Option 8 leather

Take a peek at a couple here from my new beauty at this thread.

 

I live in the SE region and I just got an 06 with leather (installed at port) and I haven't noticed the problems you've mentioned. I definitely don't have zippers on my headrests. Were these problems with port installed leather that you are referring to?

 

In SE, the port leather option covers the seats but not the fabric on the center console or doors. Not sure about the steering wheel. You may want to consider aftermarket leather.

 

I hope you don't believe that Toyota factory techs are doing the work at the POE. The SE and Gulf region leather option is essentially "after market".

You might want to do a search for "leather" and see what owners of '05 cars were doing. As I recall there were some nice after market leather seats discussed on one of the forums here.

 

Southeast Port Installed Leather Facts

I just took delivery on my Southeast Port Prius "Package 8", or what I called "Package 7L". First, my dealer, Maroone Toyota (Brian Wilson), was great and the Southeast Region really stepped up to the plate at the end; here's my story:

Facts:

1. The Southeast Region is NOT importing the 06 Package 8, but they will special order one IF you ask your dealer up front. I was told it takes 120 days to deliver a factory Package 8 to the States. Since I already waited my 120 days before I found out about no factory Leather in the Southeast, I went the Port Installed Leather route.

2. In my opinion, the Southeast Leather package is pretty good quality. My dark gray leather is very close to the dark gray that's advertised, which was a is big improvement over the light gray Port Leather offered in the past. The fit and finish is fine, in fact, better than the factory leather on the MDX I traded.

3. Port Leather comes with a "Toyota" instruction booklet and is covered by the Prius Warranty (you're on your own with dealer or after market leather).

4. Not only does the Southeast Region Port Leather exclude the steering wheel, it also excludes the leather side and center arm rests and small strip of leather between the side of the rear seats and the door frame; all of which are heavy wear areas. I'm not sure if the upholstery parts are really leather or vinyl.

Solutions

1. Maroone Toyota offered (I didn't ask) to install the exact matching Vinyl side and center arm rests and the rear seat strip AT NO EXTRA CHARGE. I saw the material they special ordered and I was very impressed. Seemed like a fair comprimise.

2. I wrote to the Southeast Region and they immediately shipped a Leather Steering Wheel to my dealer as a "one time" accomodation for a customer whose September 2005 order showed "Package 8" and had already waited the 120 days it would have taken to bring in a Special Order a factory Package 8. Also seemed like a fail comprimise.

My guess is that the Southeast Region will be bringing in a limited number of Package 8's for the "informed" customers and will continue to install Port Leather for those who aren't and for those who want leather on packages 1 through 6.

I was really pissed when I heard I wasn't getting Factory Leather, but I'm delighted with how Maroone Toyota and the Southeast Region went out of their way to bring my 06 Prius up to the full Factory Package 8 standard. Everything is being installed this Thursday; they made me very happy.

 

brasche

Brian, I'm replying to your private message here so everyone can have this information.

First, thanks for posting your Location in your Profile (I wish everyone did) please add the Prius year and Package # you're looking for in your signature; it's a real help for future posts.

If you're in the Southeast Region and are really hot to get the full package 8, like I was, you only have two choices: special order and wait, or go to a different Region dealer. I wouldn't count on getting lucky like I was with free leather arm rests from your Orlando dealer and a free leather steering wheel from the Southeast Region.

If you can really get a factory package 8 with your colors from an Indiana dealer at roughly the same price as local and don't mind the drive (I wouldn't have minded), I'd be on a plane up there tomorrow. The best way to "force" the Southease Region (it's not the Southeast Dealers fault) to bring in Package 8's in the future is to do exactly what you're proposing and take your business to a dealer in another Region

Go for it. I love my "almost" package 8 and you will too.