Having seen the recent posts on cargo nets in the Yahoo 2G group, I wanted to bring up the net and mat options that I chose, as they have suited me very well. I believe I posted this information when I first got these items, but there have been lots of new people come on board since then. I'm cross-posting it to all the groups I'm a part of, so I'm sorry for the duplication.

I did get the Toyota floor mats with my car, but I knew I wanted some rubber ones for rainy weather. I went to WalMart, and they had a very nice set of clear ones that actually (I think) indicated they were for truck/SUV use. They were about $15.00 for the two front mats. They fit really well, and I think the clear is MUCH better looking than a tan-colored rubber. The clear ones let the lovely ivory carpeting show through, and it's incredible how much dirt they catch!

As far as the cargo net, I had seen a photo that showed the Prius net right at the "entrance" of the hatch, and it looked like you'd have to hold it open with one hand while trying to fit the bag of groceries in with the other. I found a wonderful solution (again at WalMart!). They had a net cargo carrier with a frame that is expandable width-wise to fit various cars, and it has velcro tabs on the bottom to keep it in place. In its "collapsed" state, it is a 3-sided frame, and I keep it butted up against the back seats so I have maximum cargo space in front of it. When you want to use it, you pull a bar forward to complete the fourth side. You now have a rectanglular frame with 3 "pockets" of net fabric. The frame is almost as wide as the space between the back wheels, the front-to-back depth is about 12(?) inches, and the height of the pockets is about 7 inches. Since the frame holds everything securely open, you can just load your groceries in with both hands. Best of all, the cost was only $10.00!!!! I have never seen the factory net, but I think this one is much bigger and more useful.

I hope this info is of use to some of you!!

Pat
San Diego
Salsa #7 "Gracie"

Pat
San Diego
Salsa Red '04 Prius, Package 7