Any must-have accessories?

Godiva · May 22, 2005

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(eak354\";p=\"91662)</div>

personally getting mud flaps was the best thing i did, the aggravation of road tar, mud, and splashes was just too much for me. Â mileagewise, i didnt notice any noticeable change. still get 50-55mpg on freeway. same goes with the hood deflector and visors..[/b]
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I've got the mudguards and will be having them put on when my tires are rotated.

Is the hood deflector really effective? Is there any protection for teh windshield with the hood deflector? I've already got the 3M film invisible bra on the hood. Do you know if you can install the hood deflector over the film? I'm concerned that with the kind of rocks that are being kicked up, the film alone isn't going to be enough to protect the hood.

eak354 · May 22, 2005

i suppose the 3M film is sufficient. i was just stoked getting my prius that i got the deflector as well. so i installed it over my the film. i got the deflector together with the visors and mud flaps when i ordered them from canada. (back when for some reason they weren't offered here in the U.S.)

AnOldHouse · May 22, 2005

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dontcheff\";p=\"81440)</div>

I don't think leather fits into a Prius It is considered in a way to be a \"green car\". Â I also though at first about the leather upholstery (2500 euro in Finland) but gave up on the idea quite soon...[/b]
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Leather is a natural, entirely biodegradable product that will always be "greener" than plastic resins made from petrochemicals.

malibucarl · May 22, 2005

Greatcovers

Hi Widdletink,
Can you give me contact info on the Greatcover-seat cover co. I live near ventura and would like to stop by shop.
Thank you,
Carl
[email protected]

Hello and Congrats to both the new owner's.

You can see some of the things that I have done to my car on view in the Album section of PriusChat. I would highly recommend scanning that thread to get an idea of how any changes you may wish to make might look.

I have mudflaps that were custom painted to match the exterior of my car and they look and work great. I also went to PepBoys and bought a 25' roll of StyleGuard door edge trim for $12.99. It comes in silver, gold and black.

You barely see it on the car but it will protect the door edges from getting nicked and will also help to protect any car you may park next too from being dinged by your door. If you have kids or pets, I think this is a must. BTW, 25' is enough to do at least two four door cars so it is a pretty good deal and takes about 5 minutes to install. It is also removable without damaging your vehicle.

I also have a headrest mounted trash receptacle/tissue box holder that helps to keep my car neat and pretty. It was a whopping $4.99 at Target and comes in tan or black with dark grey accent.

I suggest that you take a trip to your local Target to check out all the little interior goodies they have available for mere pennies. Well made stuff too. I recently bought the cargo tote there for $10.00. This was the large size and it has pockets on all four sides as well as a zipper close top. It holds about 6 filled large paper grocery bags neatly and securely and folds small and flat for storage.

I also bought a sunshade there for the front window on sale for $4.99. Works great, folds small and is large enough for the entire front window. Get the Jumbo size for the Prius.

Target also has some very nice all weather floor mats for around $10.00 for the set of four. Costco is absolutely the place to go for good quality carpeted mats for a decent price. They also sell a very nice triple ply waterproof car cover there for $30 +/-.

You might also take a gander at ebay for other goodies. I bought my bumper guard there for $28 including shipping. Genuine Toyota part, although it was originally made for the Corolla it fits, looks and works good.

A container of touchup paint in your car's color might not be a bad idea just in case. And a microfiber towel is also a must for dusting off any part of the interior.

A bug deflector or car bra might also be a good idea as the low profile of the hood really does get coated with insect wreckage should you take a long drive. The bra will protect the area that is actually impacted.

Not an accessory in the strictest sense, but something that I think is a good idea is a diary to keep track of your gasoline consumption and cost. More for fun than for anything else.

A couple more things that fit into this catagory are: premoistened baby wipes. Great for preventing a temporay mess on a person from becoming a permanent part of your interior. A spray bottle with plain water and a clean white cloth for handling most smudges or spills. Water is the best thing to use on the upholstery.

Seat covers are also a very good idea. There is a company in Ventura, CA called Greatcovers that is selling a set of front and back seat covers including headrests which can be had with or without the provision for the seat mounted air bags for $150 on ebay. Make sure that if you decide to get seatcovers for the car you ensure that they are compatible and designed for the seat mounted airbags (if your car is so equipped).

A horizontal cargo net in addition to the factory made vertical one is also a good idea.

You might also wish to get some decals made to further identify the special nature of your car (I refer to this a stupid proofing). Not everyone recognizes these cars on sight (as they should) and may not allow you to partake of some of the incentives that are available for hybrid vehicle use. Please see my posting regarding Hybrid Parking in Los Angeles costing $35 here on PriusChat.

I will be installing the decals on my car as soon as they arrive so that you will know from whatever side you approach her that my car is a HYBRID and I am darn proud of it. Incidentally, I will be getting another custom license plate frame for the front plate so that I dont need to decal the front of the car.

Oh, and one other thing you might wish to throw into the cargo pit above where your spare tire lives is a "Neat Sheet" (available at most grocery stores) or an old bed sheet. It will come in very handy should you unexpectedly find yourself having to carry something dusty, dirty or with sharp corners in your car.

One last thing would be an eye glass or jeweler's screwdriver that will open your key fob should you need to replace the battery.

Hope this helps!

Take care,

Tisza
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Any must-have accessories?

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Any *must-have* accessories?

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Any must-have accessories?