Prius "must-haves" vs. "frills"

I had a similar decision to make about two months ago. I was considering the III with Nav (it's not perfect, but it's convenient) or the V with ATP. I decided to spring for the V, though it was a tough choice. I don't even drive much, as I bike whenever I can. But when I do drive, it will probably be for long distances in unfamiliar areas, possibly with heavy traffic. In that situation, it's nice to know that my car is watching out for me. I also am a huge geek, so I just like toys and technology.

The only real reason to get the ATP is the DRCC. Without it, I'd never be able to use cruise control within 100 miles of home. With it, I can drive the length of the SF bay without touching either pedal. Everything else in that package is nice, but not enough to sell it.

 

Nope, my IV doesn't have a sunroof. I really wanted a sunroof for the "cool" factor...I've never had one, BUT in all reality I would rarely use it...especially the built in fan, etc. I'm a stay-at-home mom, so my car is almost always just parked in the garage. If I lived further south, or worked all day in an office with the car parked in the lot, I might have opted for it.

Yeah, sorry. The SKS allows us to approach the car while the key is tucked away...reach for the handle, and have the car unlock itself. In a model IV and V, there are sensors on the driver door, the passenger door, and the hatch that will unlock the door when you grab the handle (you push a button for the hatch). On model's II and III, only the passenger door has a sensor.

 

We just purchased a new 2010 IV Prius and love all the gagets nav inclued.
The one gaget on the car that I hate is the back up beeper and so far I can't find a way to shut it off!
Anyone have any ideas????

 

The rear visibility is quite bad, so a rear view camera is quite nice. I added it aftermarket. This moved me to a II with extra work to add an aftermarket nav, camera, etc. I also added aftermarket 17" wheels and tires. I would have gotten a V, but it was an 8 week wait at the time and they weren't discounting them at all. You don't really need any of it though.

Only the dealer can turn it off. Most don't charge.

 

If I were to buy another Prius, I would still go with the IV for several "needs":
- Lumbar adjustment
- Heated seats
- Bluetooth/steering wheel controls
- Leather seat durability
I would prefer to have a better (i.e. "real") Nav system vice the factory nav, but that wasn't an option here in N. VA.
These aren't "needs", but make a lot of difference over time (35k miles/year).

 

The cloth seat on the II and III are garbage. Mine looked like they were from the 90s after just 6 months of use, get some leather seat covers if you can.

 

I just bought a 2010 two weeks ago and absolutely love it. I got a package IV with the sunroof. I personally have never had an issue with sunroofs and have had them up to 10 years on Toyota's and Mercedes. Noise on the Package IV even with sunroof has not been an issue for me. I also only have the 15 inch rims and was thinking of going to the 17s but after driving it for a little over 2 weeks I am not going to bother as ride comfort is fine - also odds are the 15s get a mile or 2 better mpg (there was a C&D article on this point very recently). Heated setats not needed but I have had them over the last 10 years and use them all the time quite frankly. The NAV and touch screen is pretty good actually and the voice rec works well on mine. I have a garmin NUVI and it is noce for travel etc but the Prius one is just nicer - bigger, integrated, mutes stereo etc. I have had zero issues on the navigation itself and have used it already tons since I have had the car (Nuvi interface a little better but all in all Prius wins). Bluetooth is a must - I always used a headset and now having it builtin is unbelievably nice.

Leather - no way I would do cloth - stains comfort etc leather wins hands down for me.

 

I agree. I have had my Prius iv with sunroof for a week now and I think it may be the perfect car, certainly the best I have had in 35 years of driving. The nav works perfectly with the voice guidance timed exactly right. I didn't really know what bluetooth was until last week, but it is amazingly convenient. It is also much safer than fishing your phone out of your pocket and listening to a tiny voice while driving (also happens to be illegal). The two things that make it much safer are 1. Keeping hands on wheel and eyes on road at all times, and 2. You hear the phone call so clearly it is like the person is in the car. So it is no different than talking to a passenger in your car. The sunroof has two advantages 1. It just looks cool when it is open, especially the way the black panels contrast with red, and 2. You do feel less claustrophobic as you do not have a rigid roof 2 inches over your head. I love the car and would be happy to drive it for 15 years.

 

Or wait until they do, if they do, look like garbage, and then get the covers.

I dislike leather seats in the sun. I bought a Toyota Avalon ten years ago rather than a Lexus for just that reason.

For me, the II seats are very comfortable, but I don't have back problems yet.

I do wish I had a better stereo and the ability to touch the other doors and have them unlock.

Talking on a phone while driving is irresponsible, bluetooth or not.

 

LED headlights and JBL are a must for me. I drive on dark highways often...and i need all the help that i can get! JBL is self-explanatory. ATP is cool to have...and for me, i spend quite a bit of time on the road...so, again, i need all the help that i can get. (And, no, i do NOT text because my phone can't...i don't wear makeup because my wife does not want another "girlfriend"...but i do suck at parallel parking....) NAVI is nice simply because of the rearview camera (i have toddlers) and the fact that i have the whole phone book available via BT.

I would have been happy with 15" or 17" rims...not a big deal for me. And for me, if financially-capable, I like to buy something with everything so that i don't regret later on for not getting it.

 

I do not agree. Talking with someone via bluetooth is no different than talking to a passenger beside you. It's as though they are in the car. No hazard at all. I think looking at the nav screen or display screens could be a hazard if you look more than one second. But the voice guidance eliminates the need to see the map. And do you really need to toggle all the fuel consumption info while driving? No, you do not.

