Possible to buy a Prime with the Solar Charging Roof?

Discussion in 'Gen 5 Prius Main Forum' started by maiki, Jun 20, 2025.

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  1. maiki

    maiki Member

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    Can you tell me anything about the site that helped you find it? (As I am in the Los Angeles, CA area, a dealer in the Chicago area would be too far!)
     
    #61 maiki, Jul 19, 2025
  2. maiki

    maiki Member

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    I even just put in solar charging roof, without anything else. The search engine took the word "roof", ignored the "solar charging" part, and showed me a lot of cars with moon roof, etc. Then I tried just the word "solar", and it changed my search to "electric", and showed me all kinds of EVs.

    Not much luck with cars.com
     
    #62 maiki, Jul 19, 2025
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    there will always be more coming in. you could wrap it a different color.
     
    #63 bisco, Jul 19, 2025
  4. Grant-p

    Grant-p New Member

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    Re: the question on the solar panel and the 12-volt system, a guy on reddit did a great analysis.

     
    #64 Grant-p, Jul 19, 2025
  5. iRun26.2

    iRun26.2 Active Member

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    I would NEVER compromise when you are thinking of spending that much money on a car! I just did a search on cars.com for a 2025 and this is what found (2 within 500 miles): https://www.cars.com/shopping/results/?exterior_color_slugs%5B%5D=blue&exterior_color_slugs%5B%5D=red&exterior_color_slugs%5B%5D=white&include_shippable=true&makes%5B%5D=toyota&maximum_distance=500&models%5B%5D=toyota-prius_plug_in_hybrid&page_size=20&sort=best_match_desc&stock_type=new&trims%5B%5D=toyota-prius_plug_in_hybrid-xse_premium&year_max=2025&year_min=2025&zip=90012
     
    #65 iRun26.2, Jul 20, 2025
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  6. iRun26.2

    iRun26.2 Active Member

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    Repeated post
     
    #66 iRun26.2, Jul 20, 2025
  7. maiki

    maiki Member

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    Any answer about the car repainting question? I really want to get the solar charging roof, which has been difficult, but I really don't like the black color?

    Also, I am a little suspicious if that dealer really has that black one with the solar charging roof. Because they keep telling me to come to the dealership, when can I come in, etc. As it is about an hour drive from here, and I am not well, I asked a couple times (in text messages) whether I could give them a credit card number on the phone to hold that car? They ignore that question, don't answer it, just keep asking when I can come in? (Which I suspect is to try to sell me something else?) (I hate car dealerships. So much BS,)
     
    #67 maiki, Jul 20, 2025
  8. maiki

    maiki Member

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    Thank you. I will check out that one,
     
    #68 maiki, Jul 20, 2025
  9. maiki

    maiki Member

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    Yet it doesn't appear that any of those have the solar charging roof, the main difficulty and point of this discussion? Have you found any with that feature?
     
    #69 maiki, Jul 20, 2025
  10. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    The solution these days is get a vinyl wrap. What the paint color is isn't going to matter, and it can be safely removed at a later date.
     
    #70 Trollbait, Jul 20, 2025
  11. maiki

    maiki Member

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    It looks like I found a blue one (my 3rd choice, after red, then white.) (no, not due to patriotism LOL. But I really don't like black, gray, or metallic car colors. )

    The dealer doesn't actually have the car yet, but are supposed to receive it within the next couple days. I just e-signed a contract to hold it. (Surprisingly, they don't ask for a deposit.)

    The dealership is close to a three hour drive from here. A hassle, since I'm not well. Likely I'll take Amtrak there.

    When a car is supposed to come to a dealer, do they sometimes not come? Or not have all the advertised features (such as the solar charging roof)?

    Expensive. With all the added fees and taxes will be very close to $50k. No discount for buying cash, (Which I am doing, not financing.) No discounts at all. I would normally shop around to see who could give me the best deal on the car I want. In this case they have me, since I want that rare solar charging roof, (I explained in an earlier comment why I very much want that option.)

