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Prime shopper needs advice

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by MarkOlin, Dec 12, 2019.

  1. MarkOlin

    MarkOlin Member

    Joined:
    Apr 16, 2013
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    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    I might pick up a new Prime next week & I’m looking for a little advice from current Prime owners.

    Interior colors:
    I prefer the appearance on the lighter interior? I’ve found in the past that black interiors shows dust (on dash and seat) much more than a lighter colors.
    Does the lighter interior present any windshield glare? Does one show wear or dirt more than the other?

    LE vs XLE:
    I’m leaning towards the LE for budget reasons. Any LE owners regret not spending the extra for the XLE?
    I like the XLE seat material and I like the large screen. Integrated Nav is nice too.

    Undercoating/rustproofing:
    We live in an area that uses a LOT of road salt. It takes it’s toll on cars. Not sure if the prime would benefit from this service? Or is it not recommended?

    Discount:
    What type of discount off of msrp (excluding any rebates, incentives, tax credits..)

    Any feedback would be appreciated.
    Thanks,
    Mark
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    location will be helpful for pricing
     
  3. MarkOlin

    MarkOlin Member

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    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    Buffalo NY
     
  4. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you're in the best area. check the pricing thread, people are getting 2-3 k discounts, 3k rebates, and state and fed tax credits.
     
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

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    The only thing I can answer is LE vs. XLE (Since I have the black interior and I don't undercoat my car but I don't live in a heavily salted area, that's why).

    Note that the XLE will add 3-door Smart Key System (so front passenger door and rear hatch lock/unlock sensors/buttons) which is more convenient than just the one on the driver's door. Also, it has a locking function for the charging cable in the charge port that is tied to the Smart Key.

    Note the 11.6" MFD loses the CD player if that matters to you.
     
  6. smyles

    smyles Active Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    Obviously it all depends on final $$, but I'd say XLE over LE is well worth the price difference - which isn't that much, usually.

    Limited over XLE is >$4k and not worth it.
     
  7. Salamander_King

    Salamander_King Senior Member

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    I have black interior (2017). If things has not changed you have either black or moonstone interior choice for PRIME. Yes, piano black dash is a dust magnet. I've never had porcelain white dash on my car, so I don't know for sure but I am sure it also collect the same amount of dust, you just can't see well? As far as the glare goes, piano black and chrome accent in my car present plenty of obnoxious shiny glare on occasions. I don't know if white interior would be any worse.

    I wanted Plus (now LE) but ended up purchasing Premium (now XLE). I am glad that I have 3 door SKS and power seat with power lumber support. I do not like the larger screen and softex seat material, so if you like those features, you may really like XLE over LE trim.

    Reading this thread may help you to decide... though it may still be difficult to decide after reading all the comments. It may boils down to a personal preference, it seems. : Do you need underbody rust protection on new Prime? | PriusChat

    PRIME's (and GEN4 Prius) underside is heavily covered by plastic, and I was told that undercoating is not needed by a shop who does Fluid Film coating. I had option of getting the "apply once" permanent type undercoating at a shop where they would remove all the underside panels to coat the underside permanently but the price was very high and I did not know exactly what type of material this permanent sealer was, so I decided not to do that.

    It seems most people agree that rubberized type or other material that permanently coat the underside do more harm than good in a long run by cracking and seeping water vapor that get trapped on the surface of the metal. But annual application of petroleum or wax (lanolin in Fluid Film) based undercoating can get expensive if you have to take off all the covers every time. I also read that some petroleum based material may damage rubber and plastic and may not be compatible with the high voltage cables that runs underside of the PRIME.

    I have not taken off all of the plastic cover off of my PRIME, so I don't know how much of "metal" components are there to be protected. However, after two winters in New England without any rustproofing measures taken, some surface rusts are apparent in suspension and brake area of my PRIME. When I changed to winter tires this year, I did spray some Fluid Film and Wool Wax (similar to Fluid Film but thicker) on areas easily accessible DIY.

    In NY, $3K incentive and some state rebate? As suggested, check the price paid thread mentioned above.

    Good luck.
     
    #7 Salamander_King, Dec 13, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 13, 2019
  8. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    I undercoated my car but not entirely for the salt issue, although that is a big issue here in the winter. I also had it undercoated to reduced road noise and to prevent exposed metal surface corrosion. I was also thinking it may increase trade-in value down the road. I only got the bottom surface of the car done, not inside panels or anything.

    However, undercoating does have drawbacks like the extra weight.

    My wife decided to use a product called RustCop which is an oil-based water displacement product that is sprayed in all the cavities of her NX300h. The drawback is it must be applied every year and it drips like crazy for 3 days after. On her previous vehicles she had no rust anywhere that also used this product.


    Unsupervised!
     
  9. Darkly-Noon

    Darkly-Noon Junior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Base
    I bought the 2020 base model, as it has everything I need, and I didn't want some of the features of the upper models. I prefer the breathable cloth seats (vs. vinyl that is sweaty in the summer and cold in the winter) and the smaller display with buttons and switches for the climate control (vs. the big, distracting 11" screen that washes out in the sun), so no regrets here. I wouldn't have minded a few of the upper model features like the JBL audio system and blind-spot monitor, but I can live without them. I do a lot of short urban trips, so haven't had much need for navigation, but I've got Apple Carplay and my Garmin gps for that.

