I'm on my 6th Prius.... yeah, it's a lot, but I own a hotel and used to use two Priuses for shuttles until the economy tanked. So, I just sold my 2007 fully-loaded Prius and leased a 2010 Prius II for $199/mo... couldn't pass up that deal! Here are my quick thoughts: * NOW - Love the metallic blue color, love the dark gray cloth interior... seems more refined than the leather for some reason. * THEN - Hated the leather, seats were simply awful, I've felt nicer pleather than the leather used by Toyota. * NOW - use a "cliphanger" and hang my phone by the volume button for perfect GPS reception, free traffic updates, and turn-by-turn navigation from Navigon app is awesome. * THEN - *dreadful* GPS system... seriously dreadful... couldn't enter destinations while driving, took forever to figure out ST/DR/AVE/BL/ETC if I didn't have it... no traffic... the cost Toyota charges is highway robbery - GPS shouldn't be more than a $99 option... heck if you can buy a full-featured Netbook for just over $200, so don't give me excuses why GPS in a car costs so much. * NOW - use a Motorola T505 bluetooth handsfree car kit... $59 on amazon, no tax, free shipping... and this thing works AMAZINGLY well - I can answer/make/switch calls/use voice commands/use call waiting. Sound quality is great through FM transmitter, everyone always comments that it sounds like I'm just on my phone and they can never tell it's a speakerphone. Wireless music works perfectly - I can play/pause/change tracks/use voice control to play music. * THEN - bluetooth worked okay - but sound quality was at a point where I was always having to repeat myself, downloading phone books was a pointless, needless, awful task... couldn't dial while driving. Voice recognition was awful. * NOW - I like the interior layout, love the little light on the shift knob, the display is neat, more data to peruse and easier to look at it. auto-up/down windows is great. Seems a lot more comfortable and elegant... the only thing that I miss (and I didn't think I relied upon much) is the rearview camera. * THEN - the interior was tan and was just "meh"... much better now. * NOW - power! The car really has power - I love the power mode, did I say power? ;-) I keep it in eco mode almost all the time, but when I let friends drive the car I always push the power button and they're really impressed. * THEN - not bad... but no eco mode. I'm waiting to hit the mountains in Arizona (yes, we have mountains... in fact, 90 peaks over 10,000 feet!). That's about it for now - I love the new vehicle - especially the $199/mo payment... with free detailing every 6 months, full service including oil changes, and lots of other nice perks. Ben
I'd have to pass on the OEM nav system too. You could get a shop to wire in a rearview camera if that wouldn't mess the lease thingy. I've sampled ~ 500 miles on the cloth dr. seat, and it's good. Works for me, no need to patch it up. I couldn't deal with the base audio, not would I want to tear the interior apart to wire up more sound, so a plain 'ole III would be the ticket.
Replacing the stock radio in the Package II is super-easy. I installed an advanced unit which has backup camera, navigation, Bluetooth, USB playback... that install gets more difficult because each accessory is more wiring. Of all the car radios I've installed, Prius is by far the easiest. There is a TON of room in the dash for the unit, and disassembling the dashboard to access the unit is extremely easy.
expensive nav systems: not a Toyota or Prius specific prob I do agree that that the extra cost of the factory nav system sucks (having go to model III then another ~$1800) in this day and age but it's not a Prius nor Toyota specific problem. It's rampant all over the industry. I don't know of vehicles w/factory nav for $99 extra or anywhere close. If I were in the market for a 3rd gen Prius, I too would very likely balk at the price of the nav system and only buy a model II or III. A $200 netbook doesn't make a very good computer, certainly won't included a license for a local copy of maps of the entire US on the hard drive licensed to give turn by turn vocal directions from either Navteq or TeleAtlas and likely won't have GPS either. It most certainly won't integrate w/your car stereo... There's WAY more competition in the netbook space and its components than there are for factory navigation systems, further driving down prices. I disagree that he nav system system in the 2nd gen Prius is "dreadful". I find it to be fine although some of the UI and labeling of terminology and buttons could use some improvement. I posted a brief (and not necessarily complete) list of pros and cons vs. my Garmin Nuvi 350 at http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...dvd-nav-vs-other-nav-system-2.html#post675023.
Hey there. Awesome read. Thanks for all of the information. I have a question though - I also have an iPhone with the navigon app. Could you elaborate hoe you hang your pone near the volume button? I would really really appreciate this! I currently put mine in the cup holder and I don't want to have to look down so far to see the phone. Thanks for your advice! Derek.
I have to agree on the cloth seats. Having leather seats during a Phoenix summer is like sitting on a frying pan. And yes, the "express up" windows are great too.
Another way of looking at it for people leasing . . . The solar/Nav package lists for $4280. The interest rate on the promo lease works out to 1.8% and residual is about 70%. So, by my calculations, you pay about $42/mo for 36mo for this option. The Nav package (no solar/sunroof) would be about $24/mo. It was worth it for me.
