Prius "must-haves" vs. "frills"

My apologies for reviving a dead thread but I'd like to add. Just picked up a Prius III with Nav.

Leather: Coming from 3 past cars with leather I miss cloth. Leather requires regular cleaning and moisturizing to keep it in top shape. Cloth doesn't burn in the hot sun or get freezing cold in the winter.

17" wheels: The added handling would be nice but I want to hypermile and get max MPG. Big rims seem contrary to the Prius spirit like adding a big chrome muffler tip.

ATP: Nifty but gimmicky, I rarely use cruise control and parallel parking is a breeze already.

Fog lights: Little functionality but look sharp. Can be upgraded later to better than OEM with HID

LED headlamps: I really wanted these. The beam, spread and longevity are amazing. However I'll have to settle w/ installing HID's. Cheaper, almost indistinguishable and possibly brighter.

Nav Package: While Google navigation on my phone is leaps and bounds more sophisticated. The integrated Nav isn't bad and is easy to access. The big screen, touch controls, USB, XM, blutooth audio and phone features made this package worth the $$$.

Solar sunroof: Very high cool factor but the feature seems poorly integrated with negligible benefit. I'll take the added quiet, reduced weight and homelink mirror.

Others:
Illuminated door sills: Oh Yeah. These rock and perfectly compliment the Prius experience. Easy install and huge cool factor.
Plazmacutter: What's the benefit?
Rain repellant windows: RainX or wax instead

 

I'm thankful for this thread and all the comments.

I'm in the mode of deciding between a III and a IV. I haven't test driven yet but I may do that this weekend. I want lumbar support. I have leather now and like it but it's not a "must have."

But the lumbar support is something I know I need. I know I can add leather seats aftermarket...can integrated lumbar support be added as well with aftermarket leather seats?

I'd also like the 3-door SKS but to be honest, I'm the only one in the car 98% of the time.

Don't need nav (have a garmin) and don't want a sunroof.

 

Jersey -

Disagree with your comments about the sunroof. If it's factory, no leaks..ever...in any car/SUV I have had. A must have for me, and no aftermarkets because I've read when they cut a hole in the roof, sometimes, the structural integrity of the car can be compromised and reduce safety in a collision, or roll over. Sun roof for cloudy/rainy days. Popping the sunroof open on nice brisk fall/spring days (closest I will ever get to a convertable). Fresh air without all the noise of cracking a window...tilt the sunroof. Little air flow to reduce the load on the AC/fan...tilt the sunroof. A must. But that's just my opinion.

You can always get the 17 inch rims and tires when the 15 inch tires wear out and you have to buy new tires, anyway. Lots of threads here about putting in aftermarket fogs. Not a big deal, from what I read. Only thing I like about the V is the LED front headlights. Very cool, and would love to have, but not a must have.

The solar is nice, but consider it a luxury. Bluetooth and being able to connect to your phone - look, ma, no hands - is also a MUST have.

Finally, I have long commute, and the FM stations where I live suck...so XM is a must. I have it now on my SUV, and love it. Trading my SUV in for a G3 this weekend, if I can work a good deal.

 

I love how people with lower end Priuses try to rationalize...when you guys get a chance to live with ATP, LEDs, etc., then you will see the big deal about them!

 

I never have to condition my leather. It is fairly worthless to do in most car leather. When my kid vomit in the car, i don't have to worry about it staining. Leather lasts longer. I have seat warmers for cold weather. Leather is not vinyl...so, it doesn't get too hot in hot weather...and i live in texas! Lumbar support is a must-have for me.

17" rims bring better steering, better handling, better looks...along with unique suspension system than any other Prius! I lose maybe 1-2 mpg (max)...i will make that tradeoff anyday of the week! How much money am i losing...vs. how much fun i have driving the Prius V? :rockon:

ATP...nice rationalization. Once you use ATP stuff, you won't go back to anything less. Remember, PCS is on even when the cruise is off. It has the uncanny ability to keep you straight on the highway and keeps you out of trouble when you're not paying attention. The parking aid is cool to have for me...it certainly does a better job than me at parallel parking. Unlike some folks here, it is actually easy to use for me.

Fogs...i agree. It is purely for looks for me.

LEDs...it is better than my wife's TSX, which has one of the best HIDs on the market or so i am told. They should last longer too...and looks cool at night. They require less energy to operate, which is why we bought a Prius, right? I actually didn't care about this fact, but you mentioned your priorities in buying a Prius, so isn't energy consumption a big thing for you??

Rain repellent front side windows...why worry about Rain-x when you have this, which lasts a long long time and is zero maintenance?

You forgot about the smart key working in more doors...hell, that is a biggie for me!

