We are considering buying a new Prius and have heard that the Toyoguard package is basically worthless. Any opinions?
It’s a buyers market. Get them to throw it in for free or at least half off, then it would be worth it.
Can you list the items in that $800 dealer add-on package?
They are always very much worth it - to the dealer who is selling it.
They are rarely ever worth it - to the person who buys it.
Here is what is included:
* Exterior Paint Sealant
* Toyo Guard Sealant Cleaner
* Interior Fabric Protector
* Undercoating/Sound Shield
* Glass Etch Theft Deterrent
The paint sealant and sealant cleaner are worthless. In my opinion, if the factory paint is so bad that it needs extra protection, you are buying the wrong car.
Buy a can of 3M Scotchguard and use it on the interior fabric. You will save money and get the same protection.
Undercoating is worthless.
The glass etching isn’t much of a theft deterrent in my opinion. If you are that worried about the car being stolen, I would get both Lowjack (or something like it) and a good alarm.
- Exterior Paint Sealant
This is $10 worth of wax and then paying an idle tech an hour’s labor to wax the car.
- Toyo Guard Sealant Cleaner
- Interior Fabric Protector
This is $10 worth of 3M ScotchGuard sprayed on your seats and rugs.
You can buy it and spray it on yourself - very easily.
- Undercoating/Sound Shield
Toyota has already designed a rust-resistant undercarriage.
You will have a tough time beating it.
Plus the holes the dealer drills in the undercarriage to spray
the goop in ends up being a source of rust.
I would never get this done on any new car of mine (25 years ago maybe,
but never with today’s cars).
As for Sound Shield, ask them to drive two Prius’s - one with and one without
the Sound Shield. I doubt you’ll be able to tell any difference - but you
decide.
- Glass Etch Theft Deterrent
I’ve never found a need for this. If you think you want it, it can be done
for lots lots less.
It’s not worth $800. Not even in the ballpark or anywhere near it. It’s really just a transfer of money from your pocket to the dealer.
birdermom; you can buy the world’s best makeup and use about $10 worth of it to make yourself beautiful.
Or you can go to the most expensive salon in town and spend about $150 to get the same thing done “professionally”.
The same relationship hold true for the "$800 Prius makeup! The materials may come to $50 or so if you do it yourself and you’ll have lots left over.
Not for the Prius (at least here in NH). There’s a waiting list for the Prius…
But I do 100% agree you should NEVER buy one of these very very very expensive insurance policies.
There is no waiting list at my local Toyota dealer. I was dropping someone off and I saw a row of at least 20 Prius’s sitting there ready to be sold. I also saw some salivating salesman walking about my car as I was talking to my friend I was dropping off after service for another Toyota Recall.
An alternative is to fight them on the price. Their margins are insane on these services. The dealer tried to sneak one of these packages in on my car the other day. When I insisted I did not want it, even if they had already done the service (they claimed to apply it to every car they get when they receive it), they immediately offered to knock the price down if I agreed to sign a waiver voiding the warranty on the fabric protection. All factory warranties still applied, but the “extras” wouldn’t be given to me.
Then I argued with them over that price until I got it down to what it would have cost me to buy the scotchguard and wax and do the job myself +$30, for a a total discount of over 90% from their original price.
Considering the kid is likely to spill stuff in the car, I wanted to scotchguard it anyway, and $30 was worth the time savings.
The package is worth about $10.00. If it was really worth something, don’t you think every car from the factory would come with it? It is just a profit maker.
The package is worth about $10.00. If it was really worth something, don’t you think every car from the factory would come with it? It is just a profit maker.
Undercoating is worthless.
I would say it is less than worthless. Modern cars come with a good anti rust design. Undercoating is an after market gunk, that can decrease the effectiveness of the anti rust system that the factory provided. Chief example is spraying gunk under the car, which then blocks drains creating a rust area.
The paint can be protected just as well with car wax.
The interior can be protected just as well with Scotchgard.
The sound proofing is useless. Your car’s noise level acoustics are designed and manufactured into the vehicle. No add-on can or will help.
If the VIN number doesn’t slow theives down, why would etching a tiny number in the glass? Useless!
If you’re for some reason unable or unwilling to clean and wax the vehicle yourself, for $800 you could have a detailing shop do it annually for years to come.
In short, don’t waste your $800. This “option” is almost pure profit for the dealer and prvides you with nothing lasting or useful.
Etching might save you 2-3% on your comprehensive insurance. Check with your agent. But you can get it done separately for much much less. The package is bunk, and if they won’t sell without it, find another dealer.