 

Some of these comments are repeats, but this summary may be of help, as it is the one my selling dealer took me through!

I was comparing a III and a IV. The dealer pointed out that I could have Nav or Solar roof on the III. The Advanced Technology Package was available only on a V.

So, the question is what extra you get on a IV for the $2800 difference in retail price ($2606 Invoice difference) over the III.

The IV vs the III adds (someone jump in if I missed anything):

• Leather Seats
• Heated Seats
• Auto-dimming mirror with Homelink,
• Water-repelling side windows
• Plasmacluster ionizer,
• Lumber adjustment

Leather seats can be installed, and if you go with a quality set like Katzkin, the quality is excellent. And, you get to choose from some additions such as contrasting stitching, perforation of some or no seating panels, and more. Dealers here will send a car out for addition of Leather, though it may be more economical to do it yourself after purchase. The major leather conversion companies have a lot of colors, and from my past experience + a recent talk with them, have a match for all the Prius 2010 interior colors. On my Gen II, which came with dark cloth seats, I had Katzkin "bone" (an off white) installed which transformed the interior for me. I did heated seats and some other things at the same thing.

Heated seats can be added -- either alone, or along with a leather seat installation.

The auto-dimming mirror can be installed (my dealer sends us to an aftermarket shop that does cars for several different dealers), and you can get more options -- such as compass & rear-view display. You can price it to help in your III vs IV comparison. (In my case, with no NAV, I'm going with an auto-dimming with homelink and compass.)

I'm not sure what to say about water-repellent side windows. I've used Rain-X and found that it does exactly that, and can be applied to the exterior of all the windows.

Lumbar -- don't know if it could be added without transplanting a seat from a IV or V.

Plasmacluster ... don't see a retrofit, but you must figure out how much value you place on it.

So, it can be helpful in choosing III vs IV to figure out what you really want out of a IV that you don't get on a III, and then see what it costs to add them to a III.

In choosing the IV, however, there is the ability to just pick up the car exactly how you want it, and won't need to make any other arrangements to add whatever you want to a III.

 

When I finally got the green light to get my new car, I went to take a V and a II on a test drive. I took the V out to see if I like the leather interior and to see how the 17" compared to the 15" wheels. I wanted to take a II out to compare the ride (tires), cloth seats, and base stereo. I never got to test drive the II, because they only had a III available (cloth). But I took the III out. Later that night, I took a V and a IV at another dealer out for a test drive, to compare just the handling and to check out the LED's vs Halogen.

My conclusions.

I like the feel of the leather seats and the lumbar support. I've driven with cloth interior for 20+ years and like it. But the leather felt better. I looked at the arm rest and could see where I would wear a hole in it with my elbow in a few to several years. The fabric on the armrest was "grabby". I loved the feel of the leather wrapped steering wheel vs the non leather wrapped wheel. I contemplated going with aftermarket seats, but would they do up the door trim, arm rests, etc? Did I want to be "without" my car for awhile. Could I get lumbar support added? In the end, it was worth having the factory installed leather.

In comparing the ride of the IV and V, I like the handling of the V and the LED lights (very bright, very cool), and the nicer looking rims and the overall "look" of the car with the 17" rims. But, the ride was definitely rougher. While it handles nicely, I don't exactly throw my car into the turns, and....well....let's face it, this is a mid size family sedan, not a sports touring sedan.

I drive ~70 miles per day, mostly highway. Having an upgraded stereo, better supporting seats, "softer" ride, and getting better fuel mileage outweighed the better handling and shorter stopping distances. I could argue that the V would be safer, especially with the ATP, because of the better headlights, fog lights, Radar Cruise control and Lane assist. My wife sometimes drives and gets drowsy, having the lane assist would be a WONDERFUL addition. I use the cruise control a lot, having the radar cruise would be wonderful.

Then I priced the replacement tires. I ran to the IV, quickly.

I got a package IV. I love it. I still gaze longingly at the Package V's when I see their nicer profile and nicer tires. I envy their bright headlights. But I fill my car up weekly, and as I strive for my first 60 mpg tank, I realize I made the right choice.

I don't want to plan my life around the 0.00001% chance of a crash that 10ft stopping sooner, Lane assist, or DRCC would have avoided. I just have to be a better, more alert driver.

 

Head up Display (including navigation) is definitely a must have!

 

the 17" rims are a must have. I wouldn't even buy a Prius without them.

 

THINGS THAT CAN BE ADDED 'After Market' to a 2010 Prius 2 or 3 :

Heated Leather Seats
Sunroof
Fog Lights
Different Wheels & Tires
Floor Mats
Paint Protection film
Headlight Protectors
TRD Oil Filter
Mud Guards

So you can also buy the car and decide to add something later on.

Good Luck.

 

Do a search for the latest research regarding talking on cell phones while driving if interested. Same as drunk driving, regardless of hands free or not. Something to do with the way we need to focus intently to converse with a person not physically present.

Yes, looking at displays is probably distracting too. You are right about that. But that is irrelevant to my point. What I should have said was that talking on cell phones is distracting and endangers other road users. "Irresponsible" is a judgment call. In my opinion it is as irresponsible/egotistical as drunk driving. Of course you may have your own, but please make sure it is well-informed.

 

+1 I made a cover for mine. There are threads here with lots of good advice how to do this. You can also buy them aftermarket.