A few ?'s on upgrading to a 2020 from a 2008 Touring...

First off, I wanted to thank Priuschat for helping with my 1st purchase 11+ years ago. My 2008 Touring has been awesome, up until recently. I actually had a down payment on a Civic at the time, and decided on the Prius at the last minute after a lot of reading on here. 170,000 miles & many x-country road trips later, it was definitely the right choice. Even for 3-4 day music festivals, it's a lifesaver. Foil all the windows & it's perfect for a daytime nap!

My 1st question on the Gen 4 is... did they ever fix the gross smell from the A/C? I live in Colorado & rarely use it, but it still gets that old locker room smell when I do. I try to blast hot air through it afterwards, but it's still an issue.

2nd, since it rarely snows much in Denver, is the AWD really worth it? I think I'm between the LE & LE AWD. I'm kind of more worried about being stuck somewhere without a spare tire than I am about being stuck in snow. And since it's not AWD at highway speeds, is there a general consensus on the amount of snow where it may be worth it?

3rd, how customizable is the display at night with regard to colors & brightness? I love how dim I can get the dash lights on the 08, and can even use the orange scheme for the display. I've driven Camrys & the blue LEDs are just obnoxiously bright, even when dimmed. Toyota should really do some research into colors & how they affect the brain & night vision, rather than trying to look 'futuristic', or at least offer modifications.

I really hate to let go of my 08, but the problems keep piling up. 2 of the rims are bent, so 2 tires each leak about 2-3 psi per day. I have the dash issue where the entire thing shuts off & I need to unhook the battery, & then turn off all the beeps every week or so. Never know when it will occur, & it varies in severity. Sometimes it's just the display, other times it won't shut off at all. I didn't get the recall letter in time, so if I want it fixed, it's out of pocket. Shocks are getting bad, window is chipped, plus general wear & tear.

Thanks in advance!

 

Sat in the 2020 LE at the dealership the other day, only 1 thing that I wasn't too happy about was the armrest. I'm about 5'8", & my elbow barely made it to the front end of the armrest. I may have to buy or design some type of extension for it. Even another 2" forward would work. On my 08, I took off the soft cloth on the armrest, padded it with memory foam & topped it off w/ black 'monster fur'. It lasts about 2 years before it starts looking ragged, & then I just re-do it. It looks way better than it probably sounds & is super comfy.
Still debating on whether to go for the AWD or not, probably purchasing by the end of the year. I never needed the spare on my current Prius, but have many times on prior vehicles.