 

...sounds like a justification of YOUR purchase to me

 

I don't go out of my way to bash the lesser Priuses....

 

All of the optional equipment for the prius is nice of course. Is it worth spending extra money on? That's hard to say.

$1800 for a navigation system? The DVD-based navigation system sucks and is no match for OEM HDD navigation systems used in other cars. And no Factory navigation is as up-to-date and nice as a comparable $200 Tom-Tom or Magellan or other aftermarket GPS.

$2000++ for a solar roof is also a rip off. Its nice, but a sunroof always adds wind noise to your otherwise comfortable ride. Having the sun run the fan isn't really that cool, and tinting your windows, buying a $33 heatshield on the priuschat accessory store, and even the $500 dealer-installed remote a/c will be cheaper and more effective in my opinion. If i'm parking in 110 degree Arizona heat, having my car the same temperature as the outside doesn't help me at all.

So all it comes down to is if you want 3-door Smart Key, Leather Seats, Homelink, and a JBL system? If you do, pay the $4000 extra and get a Prius IV. If you don't care for any of those things or don't think $4000 justifies those features, then just get a Prius II. The clarizzo leather covers that many prius owners here use are only $500 and are just as nice if not better than factory leather. the JBL system is an upgrade from the stock, but for the same money, you can get an aftermarket which is 500x better in terms of sound quality.

As for the Radar Cruise control, automatic parking, and the lane-assist in the advanced technology package? Very few priuses built even have that. Most prius owners live without that package. Out of the 2010 prius owners here, less than 10% of them have that package. Its nice of course it is, but is it worth the extra money? By then you're getting into Lexus pricing range, which has everything and more for the same price.

 

I would love for you to describe to me an aftermarket sound system for $1000 that could beat the JBL by "500x". You can't, but feel free to correct me.

Lexus HS starts at where my Prius V ends. The base HS does not have any of the ATP stuff. To get ATP stuff in a Lexus HS, you need to spend around $48,000. To get ATP stuff in a Lexus ES, you need to spend around that amount too.

Where did you get your info from?

 

I have the nav only because the wife thought she would use it, and we find it difficult to use and non intuitive. The nav that is invaluable is our Apple iPad and the maps and traffic apps: during the storms in northern Virginia yesterday we used it to get around all kinds of huge trees through back streets.

I would rather have Toyota build a mount in the dash for the iPad than any other option.

 

People are so defensive about whatever trim level they get.

Here's my opinion. To me with Prius? It's so well equipped at the lower trim levels that I think it makes them excellent values.

However, when you step up, and especially with the splintered nature of upgrade between IV and V....you quickly lose that value.

Prius II, III, in my opinion your getting a lot for your money.

Prius IV and V...your paying a lot of money for what you are getting.

Is it worth it? That's going to be a very individual reality.

Let the debate rage on....I'll watch from the sidelines...it's kind of funny..in a perverse way....

 

I'm afraid.

If I get and have all these fancy crack-addict type frills on a new Prius it will just feed my desire for more, more, MORE! Then I'll be cruising the back alleys, late at night, looking for more crystal meth...errr...tech toys to feed my insatiable habit. Where will it lead? TO THE DESTRUCTION OF ALL THAT I HOLD NEAR AND DEAR.

< runs screaming with Garmin GPS in one hand and bluetooth phone in the other >

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

 

I'm used to having creature comforts and power options, but I bought my Prius III 1st for fuel efficiency; 2nd for roominess and cargo capacity; and thirdly for value-to-cost ratio. When it's all said and done after 100,000 miles leather, fog lamps, XM radios and other convenience options really don't add much to the car's value. What really does add value is demand and good maintenance!

 

I got my Prius IV with solar because of the sunroof. All cars I have owned prior to the 2006 Prius had sunroofs -- and I have never had a problem with leaking (knock on wood). I also think that the Prius sunroof looks really neat - it's not just a flat hole in the roof. I certainly don't need a sunroof, but I had to get it!

The three-door keyless entry and back-up camera were something I got used to with my 2006, so felt that I needed on the new car. I didn't have the built-in bluetooth before, but now I have it, it's definitely a great feature. It works really well, and I can even listen to my iPod touch with it. It is so much better than the Garmin bluetooth.

I didn't like having to pay for the included navigation because I have a Garmin, which I am quite happy with, but the Prius nav has a number of features that Garmin doesn't, such as all the different views, and I use it a lot because it's there and I don't have to set it up each time. Sometimes I have both navigations running and it's like a contest to see which one gets me to my destination within its estimated arrival time. I don't have both of them talking though - I wouldn't want them getting into an argument!

