Hey all - I've been lurking quite a bit the past couple weeks as I got ready to head into the dealership to get the best price and figure out what I wanted as far as my first hybrid! So this is my first post as a happy new Prius C owner. I just bought a brand new metallic gray 2015 Prius C 3 with alloy wheels. I think I got a pretty good price... $17500 (about $19900 OTD) I'm very happy with the car. It's fun to drive and it's gonna be great on my long trafficy commutes every day. I really want to take care of this car and enjoy it, so I'm wondering what were some of the first upgrades you Prius C owners have gotten and are you glad you did? A few things I'm thinking about... Seat covers - My seats are the black/light gray two-tone. The light gray is almost white and could see it easily getting stained and ruined. I'm looking for something that won't break the bank. I don't need leather covers or anything (in fact, i'd prefer not-leather). So if anyone has suggestions on seat covers that fit real well, but aren't too expensive, I'd love to hear 'em. Stereo - I listen to music a lot, though I don't necessarily need a huge sound system with subs or anything. My last car was a 2007 Nissan Sentra S which had a great sounding system, though it was nothing special. The Prius C stereo definitely leaves something to be desired. I was also quite disappointed when I realized Toyota cars didn't have Apple CarPlay. So two questions... 1. Has anyone replaced just the 6.5" speakers in the doors and not the amp? I have a feeling the amp is good enough and the speakers are the weakest link in the sound system. I don't need anything super loud, I just noticed the sound seems super flat and tinny and starts to distort around 70% 2. Has anyone put in an aftermarket stereo receiver with CarPlay in a 3/4? Did you lose any functionality of the regular car components? (Bluetooth, GPS, etc) Window Tinting - I guess I don't really have any questions about this. It seems $200 or so is the going rate to tint the windows. I mostly want them to keep my car cooler in the summer. The sun basically made everything in my last car fade. And anything I can do to run the air conditioning less is a plus for me. Any other upgrades you've done that have been totally worth it?
You should check out the other threads on mods that people have done, and i wish i would got that kinda deal on my c. i bout it in 14 it was a 12 and my sticker price was about what you paid otd
Congrats on that purchase price. I'm definitely jealous. practical upgrades: Tinting where you can injen intake Forward/rear dash cameras, evidence for insurance rear parking camera phone mount kinda nice: cabin leds trunk lighting upgrade, ie: full led strip cosmetic: spoiler rear light swap body kit? gmacfan01 mentioned through other threads for idea, but an awesome thread to look through is the "What have you done to your c today?" thread: What have you done to your c today? | PriusChat Shows off what a lot of other folks have done.
Congrats! I too am looking for some inexpensive seat covers. I don't need leather, but something nice, that will cover the stock seats.
I went with coverking for my front and rear seats. It cost me $180 for both, and another $50 for a suede dash cover.
I have opted against seat covers after reading about the kinds of configurations that are needed to accommodate the air bags. The wrong seat cover can render them useless. My first modification was a dash cover made for the Prius C. Anything you do, should be specific for the model. Stereo: I never felt the need to replace the speakers once I figured out how to arrange the sound. The wrong settings make them sound everything between awful to ridiculous. But find your settings and you can say, "that guitar sounds great". Nowadays I have crisp notes, solid separation, strong bass and strong midrange. Keep working with it.
Thank you InPriusLove, didn't know that about the air bags. I had a modified stereo in my 2006XB and I find that the stock one in the Prius is good. I have played with the sound configuration system and it works for me. Reminds me of the old home stereo systems with separate amp and equilizers. You could always make it work. The only thing I would do for the stereo is possibly put in a small amplifier to give it a little more power.
I shy against anything that would consume any electrical resource. The reason is because we need the 12v to stay charged as it is the one supporting the smart key system. I have read that these can wear down quicker if you are near enough to your car for the key fob to check in with it constantly. In addition it is the one that like any other car supports initial starting and the general car systems. The hybrid battery does not mean we have more power. It means we have more need of power. Also be aware that when utilizing resources while not driving requires the car to be on and in Park so the car can pick up and charge the battery when needed. And FYI it will not do so in neutral. Then on modifications that demand or take up combustion power while operating, the horses are at most 99 which is a synergy between both the ICE and the traction battery. I think the ICE by itself is more like 79. I find that the car does begrudge going up hills. I took it up in California's high desert once and it was quite a labor. Plus the ascent to bridges, the car would rather not. I can not imagining towing anything or trying to soup up anything. The hybrid drive is a synergistic design. Hence Hybrid Synergy Drive. Indeed the lower the rpm's the closer to EV but be careful of the load the battery can take by itself. This is a great car if you use it as it is designed. I think every owner has at the beginning gone through habit and expectation adjustments. The first modification I made to my car was me driving it.
