Is an all-weather cargo tray worth it?

If you want to protect the black "flet-like" material on the deck and keep it clean, then this is what you want.
To Do list on my third Prius Prime | Page 2 | PriusChat

The OEM cargo tray will protect what is covered, but not the sidewalls, back of the rear seats, and the edge near the bumper. If you often put dirty/muddy wet stuff in the back, then there are better aftermarket cargo trays. The WeatherTech cargo liner in general has a lip on the edge, and keeps liquid on the tray. OEM tray has very shallow rims, anything on the tray will roll out. It becomes critical if you spill a large quantity of liquid because the traction battery is under the deck.

 

Since I had the all weather mats it seemed wrong not to protect the trunk area as well.
Pound for pound it’s a better deal than the rear bumper appliqué/protector which I also got. .

 

You could look for generic/universal cargo liner/pet protector. I got a blanket of synthetic felt that absorbed liquids with a waterproof backing for the dogs years ago. At the time, it was around $80 for one big enough for a SUV. The fit won't be perfect, which isn't a big problem for occasional use. Amazon has several for under $50.

 

I just got one of these for less than $20; but you'll have to trim it down. I installed it slightly off-center, because one side 'wing' is larger than the other - again plenty of extra material to work with. I left it baking in the sun, in my back yard for a week before putting it in my car. There were reports of a petro-smell, if you just put it in the car - out of the box. I didn't experience this. Just throw it in the trunk and retract the cargo cover; let the sun do it's thing. Once it softens up, lay it down and cut to size. Already hosed it down twice, a camping and muddy hiking trip.

Black Trunk Mat Cargo Liner for Car SUV Van Trunk Universal w/ Black Dash Mat | eBay

 

It is perfect for spills, wet this/that. bags of coal (for xmas!) and for any other dirty stuff.

I have one in my c, and my prime, had one in my Gen3 etc....
Will always have one from here on out.

 

Pricier than most, but I like the Weather Tech with integrated roll-up bumper protector:

 

That's a great price!! I paid about $138 for my Weathertech cargo cover. It only takes one significant liquid spill down into the battery to ruin your whole day. I got mine right after a friend put a plastic bag of fresh fish in the back of his Mazda CX-5 and the bag leaked. His whole car reeked of fish.

 

I have that exact one. I think it is very good for the price. It is protective for when I throw sandy beach chairs and wet towels back there. And saved me once when the bleach I bought leaked. It is more stiff and plastic-y than I expected. It’s not a flexible, heavy-duty rubber like I assume the weather tech is. But if all you are looking for is mud protection, it will do the job. It does scuff pretty easily, but after vacuuming and wiping with a towel and some armorall it looks better.

 

For $80 these fit perfectly:

 

The one issue I have with any of the rubber tray options, is how they deal with seat backs up vs down. We’ve used a simple beach blanket, tuck the back edge an inch or so under the back lip of the hatch floor (to keep it from shifting), bunch it up at the rear seat backs when they’re up, and “unbunch” it when they’re flipped down. Works a charm.

 

Something with considering is if you get a rigid liner it will be harder to access the storage cubbies under it.

I got a Weathertech universal liner and really like it. See post #8 here for pictures:
Cargo liner with lip? | PriusChat

 

When we ordered our 2017 Prius Prime, the dealership found one in the color and trim we wanted and retrieved it from another location. When we took delivery, it had the all-weather mats installed -- which was not what we wanted because we're primarily urban and really prefer the dressy look of carpet mats. Of course, the friendly dealership immediately found us some Toyota carpet mats and charged us about $150 additional for them.

We still have the OEM all weather mats sitting un-used in our basement. I would love to sell them cheap to anyone who wants to come pick them up. (I really don't want to go through the hassle of selling them on ebay and having to figure out how to pack them up for shipping.)

And I still have no idea why the dealership did not just swap them out, but that's an entirely different story.

 

My guess would be over what they can or cannot do to the official window sticker. If it wasn't just greed.

 

It may have been different in 2017, but the carpet or all weather floor mat packages were the same price when I got my 2021 a few weeks back. Wanted the all weather so it worked out that they came with the car I was looking at, but I would not have paid extra for them.