    I live in a heavily salted area in winter, but I have no plans for any undercoating. My previous car, a Subaru, never had anything done to it during the 9 years I owned it, and few issues with corrosion
     
    Tips and bisco like this.
  10. MarkOlin

    MarkOlin Member

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    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    I'm really debating on the rustproofing issue.
    The dealership where I'm planning on buying the car is offering to include Zeibart rustproofing and undercoating as part of the negotiated price. They use so much salt on the roads here I'm thinking it could be helpful. However I just watched a video in youtube and it was eye-opening. While there are many exposed metal components the majority of the car's underside is covered by plastic panels. This video showed the panels being removed before rustproofing was applied. The first panel removal resulted in a broken clip. There seemed to be a lot of road salt build up between the metal floor and plastic panels. There seemed to be a lot of sensors and wires that you might not want to come in contact with the undercoating. Also, I would be nervous with the Zeibart techs working under the Prime. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance.
     
  11. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    while we have seen a lot of surface rust in 20 years of prius, idk if we've seen anything serious enough to warrant it.
     
  12. The Big Sleaze

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    I've been quoted $4600+ off MSRP in SF bay area (includes $2000 Toyota cash and 2600 'dealer discount'.
    Took that to another dealer and told them I need $4700 PLUS the $2500 CA state rebate that expired on Dec 3 they were too stupid to tell me about on Dec 1. Told them I could "eat" only $500 of the 2500 to punish myself for thinking a Dealer would actually know about a HUGE program that Mr Toyota worked so hard to get CA State to do. They came back asking if I could come up $1500 and I said no, then they asked if I could come up $750 and I said no. So I'm at $4700 + $2000 for total of $6,700 off MSRP with them countering at $5950 off MSRP (plus free roof racks that cost them $110 but retail for $300).

    This is for LE Prime with White paint and $900 8 spoke rims.
     
  13. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Also on the LE, pressing the unlock button twice on the fob will unlock rear doors and hatch.
     
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  14. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Mine is the black & white. White has not been an issue with glare or dirt. The softex cleans easily. However, that extreme gloss on the black area under the glove box? You'll put your eye out kid!! I had to put some matte vinyl on that.

    I don't care for the big screen, but the power driver's seat is WONDERFUL! That's the big difference for me.

    I've never undercoated except when we lived on a small island. Not sure how much it helped because I had it in the shop at least once a year for rust.

    Depends on where you live.
     
  15. PT Guy

    PT Guy Senior Member

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    Never buy anything extra from the dealership. They always overcharge. Make your decision on what to get, then find the best local shop and best price.
     
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  16. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    For undercoating, there's really no substitute for getting under the car and inspecting it. Once you get under there you'll see why.
     
    Rob43 likes this.
  17. Rob43

    Rob43 Senior Member

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    1) I have the Black interior, no issues.

    2) I own an Advanced (Limited) & really like all of those features, so I'd recommend at least getting the XLE. Later resale will probably be easier on a mid level model vs a base model.

    3) DIY Rust Proofer, arguably the best bang for the buck:
    www.amazon.com/CRC-06026-Heavy-Corrosion-Inhibitor/dp/B07N1VLTFD

    Also if you have a conveniently located 240v outlet, you can charge up at L2 speeds for less than $50 dollars.


    Rob43
     
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  18. NHPrime

    NHPrime Junior Member

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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
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    Model:
    LE
    I had a 2017 Premium (XLE equivalent) and have a 2020 LE now. The main reason I went with an LE the second time around was I HATED the large infotainment screen. Factory Nav was laughably inferior to waze/google maps, and I much prefer the physical HVAC controls of the LE compared to the screen controls in the XLE. Physical volume/tuning knobs are also a nice addition. The cloth seats are kind of a toss-up for me. Positive is temperature extremes don't affect comfort as much, and I get lots of extremes in New England. Down side is its obviously more difficult to clean and doesn't look as nice. I don't miss the power driver seat too much, but I absolutely miss the 3 door Smart Key. Can't count the number of times I've tried to open the passenger door or trunk only to remember I'd have to reach into my pocket for the fob. I found apple carplay to look more natural on the smaller screen the the split layout on the larger screen in the xle as well. In the end, I decided that the layout of the LE, combined with the price reduction, was worth losing the softex/SKS/big screen. But others may value those features differently :)
     
  19. vvillovv

    vvillovv Senior Member

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    Thanks for explaining about the difference in the locks. I'd wondered if there was an extra button on the fob to unlock the other doors. I had a 14 PiP previously and it had a nub on the hatch release that would unlock it with the fob close by.
    I tried like the dickens to find out how to unlock the Primes hatch without having to use the drivers door unlock button or by double clicking the unlock button on the fob.
    For the seats I treated them with scotchguard and put covers on the front seats. I removed the wheelcovers right away and put them in storage for if and when the Prime gets a new owner or someone else wants them for the right price.
    After all the complaints about the 11 inch infotainment thing, I'm glad we went for the 17 plus. It's been missing a few things, I think both dynamic grille block and pedestrian warning were never activated by the dealer and when I asked about it I was quoted $100 to hook it up and see. I'll see for myself the first time I actually need to run techstream, not sure I'd trust the dealer to tell the truth anyway.
    Plus, there are so many dash screens and gauges after 2 and half years I'm still learning what some of them are used for.
    Anyway, thanks for your take on the differences
     
    Tips likes this.
  20. MarkOlin

    MarkOlin Member

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    Location:
    Buffalo, NY
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    I've got some pretty good offers and i think i will purchse the car next week. Still havent decided on the rustproofing and undercoating yet. Cost is between $450-$650.