Spent $122.39 today for Reese 77966 hitch for Prime

Mainly a heads up that today AutoZone has a 20% off code DEALS4FALL which works on the Reese 77966 hitch for '16+ Prius and Prius Prime. Free delivery FOR A FEW MORE HOURS, and the discount code work together because it's over $100.

$152.99 - 20% = $122.39, so I decided to finally spring for a hitch for the Prime, now that I sold my '05 Prius a couple of months ago, which I had used anytime I wanted to use a cargo carrier or bike rack. Being time to carry all the 5-gallon cans to a gas station for the snowblower, carrying them externally is an additional justification, however feeble, for the purchase.

The Reese is similar but not identical to the Draw Tite 24966 and 24944, which are both even more different from the Curt 11473. TorkLift priced themselves out of my comfort zone by going from $398 to $482 since the last time I looked. I don't care how nice it is, removable and with 2 inch receiver, I'm not paying 4x as much for that when I'm not actually towing anything.

I'll document the current hitch choices for Prius Prime while I have the info handy, in my personal order of preference.
TorkLift x7369 $482
DrawTite 24966 $178 on Amazon, $158 on eBay
Reese 77966 $150 on Amazon, $153 AutoZone (but $122 today with above discount code)
Curt 11473 $146 on Amazon
DrawTite 24944 $198 on Amazon

The reason I put the 24944 last, is that it's unclear whether it's obsolete, or better for Prius than Prius Prime, or the 24966 was cost-reduced but technically as good.

It isn't scheduled to arrive for 2 weeks. I'll probably post an update after I install it, seeing as I don't think anyone else here has reviewed the Reese or its installation yet. I'm hoping to get away with less disassembly than the installation videos from eTrailer recommend, in which case I'll maybe make a video and get rich on YouTube, hahaha.

Other than price, the reason I prefer the Reese/DrawTite configuration of parts/welds, is that it looks a lot easier to remove the 1.25 tube and weld a 2 inch tube on, NOT THAT I RECOMMEND THAT. But I do have a welder, and might at some point in time remove my hitch and do that, rather than use the 1.25-2 adapter and rise setup I used to mount the (2-inch tube) Harbor Freight cargo carrier on my 2005. It will also let me extend it to exactly wherever I find would work best in terms of how far it's recessed or sticking out. Adapters and extensions add a lot of weight, and usually push your cargo farther out than it needs to be.

 

Sorry it took me so long to notice your question. It's 3am now, so I'll have to check later and get back to you. Offhand, I do think it has the dimple, for the simple reason that it SHOULD have the dimple.

I long ago (for another car) created a slot in all the bars I insert, to get around that, to make my hitch bars/accessories usable in any 1.25 inch receiver. Another alternative is to simply drill out the receiver tube to remove the dimple. The tube already has holes for the hitch pin, right?

I don't view the inclusion of the dimple as a drawback. I view it as following good engineering practice and industry standards, to keep people from unwittingly towing things they shouldn't tow. If someone drills/machines the tube or bar to get around that, as I did, it's not unwitting,it's intentional and hopefully thought out well enough to be safe for the intended purpose, rather than as a way to tow something crazy.

Modifying the hitch rather than what you're inserting into it, might also create liability for you if you sell the car with the modified receiver.