I thought I was unique with my particular Prius (dark tint windows, vent visors) but yesterday I parked my car to go inside a store (In a Northern Michigan, podunk town nonetheless). Imagine my face when I came outside and saw this! I met the lady that owned it, she said she saw my car and "had" to park next to it, lol. Hers (on the left) is the same year as mine, but a lesser level than mine. She even had the same vent visors and sun screen I bought, haha. Ok guess Im not unique anymore, maybe its time to buy a Tesla?? lol jk Joking aside, I thought it was so cool that up in Northern Michigan, in the middle of nowhere, the same color and year Prius "found" me.
one time I was parked a few cars from another black Prius like mine. Then I noticed this lady trying to get into my car and kept saying her fob and key was not working. I told her this car was mine and hers was a few cars away.
I have a red one and seem to go to high-Prius density zones so when I see another Prius I park next to it just because. Solidarity in numbers I suppose.
Looks like my car. Except for the window tint. Hey, have you found the tint to deflect a noticeable amount of the sun's heat?
You need a UV blocking tint, like a nice high quality ceramic to block the "heat". The visible light isn't too hot but the UV and IR spectrum are. You can buy anything from clear (100%) tint to 2% tint (dark limo) that blocks UV. On my civic I have 5% ceramic all around. Makes it nice and dark and stays cool except for when the windshield lets the sun in. The older Lexus RX has 85% I think all around and again a good UV blocker. So it doesn't look very dark, not at all really but it stays cool as well.
Im the level 5 (Prius on the right in that pic). I dont know what level her Prius was, but it didnt have fogs or smart key. I do envy her mileage though - I now have 70,500 on my Prius and she has 24,000 miles Buuuuut I like all the amenities my Level 5 has. Now that I have it, I dont think I could live without smartkey!!
I got tint at 20% and it only seems to help a little with the heat, but like somebody else said, the windshield is the true killer. For that, I went to amazon.com and bought a collapsible sunshade that works GREAT. And when you are done with it, it folds down into something you could fit into the glovebox.
Here in the seattle area it's an event when I'm the only Prius around. Today there were two (2!) Tesla Roadsters parked near me and there is a Model S that comes and visits every now and then.
There's another black Gen II just like mine (not sure of the year or package) a few streets over from my home. Every now and then just by random chance we end up at the stoplight together at the end of the hill. If the day is going to be really coincidental, a black Gen III will come careening down the hill after us (driven by a reckless college student). LG-AS695 ? 2
You want to be careful. While you and the other owner were in the store shopping those two Prius were out there humping each other.
Harumph!! That explains why when I got back into Prius, the MFD showed the hybrid battery to be low, down to two purple bars AND that puddle underneath the car, which I assumed was a/c condensate! Guess I forgot to have the "headlights and tailpipes" talk with Prius...lol
Guess I forgot to have the "headlights and tailpipes" talk with Prius...lol[/quote] Don't forget to cover safe high voltage interactions, lol. LG-AS695 ? 2
The heatshield window shade sold here at PC Shop is best shade ever. Perfectly custom fit to the windshield even covers little front opera windows. And its insulated. Mine is going on 6+ years. Have mini dashboard cover too. And MFD visor. That and a dark as allowed tint. And I made a foil covered insulation board that covers the fabric pull out cargo cover in the back. I just cut up one of those foil covered 4X8 sheets you can buy at Home D. Cut it to fit that back fabric pull out package cover. Thats to keep the trunk area where the Hybrid Battery lives cooler if forced to sit out in the Florida sun. Hybrid battery does not like to be cooked and will shorten life. This board helps. Didn't want the hassle of the one that uses the suction cups. But if I had to leave it in an airport parking lot alot I would use the rear window suction cup shade. Got to keep the Hybrid battery cool. All have added up to a mint condition interior 6 years later.
I looked out the window in a restaurant the other day, and I thought some one was stealing my Prius for a second! Then I remember mined was parked on the other side of the building! But, I have a twin in the neighborhood, and another one at work. Usually I can tell mine because it's dirtier!
