Possible solution to the ugly "Bone China" trim

Just take the white plastics out and hydro dip them with carbon fiber print or something.

 

I saw a Gen 4 on the dealer lot last week. It had the bone white accents and I thought it looked horrible. Not only that but I'm thinking it will look worse over time as it gets scratched in daily use.

We voted with our dollars and bought a new Gen 3. There were too many things I didn't like about the Gen 4.

 

Your going to miss out on driving a much improved Prius because of such a minor detail.

 

I have to agree. The Gen3 was an incremental improvement on the Gen2, but the Gen4 is really an altogether different car. I'm somewhat irritated with the porcelain stuff, but the applique is an effective and affordable (if overpriced) fix.

That said, if you really needed a new car now, a Gen3 is certainly a rational choice. A friend of mine just leased one and currently plans to keep it. I'm sure you can get much better deals on them now that there are Gen4s on the lots, and while the Gen4 is in many ways a better car, at this point the Gen3 is almost certainly better built (they've had lots of practice). The Gen4s will catch up next year as manufacturing tweaks accumulate, but good as Toyota is I'm somewhat resigned to owning a vehicle that embodies a few minor design mistakes and manufacturing glitches. We just really hated the Gen3 interior (held on to our 2005 Gen2 a couple of extra years just to avoid it), and I'll accept a porcelain console in place of a flying buttress any day. Not everybody would feel the same way.

 

how long until someone comes out with a nice burl walnut or tiger maple.

 

Right, I have even asked for Fake Carbon Fiber instead,

 

if it were fake white, instead of real, would it matter?

 

The problem here is the color, really.
TGIF[R-S]: Ten Things I Hate About the FR-S - Scion FR-S Forum | Subaru BRZ Forum | Toyota 86 GT 86 Forum | AS1 Forum - FT86CLUB

 

fake white? it's not that much worse than real white.

 

It's actually a metallic white. Same on the steering wheel and shifter pieces. The black shifter appliqué is metallic black, but the console appliqué is flat black.

 

Did anyone notice the Prius Prime video showing the black cup holder piece and the black shifter piece on some promo pictures? Wonder if they're interchangeable. Of course you would have to give up wireless charging.

 

The white China is growing on me. (Don't even notice it when I'm driving.) And Peter is correct, it has a nice metallic sparkle to it when the sun hits it just right. (I wax my china, and it looks nice.) I also noticed that same sparkle in the black areas of the dash...
even on the small toggle switches for fan speed / temperature / and vent selection. That's a nice touch.

At one dealer I check frequently, many of his Gen4's have been changed over to "shiny black china". No mention of it on the window sticker.

 

All level 2's have black "China"

 

Yes, krmcg, Thanks. I know the Two and Two Eco come with a flat-black looking cup holder area. All other models have the "white porcelain bathroom fixtures."

But anyway, this dealer is converting a lot of his Gen4's over to the shiny black appliqué, or whatever it is. It looks nice too.

 

I bought an applique set from eBay, but have decided not to install it.

 

That's the frustration in a nutshell: it seems a mechanically excellent car, and then they unleashed the sophomoric design team on it.

 

I've got a black with black interior and blizzard pearl with moonstone interior. Both are Two Ecos.

I have the black console on both cars, and the black shifter area on both cars (no wireless charging). Only white is around the steering wheel "wing" switches.

If you ask your dealer, you can get it however you want other than the steering wheel.

 

good idea, thanks!

 

Hi received my kit. Why do you have to remove the console to install ?
looks like it will just lay down ?

 

There are instructions on this site. I think the rear vertical piece (by the console) needs to be removed.