Sorry, the 15" wheels standard on the Prius are downright fugly. They make the std wheels on our '09 look good in comparison. Toyota needs to offer the top of the line Pkg V with the Sunroof, 17" wheels and LED headlights......I'll go on a diet and lose 40 lbs if it helps.
I opted not to get the solar roof, the salesman at the dealer said it will not work when outside temps are 110+ which here in Phoenix are pretty frequent for about 5 months of the year. So I figured it was a waste of money.
Loose the wheel covers, then. Look fine without. But if still an issue, there a ton of good looking aftermarket alloys. You can always change the wheels, but you'll never be able to add the solar option.
That is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard from a salesman. Use some common sense... FYI - there a number of posters on this site who live in your region, and have the solar package. That is utter baloney.
I disagree as I value the sun/moon roof feature more than I value the solar panel. It's awesome compared to the sunroofs I've had before. If you retrofit a sunroof on the Prius V however...... P.S. From everything I've read on these forums, it seems most Prius V drivers take advantage of little more than the radar cruise control and maybe the lights. You can get lighter weight aftermarket alloys for any Prius. I would love a Prius IV with radar cruise control.
Absolutely NOT advisable to retrofit a sun roof....especially on a car as light as the Prius. Why? I've spoken to a number of automtive engineers about such things, and what I learned was - when a manufacturer designs and builds in the sun roof (at the factory), they put in supporting structural reinforcements into the roof - for safety reasons. Putting in an aftermarket sunroof by simply cutting a hole in the roof, compromises the structural integrity of the vehicle, and especially the roof. For safety reasons...not a good idea.
Thanks. I've read about doing it on these forums but I wouldn't have considered it myself. Then I would definately go with the IV if you like having a sunroof. Actually, you should probably test out all of the features offered on both models and decide which ones are more important to you. Different people have different priorities.
If you want to see sweet, check this out on the "accessory/modifications" folder: http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...ck-out-between-hatch-glass-solar-sunroof.html Black sunroof & solar, and then some added blackout of the remaining white strip. Thinking of doing that to mine. I'd lose the black bumper guard, but other than that, i like the way it looks. Latter on, when I need new tires, I'll probably look at after-market alloys...but that's a very easy change to make.
