Has anybody here had experience with after market leather interior? I saw a Prius with this that looked really good to me. Talked to the dealer from whom I have my Prius ordered and he said they have a place that does leather for the Prius and it costs $1300. He said it was expensive because they install the leather on the back seats without taking out the seats for fear of the voltage back there. Does this sound plausible?? Is this price within reason? Mark

It certainly sounds plausible that installers would fear that which they don't understand. Removing the rear seats does not expose anything with high voltage. Search around the group/club for posts by people who removed their back seats to simulate a split rear seat feature. Maybe you can pull the seats for them.<br><br>I think the whole point of leather seats is to prove that you have more money than the driver next to you, so you're probably supposed to pay more than a reasonable price :-) Having not priced them myself, I have no idea what they typically cost. "If you have to ask, you can't afford it."<br><br>Robert Snyder<br>NJ-PIKACHU

&gt;I think the whole point of leather seats is to prove that you have more money than the driver next to you, so you're probably supposed to pay more than a reasonable price :-)<br><br>Robert,<br><br>Actually, my wife always wanted leather seats. She said they are very practical because they clean up very easily (we have messy kids), and stay cool in the hot weather (they "breathe"). After seeing what the upholstery looks like in the back of her van where the kids sit, I'm beginning to think she may have a valid point...<br><br>Repeat after me, kids: "NO eating in the Prius"!<br><br>-DanC

I am a big fan of leather seats, having had them in a former Audi. We started having kids about the same time I had to dump the Audi. <br>When minivan time came I said "leather seats! they're easy to clean! They wear like iron!"<br>Wife said: "Leather seats are HOT in the summer and COLD in the winter. NO leather seats!"<br><br>My wife was right about the hot/cold thing, but for reasons I won't go into, I won the argument and we got leather seats. Today, my wife, God bless her, is on her knees thanking me (well, that's a bit of an exaggeration) that we got leather seats. She does admit, that after countless incidents of soda, crackers, vomit, french fries, mustard, you-name-it horrible sticky messes all over the car, the leather seats, when cleaned up LOOK LIKE NEW!!!<br><br>If I were a vegetarian, I would switch to eating meat just to help justify the harvesting of leather.<br><br>Robert, leather (seats) are not just for snobs anymore.<br><br>If leather seats were a Prius option, I would have them, because I like the comfort, and the fact that you can slide your tush on them, in contrast to the trouser-on-fabric-seat-Velcro effect. I know they're available on the aftermarket, but the kids are older now, and have been threatened with dismemberment if they trash my Prius, so, no leather for now.<br><br>Sam

&gt; Repeat after me, kids: "NO eating in the Prius"!<br><br>Yes, that's the rule in my house too. No food or drinks (other than water) inside the passenger compartment. Also, I gave the upholstery a couple of doses of ScotchGuard the first day the Prius came home just to be on the safe side.

Ok, I apologize to any I may have offended by implying that leather seats were high priced and therefore "snob" options. As I stated in the original post, I don't have a clue as to the current pricing. But they were definitely high priced items in my formative years (i.e. when I first started buying cars on my own), and therefore high status items. Anyway, despite the protests on my statement, I notice nobody has actually answered the original question (is $1300 too much?).<br><br>So my comments on leather value should be taken as what they were, mere noise about a subject I'm unfamiliar with, tacked on to my answer about whether the installer should fear the battery.<br><br>Robert Snyder<br>NJ-PIKACHU

EVIL!<br><br>Oh, and hi!<br><br>Leather is natural and renewable, Prius seating material is PLASTIC.<br><br>Even so, I prefer "cloth" seats because of the comfort factor in a four-season climate.<br><br>Otherwise, a towel makes a good human-to-leather/vinyl seating surface interface.<br><br>Toyota Japan's leather seat option doesn't seem to be leather at all...perhaps whale or shark?<br><br>Jeff (Yes, labeling the cars' plastic parts does make them easier to recycle--if anyone bothers.)