how is tan interior holding up?

This falls into the category of DIYers vs. paid protection, but I opted for the $499 Interior/Exterior Protection Plan. Sure, I can clean a spot on fabric as well as the next guy, but they got me with the fact that if a stain can't be cleaned out they have to replace the section of fabric with new material. Same goes for any excessive spotting or marks on the painted exterior. Since I plan on holding onto this car for a while, it seemed like a reasonable investment to make sure it always looks as new as it can. After all, I can certainly be anal retentive about not making a mess in the car, but I don't want to have to leave a passenger by the side of the road for dropping a chocolate bar that passed through my food detector unnoticed!

Reminds me of an old movie called "The Four Seasons" with Alan Alda, Carol Burnett and Rita Moreno. They're riding in this guy's new Mercedes on a road trip and Alan Alda starts eating a sandwich in the back seat. The driver totally freaks out, starts swerving the car, and yelling "Your'e depreciating my Mercedes! Do you REALLY want to eat a $30,000 sandwich???" (Hey, I said it was an old movie)....

 

See:

http://www.crayola.com/colorcensus/america...ay.cfm?color=53

 

The brown dash looks almost black to me. A warm brownish-black.

 

i was looking at the photos in the gallery here of the leather interior. verrry nice. have to do some more research on that.

a couple of posts indicicated it was a pricey add-on in some california dealers. another gave the name of an online seller of just the interiors.

wondering whether those were pictures of the dealer installed or individual installed

 

I thought at first that the grey interior dash was a deep purplely-black and that the tan one would be different. I didn't see a tan interior dash until later, but when I did, it looked to me just like the dash in the grey interior. I don't think they are different. Are they?
My Prius has the tan interior and the dash seems to fit nicely regardless of what color it is.

 

The grey interior does not look like the tan interior to me. I put 2500 miles in a Silver 04 with grey interior (which did occasionaly look like it had a bit of a purple sheen to it). I now own a Driftwood 04 with the tan interior and was immediately struck by the difference in color.

 

The fabric used for the seats resembles velvet in that color changes when you run your hand over it in different directions. The seat may look dull or "dirty" when it is not.

 

Interior/Exterior Protection Plan

I jus tpurchased a package 9 and ther eis an after market company that is local (SF Peninsula) that is installing leather everywhere there is fabric (except headliner and back cargo area). $1300 (I know its a lot) but I know that when my wife and I have kids, the kids won't be spilling, I will. I have leather in my other car and can't go back to fabric.

The dealer is pushing hard for the protection for the carpets/interior as well as the exterior paint protection. Anyone have thoughts on whether those protection plans are worth it? 've been offered $695 for the pair, but i see where someone posted that they got the pair for $499.

Patrick

 

if i keep my fabric, i will treat it with scotchguard or other good commercial fabric treatment. i find it hard to believe that anything the dealer sprays on would be much better, especially since whatever it is will wear off a little every time somebody sits on it or spills something.

the key to fabric protection is re-application on a regular basis or any time you have to use a spot cleaner. when you remove the spot you are also removing the protectant. we always re-spray that section immediately.

after seeing how i like the fabric, i will consider the leather, and certainly if the fabric gets dirty, i will plan to cover it up with the leather.

 

evan - is that the company that makes the OEM fabric in the prius? or is that another aftermarket product? i'm thinking that is toyota's supplier