Newbies - Let's See Some Pics!

I don't even know why they would put a hubcap to cover up the alloys.. I think they look great and aren't easily stolen like the hubcaps.

 

As someone mentioned before its about optimizing the aerodynamics.

 

Here is my 5 day old prius. Got a good deal from the dealer I couldn't resist. Getting used to the road noise and very good mpg.

 

Long story short…Had a bad accident while on vacation in July 2015 (not my fault). Rental car was a PRIUS (which the wife would never even have sat in otherwise). We loved the car! Kids loved the car, even naming the rental “PUMA”! So, when we returned home we bought one! Kids named the new car….yep, you got it…”PUMA”!

My only complaint…no auto on headlights (or even a reminder bell). We did not drive the rental at night, thus we did not know before buying. I have spent considerable time reading the thread on auto headlights, but have yet to identify if there is any shop that does this anywhere near the Gulf Coast. Not sure I want to try to do this mod myself. Any help would be appreciated!

 

Great story - my first intro was also a rental. Up until then I had believed all the anti-prius carry on.

Can't help with with the auto-electrician options.

 

Small world.....I fell in love with the Prius as a rental too. I hadn't even thought about renting one but the first time I got one in Chicago the rental clerk assumed since I was from California I knew all about them. It was already powered up when I got in so off I went. The next morning at the hotel I had no idea it was "step on the brake, push the button and go". The desk clerk didn't know how to start it either. Finally another business traveler helped me out and I was on my way to really liking the Prius.

Snowy weather in Chicago and summer heat in south Florida didn't seem to bother it much. Sure, the mileage varied a lot with cold + snow, high heat + a/c or normal "windows down" temps but I expected swings like that. It seemed kind of "gimmicky" but that contributed to making it a fun drive compared my standard Chevy Lumina type rental. Like most people new to the Prius I found the center touch screen captivating. I was absolutely hooked after after three weeks around Fort Lauderdale and Pompano Beach and a calculated a 63 mpg average.

 

Got it in August. Just love all the things this car does.

 

Getting pics soon. Getting the windows tinted tomorrow and then I am washing it up. Afterwards, some pics will be uploaded.

 

I took off the hubcaps on mine and purchase the toyota Center caps to fill the hole. The car looks so much better without the cheap looking hubcaps.

 

Changed my mind and went to classic auto window tinting in Orange. They break down everything so you can purchase the type you like. Did the rear hatch, rear passengers in a darker 30% and 20% for Driver and passenger. I have to share something here. When I first purchased my Prius, the response to friends is "Oh my, I hate prius's" or "Why did you buy that car, aren't they ugly" or even worse "Those cars are so small and slow". Then, I walk to my car and their mouths drop, and the questions begin "You only paid how much?", "You have blue tooth?", "USB port?", "Rear camera was standard?". Has this happened to you all?

 

I think most people's uninformed opinions about the Prius were formed 12 years ago while they were passing a Gen 1 at high speed.

 

Yep. The dummest - "no car enthusiast would buy a prius".
Of course it's an enthusiasts car - some people just can't get their heads around a game changer.
Then there are the fart smellers that get their calculator out and start lecturing you on financial return. Same people that have never considered return on anything in their life. Never calculated whether a faster car would save them time. Never calculated whether a truck would save them on delivery costs. They'll never get it.
That's only a noisy minority though. The rest just believe the crap they read - they'll listen.

 

Newby. Bought it in august this year.

 

Prius = technically elegant vehicle.

 

My favorite color.

 

Hello Everybody! First post to introduce myself and my new (DOP: 9/14/15) 2015 Prius Two in Classic Silver Metallic.

Long story short as short as possible for me...
My wife's 11yo Mazda 6 SportWagon was about to give up the ghost, she drives AT MOST 7.6 miles M-F and none on the weekends and I drive about 1700 a month, she took my 5yo loaded 2010 Venza and I traded the Mazda in on the new Prius.
The dealerships around me are trying to move out all their Prii (Cs and Vs included), I assume to make ready to load up on the 2016s, so I got it for a song (ok not really but crazy cheap, I mean CRAZY cheap). The only thing I thought I might miss from My Venza is the leather, but I sat in a Prius with leather, it wasn't smooth like my Venza, it was kind of tacky.
I'm no stranger to the model as my mom has a white 2006, my dad has white 2007, my female cousin has a black 2014, and her brother has a white 2015 that he just picked up a couple of months ago. I also had a 2011 Camry Hybrid, but I hated that car so I only kept it 11 months, so I guess I was the Prius holdout.

