Sunroof installed! - 2007 Prius, Minneapolis

I'm opening myself up to some razzing here, but I've never been in a car with a sunroof. They look attractive, but what are the other reasons for spending $1,100 on installing one? I have some thoughts about it's advantages, but would rather hear from those of you who have them.
-Just Curious

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(geeky teacher @ Jun 22 2007, 08:50 PM) [snapback]466735[/snapback]</div>

PREVENTS CLASTRAPHOBIA! Plus I look really good when lit from above, I left my sunroof when I traded my beamer, but the other gadgets make up for it in my Prii

 

Damn! I'm driving down to Huntington Beach from San Francisco on Sunday to have a sunroof installed in my FJ Cruiser -- which really needs one -- on Monday. If my installer says he can do it, looks like I'm going to have to schedule another trip to install one in my Prius too.

 

Deleted duplicate to post below

 

Friday afternoon, I recieved my third emphatic no from an installer that was recommended to me as "the best installer in Portland". I hope this means I only have two more nos before I get my "Yes".

This third installer told me that they do them in Sothern California, but that they went through 13 Prius' before they got it right. He says they add a cross member behind the sunroof to either maintain or flatten the roof ridges? Forgot which he said.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Swingshiftworker @ Jun 22 2007, 09:38 PM) [snapback]466745[/snapback]</div>

I'm sure this goes without saying, you will take I5 for a quick trip to Huntington Beach, Hwy 1 for return trip with the sunroof installed!

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(geeky teacher @ Jun 22 2007, 08:50 PM) [snapback]466735[/snapback]</div>

Better visisbility in blizzards. You can stand up and poke your head out and still reach the pedals and steering wheel. I cannot see the spedometer, but I can estimate speed fairly accurately by noting the wind chill, converting to speed and then subtracting the vetor ambient wind speed to get true vehicle speed. Much more effective than Fog lights.

Better than a convertable because your arms, torso, entire lower body stays warm and toasty inside the car.

PS. This is not razzing. Just me being an all aound Smart A (British Columbian for Smart).

 

Double damn!

Got a sunroof installed in my FJ Cruiser today, which looks great, but when I asked the installer if he could put one in my Prius, he said that he didn't recommend installing a within-roof Hollandia style sunroof, like craigk and SaeGai06 did. He said there's a possibility of the sunroof collapsing in on itself if any pressure is applied to it and recommended another model, where the sunroof window moves back and up over the roof in an angled position, instead. :blink:

Not sure I want that, so I'll have to see if there's another installer who thinks he can install a within-roof Hollandia style sunroof in a Prius w/o any risk of collapse.

 

Does anybody have any info on panoramic roofs for Prius?

I saw a modified Prius advertised on eBay in SoCal a few months ago that had one but did not have great photos. I'm looking into getting a Prius and would definitely want to add a sunroof - a panoramic roof (essentially an extra large and long sunroof) would be amazing.

Anybody heard or seen of such a thing?

 

I've had the same sunroof installed for about a year and a half by Coach Automotive through the SF Toyota dealer when I bought my '06 Prius. They had a model on display in the showroom and I knew I needed it. (Think I was the first through them). It works great, no hit on MPG compared to other Prii that my friends drive. Sometimes I think people write too much about MPG hits without actually knowing about it or else they obssess over a 1-2% MPG hit which in reallity is really hard to measure / quantify or really attribute to one specific change. Anyway, I love it. I could attach picts, but they're the same as the original posters.
Also, I believe that here in SF you have to go through a Toyota Dealer to have it installed. I originally called Coach when researching it last year, and they would not do an independent install. (I believe they're located in Fremont in the East Bay). Install was about $1000 back last year as well.

 

Add me to the sun roof list! I just got mine!

I had it done thru San Francisco Toyota ... they ship it off to Coach in the East Bay for the install. Coach also added lumbar support and heat to both front seats! The price was reasonable, looks great, and was done in 3 days.

B)

[attachmentid=9633] [attachmentid=9634]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ATOM_SF @ Jul 11 2007, 08:20 PM) [snapback]477220[/snapback]</div>

Heated seats! Now, that is a must have for me. I live in North Idaho where it gets pretty cold in the winter. This is my first car since moving here that does not have heated seats. I'm not looking forward to this winter without them... Did it add any noticeable lumps in your seat? Mind if I ask how much and which type you got? (Not to hijack the thread here...)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(emtownsend @ Jul 12 2007, 01:48 PM) [snapback]477701[/snapback]</div>

They originally quoted me $750 for the heat in both front seats alone. I don't know what type they are, but they have two settings (low and high). They also did a really nice job installing the buttons on the center pillar under the radio below the dash. The buttons are out of the way but easily reachable by both driver and passanger. (The lumbar buttons are on the seat itself, but is a little hard to find.) As to lumps, I don't notice any ... aside from the lumbar support. The leather seat looks like it had never been touched.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(craigk @ Jul 13 2007, 06:50 AM) [snapback]478014[/snapback]</div>

I wouldn't be as concerned about MPG as I would be about noise.
I'm in the process of dampening my car in preparation for the new sound system.
Even though a sunroof is not yet out of the question, I do wonder if having one
would defeat all the sound deadening measures I'm putting in. Certainly, if I were
to put a sunroof in, I'd use that opportunity to add SD mat to the roof too.

I just bought a sound level meter and have been taking various measures of noise levels
in the car at different speeds, road conditions, etc. It would be awesome if those with
sunroofs could tell how much of a decibel hit a roof creates, all else being equal.

 

I am very impressed with these pictures. I am about to take delivery of a new Prius myself and was going to miss the sunroof from my last car a lot. I have emailed a local Webasto supplier and will see what he says - I have forwarded this site and thread address! I do note that the post 2004 Prius is not listed on the Webasto site though the 2003 and before model is.
I am willing to bet that the price will be rather more than you quoted as I am in the UK! As the car seems to be twice the price, I fully expect the sunroof will no doubt match!