkz took care of the "squirrel finders" as you can see in IMG_1128. In image 1129 the stock lens is at the top and you can see the light escaping above. Looks like Lightwerkz just uploaded a video from yesterdays project. Check it out.

 

RX350 Clear Lens from Lightwerkz.

 

I already had the HID Kit and if I ever plan to go back to Halogen (Like selling the car or something) I can easily do so. Results were very good and Lightwerkz even commented to me that doing a retrofit wouldn't have been worth it anyway.