So the new car...
I pulled the unsightly (to me) wheel covers, revealing the fairly nice black alloys, installed the ubiquitous plastic chrome center caps and chrome valve steam caps with black and white Toyota logo. Also, I installed one of those magnetic steel ball bearing smartphone mounts (I hid the metal disk under my iPhone 6 case and the phone can be adjusted on the mount so as not to interfere with the covered cup holder) and a Carmate cup holder tray to hide most of the black braided USB lighting cable from the under-dash outlet, where I deleted the folding outlet cover. I've put a license plate mount, a thin black frame and clear bubble cover on for the rear plate. I do so hate license plate rattle when closing a hatch.

I have ordered a interior LED light kit, and a black fleece armrest cover made specifically for the'12-'15 Prius, not the C or V, and some nice self adhesive 5+ year outdoor rated carbon fiber wrap to cover the unsightly blue Toyota front and rear badge backgrounds.

I'm getting the windows tinted probably later this week with 20% sides, 5% rear, and 50% windshield. It's not exactly legal, but around here if you don't speed excessively (not really an issue in this car) and, also, don't drive like a knob end then the cops don't care. We've have/had 50% windshield tint on the Venza, Mazda, Camry, a 2006 and 2010 F150s, 5 vehicles without a single tint-cop issue. I did have a Virginia statie ask me about the windshield tint on that 2010 F150 but since I was from out-of-state he didn't seem concerned.

I don't want to massively mod the car while still under warranty. I will lower it and stiffen it up a bit, delete the rear wiper and motor, change out the tail lights, and add a HID kit to the headlights in a little less than 2 years.

Anyway, I wanted to delete the rear PRIUS and HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE (HSD) badges along with the side HYBRID badges, but discovered at least the side HYBRID and rear HSD badges have posts that go through the body panels they are attached to, so that's out. I suppose I'll get around to blacking them out with Plasti Dip instead, apparently that can be done with them still on the car.

I have removed the bicycle spare (*25 lbs 12.8 oz) and tool kit (*8 lbs 3.2 oz) (I'll put these back for trips more than the weekly drives and besides one of my good friends owns a huge, local AAA towing and recovery company), the carpet cargo mat (5 lbs 4.5 oz), retractable tonneau cover (3 lbs 11.2 oz), front passenger headrest (1 lbs 5 oz) (so my daughter can see out better, my wife always rides in the back with her anyway), rear center headrest (12.8 oz), and owner's manual and etc from glove compartment (2 lbs 12.9 oz). Total weight savings of 45 lbs 1.6 oz, effective eliminating my daughters car seat and other bits and bobs I've added.
* - weights from a post on a MPG geared forum, my scale doesn't go above 6 lbs
I've also increased my tire pressure to 42 PSI (max-2 PSI to allow for heat expansion) and I have only faintly noticed the difference in ride quality.

I guess it's time for a pic or six...
(Sorry for the poor quality pics of the console, I use my wife's Sammy Note and it takes terrible pics.)


Thoughts, opinions, pointers, and tips welcome. Glad to be here.

 

Welcome to the club!

You've got some catching up to do. For your homework, read this thread.
What did you do to ur Gen III Prius today???? | PriusChat

 

Thanks!

That thread is 458 pages and 9,142 individual posts! Ha! I feel like I'm back in college.
I'm gonna start from most recent and work my way back.

 

A true Prius owner !!! pulling the wheel covers ... welcome to the 70% majority ....

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Hi everyone!

Have been reading this forum for a while, and it helped me with the purchase of my new (to me) 2012 four! Thanks to everyone for the info I have gotten over time reading these posts - I am excited to be a Prius owner now!