    One other question, community. I believe I asked here months ago, why do the XSE and Premium models report a lower electric range than the base XE model? I believe people here said that the larger wheels on the XSE and Premium versions are less efficient? Also, that it is harder to get replacement tires for the larger wheels? Are both of those true? If so, has anyone successfully asked a dealer to downgrade the wheels on an XSE or Premium to the XE wheels? Thank you,
     
    #71 maiki, Jul 22, 2025
    Last edited: Jul 22, 2025
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  12. Hammersmith

    Hammersmith Senior Member

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    (first, it's SE not XE for the base trim)

    The reason for the lower range of the XSE and XSE+ vs. the SE is weight, and the 19" wheels are the biggest share of that. Not only are they heavier, but that extra mass is all unsprung weight - the worst kind for something like this. There are a few other things that are adding weight to the XSE/XSE+, but the wheels are the bulk of it.

    Replacement tires: The gen5 is the only car in the country to use both the 195/60-17(SE) and the 195/50-19(XSE/XSE+). That means getting a replacement tire will always be a little bit tricky. Tire shops/dealerships just aren't going to carry them in stock. That will mean a wait of a day or three for the tire to be ordered and delivered from a nearby warehouse.

    Early in the gen5(say from Feb 2023 through Aug 2023), replacement tires were very hard to come by because tire production hadn't ramped up enough to build up a stockpile. Almost all production was going directly to the Toyota assembly lines. But that shortage hasn't been the case for literal years. There are two suppliers for each tire size(Toyo and Bridgestone for 17" and Toyo and Michelin for the 19") and at least one tire of each size will always be available within a day or two. Even when one version of a tire is out of stock(rarely), it will usually be back in stock within a week or two.

    The people who complain the most about the tire "shortage" are the same ones that don't own a gen5 and are mad about the car or Toyota for some reason. Or they own a 2023 and got a flat during that early window of time when there actually was a shortage. Or there are a couple that got a flat in the last couple years, took it to one shop that couldn't get a tire quickly, and never tried a different shop. If they had, they would've discovered the problem was with the tire shop, not the tire. I end up checking TireRack at least once a month out of curiosity, and very rarely is even one of the four tires out of stock.
     
    #72 Hammersmith, Jul 22, 2025
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  13. maiki

    maiki Member

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    Thanks for the information. Once again though, has anyone successfully, on buying a new 2025 XSE or XSE+, got the dealer to downgrade the wheels to the smaller SE wheels?

    Is there any advantage to the larger XSE wheels? (other than some might like the look of them?)

     
    #73 maiki, Jul 22, 2025
  14. maiki

    maiki Member

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    PS When I first spoke to a salesman at this dealership, knowing I live more than two hours from that dealer, I asked if they could deliver the car to me. He said yes, But later speaking to a different sales guy (I think higher up the chain), he said no, I would have to pick it up.

    Has anyone successfully had a car delivered from a dealership hours away? TIA Sure would be easier for me, as I am dealing with severe back pain at the moment.

     
    #74 maiki, Jul 22, 2025
  15. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    for free?
     
    #75 bisco, Jul 22, 2025
  16. maiki

    maiki Member

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    What for free?
     
    #76 maiki, Jul 22, 2025
  17. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    delivery
     
    #77 bisco, Jul 23, 2025
  18. maiki

    maiki Member

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    I don't know? If he said they could deliver for some fee, depending on the amount, I would quite likely go for it.
     
    #78 maiki, Jul 24, 2025
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  19. iRun26.2

    iRun26.2 Active Member

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    Maybe you should inquire how much that fee would be. I had my first PHEV shipped from California to Minnesota
     
    #79 iRun26.2, Jul 24, 2025
  20. maiki

    maiki Member

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    Their response when I asked for delivery was that they don't deliver. Perhaps I'll ask again though, and mention I would pay something? How much did you pay for that very long delivery?

    As this dealer is still waiting for the car to be delivered to them, I asked where is it being delivered from? And could it instead be delivered to a dealer near me? (While I would still process the purchase through them?) I was told no, it couldn't be delivered to a different dealer.

    My guess, since I am near LA, and this dealership is far from any major city, that the origin of the delivery is closer to me than to them?
     
    #80 maiki, Jul 24, 2025
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