2012 Advanced Trim Package, Worth the Price?

I really would like to have all of the gadgets of the advanced package. $32K, though is about my limit (OK, it is above my limit, but only by a little bit). I'm most disappointed to not have the better display, better speakers and the ability to monitor my car's charging with my phone.

I hate leather, though, so I comfort myself thinking about it from that point of view. And, getting heated seats in the basic model is quite nice (especially for Minnesota winters).

 

This earlier thread also covered this, lol: http://priuschat.com/forums/toyota-prius-plug-in/98054-what-does-7k-really-get-you.html

 

For $3K? Absolutely. $5K? Maybe. (Who WOULDN'T pay a little extra for heads-up display? Face it, that's a pretty cool feature.)

The leather seat options are excellent. I looked into it when I bought my car. Most car dealers know local upholstery shops who can do this for you using Catskinz or other brands that are form-fitted for the vehicle and airbag-compatible. They remove your seats, then remove the fabric upholstery, then they attach the new covers. These aren't slipcovers; it's a labor-intensive process to attach the new coverings to the seat at multiple locations. The result is totally professional and factory-quality throughout.

Dianne can probably work it out so the seats get upholstered before you pickup the car. Upside is that they can finance this with the car, downside is that it gets wired into the purchase price, which in California affects your registration fees for a long time. So maybe better to have it done by a reputable shop afterwards. It can take them 2 or 3 days.

(I hope that didn't make me sound like a cheerleader for the auto upholstery business).

 

You posted in the other thread that it'll cost you $1200, maybe shop around, you basically cut out the middleman/dealer and you'll get a better deal. You live in SoCal and with google/internet reviews of installers, you'll probably save some more money.