Gen III Cheap Interior?

I sat in the new model recently and it seems very solid. Even the window switches are the same ones that they use in the Lexus. I suppose compared to your Infiniti it may seem a little cheaper. Just take care of it and it will take care of you. I've had mine for five years and the interior shows very little signs of wear. I am sure the '10 is an improvement over the previous gen. Good luck with the new car!

 

Moving down from a Lexus LS to the Gen III is a bit of culture shock to me (as it might be for your Infinity-Gen III move as well. However, bear these items in mind:
1) They used Eco plastics extensively thoughout this car (also in the new Lexus hs250). These polymers may not have the surface hardness of the vinyl polymers typically used and may result in a more easily scratchable surface
2) The point of the car purshase is, for most of us, to use considerably less fuel. I can accept the "penalty" of a lower apparent quality interior if Toyota used these materials for eco friendliness, lower weight, and lower relative cost.

This said, I have many friends and relatives who have a Gen II. I have spent considerable time riding in theirs and have also rented a Gen II and drove it for sevearl hundred miles. One of my complaints of the Gen II was low fabric quality (thin, not well secured, easily soiled). I'm not so sure the Gen III changed my initial perceptions from Gen II in those areas, and it is certainly less posh than the heavier detailing in my Lexus, but I don't believe it to be inferior to the majority of the domestic examples in the same class. Remember that this is just a Corolla-sized car with an incredibly advanced drivetrain and quite a few technologically advance features & content to justify the higher price point of the hybrids. If we expect Lexus class interiors, we need to choose the HS 250 and settle for inferior mileage.

 

azgringo--
I do agree with your assessment, and I wish it was a bit more durable, too. I wonder how much more cost per copy it would have cost to provide a more scratch-resistant interior. I have seen that many people share the same concerns. Most, it seems, have paid top dollar (30k+) for the V with AT. At that price point, I would actually expect a more durable interior as well. The TL, ES, and G37 start in the low 30's and are much more substantial (interior quality) IMHO. In my pkg II, the lower perceived interior quality fits in nicely with the no-frills package. I just set my expectations a bit lower and now I'm not disappointed. And if I keep repeating this over and over to myself, I'll actually start to believe it......

 

My wife and I test drove the Gen III earlier this week and we were impressed with car, except the interior. We were originally planning on getting a IV since we'd like leather, but after seeing and feeling the interior material, we decided that the II + aftermarket leather is the way to go for us.

The material, fit & finish is not worth the $27K for the package IV. The pricing point for the package II is certainly a bargain.

 

I do agree with you about the package IV doesn't worth that much. I was thinking about getting III with dealer install leather. I think it cost around $1400 instead of $3000 from III to IV. And the three door SKS doesn't really impress me since I am not planning to walk to the passenger seat to open the door for anyone and I still got to press unlock button if anyone is riding with me. So I think one door SKS should be enough for me

 

I do agree that the corners cut are a bit too glaring. That's fine with me until you start asking $30K for a car which either is missing a sunroof or has clown tires. Wait until the first time you take out your $200 carpet floormats to clean them- those things are thinner than paper. Though I'm sure they just made them cheap to ummm... "save weight" .

 

Having owned two RX 330's and several Toyotas over the years, I'm impressed with the fit and finish of the Prius. I find the Prius to be less scratch-prone than any of the other vehicles, including the RX's, and have yet to find any interior flaws in two + weeks of ownership.

While I was washing and waxing the Prius earlier this week I didn't see any of the usual manufacturing anomolies, etc, on any of the exterior panels, either.

With all my other vehicles, I've found mis-shaped or discolored panels, scratches at delivery, etc., none of which I've seen with the Prius.

 

Agreed.

The first time I waxed mine, I was particularly impressed with the exterior fit and finish. Much less orange peel than I've had on cars costing many multiples of this one.

 

That's certainly good to hear. It makes the Prius II even more appealing.

 

honestly, Gen2 has interior several notches below Gen3 .

 

Are these plactics that are scratching part of the ecological plastics being used in the car? I have never seen a diagram of what parts are petrochemical plastics and what parts are plant-based.

This video explains more on how the Prius is built.

 

nah, they use eco materials for parts of the car that you dont touch actually .

difference is that Prius is 22k vehicle with expensive powertrain, so they skip on interior of course. Again, IMHO, Gen2 had a LOT lower interior quality.

 

Thanks!

Wait, are you talking smack about my interior now?

 

Exactly what I did.The seams on the original cloth seat backs of the rear seats visible with the hatch open were so crooked that I knew the local leather guy could,and did,a much better job,I didn't need the seat heat anyway.

 

respectfully disagree. not only are you missing out on the leather but the motorized lumbar support which makes a huge difference in healthy back posture while drving. the IV also include the ion air purifier which is missing in the II-IIIs.