Has anyone purchased the C-specific heat shield for the front window? It's on my Christmas list, but now I find myself waffling...
The reason I ask is because here in Vegas, the summer temps can top 118 degrees... and I'm tired of using heat shields with great, huge gaps in them. I want to know that thing works and fits as well as described in the shop (and i want to support this forum by purchasing in the shop instead of somewhere else).
We tend to only get up to about 108 on our freak worst days and 95-97 is the more typical "worst days of summer" temp, but I'm also thinking about this - our sun is pretty fierce and combined with our summer humidity and my Softex seats, things could get ugly.
I have one of the heat shields. Even though it says it is for the Prius C it is universal to the Prius family and there is a bit of extra on the sides. It does completely cover the windshield though and no light gets in.
So, sph101, you would give it a positive endorsement? Not that I will hold it against anyone, I guess I'm just looking for someone to say HELL NO... lol. I want this, it is on my Xmas list...
If I had to buy it again I might not, it is quite cumbersome to put in the and take out of the windshield. Since I have it I do use it when the car is parked for long periods but not for quick stops. Sorry if this just makes the decision more difficult..........
sph101, actually, that kinda helps. I'm thinking in terms of 4-6 hours in the 100 plus degree sun. I would only be putting it up once or twice a day. I might keep a flimsier one around for shorter periods, but I'm looking for something to work in the extreme Vegas summer heat.
Buy it. It's big to store when folded. I need to put it in the trunk when my car has four people in it. It covers the windshield very good, keeps the temp down a lot. One time I forgot to put it up, 85 degrees that day, opened the door I can feel the heat inside and when sitting down my softech (did I spell it right?) seat burns my back and bottom even my windshield is tinted at 70%.
I figured it would not be convenient to store when not in use. I gather it rolls up rather than folding? Our backseat area is seldom, if ever, used, so I could just tie it and toss it back there.
It rolls up. To use the velcro you need to roll it small enough but to me I just roll it big and toss it in the back between front and back seats.
I have any number of items I can use as a loose tie and toss it in back. Thanks for the encouragement, I will definitely be ordering one any day now.
Seems like the shield from Prius Chat is great, but if you must deploy a shield many times, it may become tedious. That is why I opted for another type. See: Sun shade thread - likes, dislikes | PriusChat
Oh! I had one of those on my Echo... and it was great ... when it worked. Far, FAR too often the accordion pleats got folded in on themselves and it would take several minutes to get them back in place (more time than it would take to roll and store the normal kind of heat shield). Then the little catch knob broke off and there is no glue in the world that can withstand the Vegas heat (i know because we tried about a dozen different glues and adhesives). If the frame and other bits on this were made of metal or wouldn't break, I'd be touting it on the street corners. When it works, it is absolutely fantastic. (yes, we did try more than once... had one installed on the corolla and the same things happened).
Admittedly, both of our examples are anecdotal, but I have deployed the shade over a thousand times by my calculation without a hitch. It did take a short period of time to discover the speed at which to move the shade back to staring position without disrupting the pleats. It is now second nature to me and not a problem. It takes less than two seconds to deploy and maybe three to return. Just saying I would never take the time to put up and take down another kind of shade 15 - 20 times a day. Different situations require different solutions. I'm happy with my solution. You're happy with yours.
If you have a Daiso store near you, they have a sunshade for your windshield for $1.50. That's amazingly cheap as I'm used to paying $8+ for them. Don't know how well it fits the c though.
I'll probably only be putting my heat shield up a few times a day, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal. I hope.