 

Yet, somehow you imply that those of us who own the "lesser" Prii are beneath you.
Environmentally speaking 1-2 mpg's add up, why kill a cow for your comfort when you can have vegetable based synthetic cloth.
Tony Renier

 

I basically agree with this argument. I did get the Prius III because it was the lowest priced Prius that had the navi package as an option. I like the look of the built-in navi system plus my wife's 2008 has it and I found it very useful most of the time. I agree that the navi isn't a particularly good value, however.

I really like XM radio, as it allows me to keep a specific radio station while on a trip without searching for something I like to listen to.

My previous car was a 2005 PT Cruiser which had leather seats, and they are COLD here in Ohio during the winters even though it had seat warmers. I much prefer cloth.

I think the 17" wheels on the Level V look sharp, but so do the 15" with hubcaps removed and center caps added.

I was able to install the IV's Homelink mirror for $125 plus some wiring, solder, t-taps, foam tape, electrical tap, and about 4 hours of my time (I wasn't rushing).

The V's fog lights were an easy upgrade that set me back only about $120 and they look much better than the butt-ugly factory plates. IMHO, fog lamps should be an option on all levels.

95% of the time I'm the only one using my car so I don't miss the SKS (though my wife complains because her 2008 has it and she expects my car to behave the same way). It isn't all that hard to click the fob a couple a times and get the same result.

I had a sunroof on my Cruiser and almost never used it so I didn't want one on the Prius.

Soooo, I carefully thought about what I wanted and determined to what I could add myself without buying things I didn't want or need which added unnecessary cost.

Bottom line? This is the best car I've ever owned and I hope to take it to well over 100,000 miles.

Tom

 

Leather, NAV, sunroof/solar . . . definitely luxuries. All a matter of preference. For me, they're all worth it (btw, I wouldn't have gotten the solar if it wasn't bundled with the sunroof). I've read a lot of NAV bashing for many different cars (mostly from people who didn't order it). I have a Garmin and the Roadmate app on my iPhone. Still, I love the convenience of the built-in NAV on the Prius. It's nice not to have to remember to hide the NAV when parking and have power cables running every which way. And, the NAV brings with it handsfree phone, streaming BT audio and the backup camera - nice stuff.

XM? Didn't renew . . . not worth it to me.

 

Well, if you are offended, then maybe you "lesser" Prii owners should not bash the loaded ones. Simple solution.

As for the environmental stuff, i don't have backache after a long travel in my Prius due to my lumbar support. When my kids throw up, i don't worry about staining. I can easily give up 1-2 mpgs over a lifetime for just these two pluses! My LEDs use much less energy than your halogens...does that count? How do we know if the aftermarket HIDs are not energy hogs? We can go round and round with this all day long...but my back still feels fresh, does yours?

 

Well done studies disagree with you.

I was enamored with BT too when I first started using it in 2004, but nowadays I turn the phone off. People can wait.

 

This thread seems to circle around Wanting needing and justification

A car is a car. Any car can take you from point A to point B. The in between is where the wanting needing and justification come in. Do I want this? Do I need this? Can I justify spending extra money for it?

I have to agree with Thai here. The V with AT appeals to certain type of drivers. It is not for everyone. For those of us who own one can justify the money we spend on it. I've been a car electronics installer for 13 years in my previous job. Coming from car electronics and customization background I can tell you that almost everything none intelligent can be added aftermarket; homelink, reverse camera, indash nav, bluetooth, ipod interface, XM radio, remote start, automatic headlights, window control to name a few. You may think well, if everything can be added afterwards why don't I get a II and add all the options that a IV have. The thing with that is at the end of the day, it's still a II. Can you justify spending $5,000 in upgrades just so that your II has all the features that a IV has? A Honda Civic that has a $100,000 1500+bhp engine and does 0-60 in 1.5 sec and quarter in 9 sec is still just a Honda Civic. When you drive that next to old NSX guess which one will turn heads.

The only part of a Prius that I think worth upgrading using aftermarket parts is the audio system. Even then I would still keep the factory Nav headunit and add hi-low adapters.

The options you can't add afterwards are the intelligent features. Even if it can be added afterward, it won't perform as will as the OEM.
I can list a few items that a V with AT has that you can't add afterwards.
Auto leveling headlights
Parking assist
lane keep assist
radar cruise control - Even if you can add an aftermarket DRCC, you'll run into problems such as the radar mounting will eventually misaligned and the car may rear end the car in front of you. it will only release the accelerator to slow down the car but unable to apply the brakes for you. You have the risk of rear ending somebody.
pre collision system

Other intelligent features that can't be added afterwards
ABS brakes
airbags
hill start assist
Vehicle stability control
traction control
keep awake assist
blind spot monitor
I bought a V with AT because I want them and I know I can't add them afterwards. I can justify spending that much for it.