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Prius v and the AT package...questions for those who own it or know it.

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by Rhizzlebop, Nov 16, 2011.

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  1. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    I'm looking at whether or not its worthwhile to consider the AT package. I was trying to stay close to 30K but also I'm the type that will keep the thing at least 8 years, maybe 10 so in one sense it may be better to pay for all the features rather than wishing it had them all long after its paid for.

    1. Really how useful is DRCC? A commute only 23 miles to work and there is usually traffic. I take about 3 ski trips a winter (4.5 hours each way.)[I've had instances where I lose focus on a long drive and can run up on a car or traffic quickly]. I take summer vacations sometimes so those are long drives. My gf parents live 4 hours away and mine live 1 hour so longer drives there.

    2. Is LKA useful and effective to hold the lane? I understand if you let go of the wheel it cuts off. How does it know you let go of the wheel?

    3. What is pre collision something-or-other and what does it go?

    4. Is the moon roof cool, interesting, useful, fragile?

    5. Does the AT package come with a particularly updated NAV or anything? If yes is it actually better?

    6. What else is included with the package?

    7. When looking at models on ex Autotrader, how can I tell which ones have AT? Are they always the exact same price meaning its fully loaded and no other options to push the price higher? Or can you get AT on a v5 and leave some other things off to hold the price down?

    8. Would selecting a color less common like the Sky Blue, or grey or with or without the AT package help to increase relative resale value by it being a slightly more rare model? ie, seems like most prius' you see are silver or white, so those seem like they are a "dime a dozen" to find. But a Blue or red with AT might be rare in some years and make resale value better. Any thoughts there are welcome.
     
    #1 Rhizzlebop, Nov 16, 2011
  2. dustoff003

    dustoff003 Blizzard Brigade #003

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    Thanks Paradox for fixing the thread title!

    Okay I have a 2011 Regular Gen. III Prius V/Five with the ATP not a 2012 Prius v. Most of the features should be very similar so I will try to help you out.

    See bolded replies.

     
    #2 dustoff003, Nov 16, 2011
  3. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    Tthanks for the response.

    1. If the system disengages at 23 mph, then it basically applies the brakes.....down to 23 and then it lets go and coasts again (whereas you might still hit the car in front of you if you arent expecting it to suddenly release and coast again.

    2. Sounds like its feeling for little bits of driver input and if it stops sensing thatt then its gonna tturn off (to prevent some smart ellic daredevil from taking a nap at the wheel)

    3. So, will pre collision only ever kick in if you really are going to crash, or say if your on the interstate and a car cuts you off and hits his brakes, will the system respond to that quicker than you can humanly react? aka to the point that a crash was not a certainty, but it would have been a crash had you 9in this case the system) quickly reacted. I hope that makes sense. In summary will it pop the brrakes to prevent a crash, or does it only get involved when the rate of approach means a crash is certainly milliseconds away?

    4. I meant joe cool, lol. Is it a cool feature, or do you look at it like, whatt am I supposed to enjoy about this thing? ex, my gf was excited about the sunroof in the ct200 we drove. Said she liked hers in her previous car. I looked up and thought, I'll never use that thing because I run the AC about 280 days a year in south carolina and dont want hot air coming in. Maybe the openness wuld be fun without letting in the hot air. Of course if the shade is open itll be a greenhouse effect in the summer. Also, I saw a thread talking about fear of scratching the resin roof. So is this thing supposedly scratch prone? I'm not up to speed on that topic but curious what to expect with the roof like that.

    5. What would a hard drive do for me trhat a dvd wont? Do i have to buy the dvd? or something? I use my phone gps all the time but there is no dvd or hard drive. It uses cellular data, so how do these car ones work in general? Would the premium nav have a better more useful interphase? I have bad vision (20/45 corrected) so anything to help me would be nice.

    6. I'll check out the package features for AT.

    7. I was curious if I could tell from seeing one listed at 32K, 33K 36K, or what would indicatrte that AT was on it. I agree that these dealer listings dont show the options, packages, or even the real colors of the car.

    8. Just curious on the color. I like a little unique things and that would shy me away from a silver. If I were looking for a used one I'd be looking for a more unique color that everyone and their sister doesnt have so I thought others might have felt the same.

    Thanks for the responses. Maybe others will chime in.

     
    #3 Rhizzlebop, Nov 16, 2011
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    1. DRCC

    I love it. Anytime I'm down in the States, it's activated. It makes driving the interstates a lot less stressful, especially on highways with more than 3 lanes. Now I don't really care if people cut in front of me because the car will just decelerate (let off the accelerator) and will resume speed after they decide to speed up or change to the next lane

    2. LKA
    No LKA in Canada but it's a lane departure warning system below 50mph and Lane Keep Assist above 50mph. Below, it just beeps if you stray from your lane (unless you have your indicators on). Above 50mph, it will nudge you back into your lane (as well as beep) and it will go around long sweeping corners on the highway. It makes long drives more relaxing.

    3. PCS
    There's 3 parts to this on our car - Pre-Collision Brake, Pre-Collision Braking and Pre-Collision Seatbelts.

    Pre-Collision Brake primes the brakes by bringing the pads a bit closer and readying ABS and Brake Assist if it detects an emergency stop (sudden release of the accelerator and sudden application of the brake pedal).

    Pre-Collision Braking is when a collision is imminent and you haven't responded to the beeps and the flashing "BRAKE!" message. It will brake up to a threshold (I forget but it's at least 50% or more) to minimise collision damage. It will not come to a full stop like it's more advanced brother found on Lexus models. It is used to minimise damage and hopefully repair costs and the force of impact on your body. This part of PCS can be turned off via a switch (and the PCS light will illuminate)

    Pre-Collision seatbelts. This uses an electric motor to retract the seatbelts to keep you in position if it detects an emergency situation (again, quick release of accelerator and application of brakes) above 60km/h. A crash does NOT have to be imminent for this to work. I've had it come on twice unintentionally (one was me braking suddenly when the car in front stopped and another was when someone changed into my lane and I just tapped the brakes but I released the accelerator quick enough that it pulled the seatbelts back). It's pretty cool and you don't even notice it happened until afterwards when you hear the electric motor whirl release the tension on the seatbelts.

    PCS is always active. It's like an unseen hand looking out for you. A good safety feature imo, especially the seatbelt part since the ELR doesn't react fast enough imo and you tend to be leaning forward by the time ELR kicks in and holds you back. PCS seatbelts keeps you in the proper position when you brake so that you can steer.

    4. Moonroof

    It's a nice feature to make the cabin airier and brighter. It does have heat resistant properties and power adjustable sunshade. The "cool" factor is that it's lighter than a steel roof so you're saving weight and lowering the centre of gravity of the vehicle. The downside is that it's fixed and cannot be opened.

    5. AT Pkg Nav

    A HDD system will respond faster than a disc-based system (though I believe the regular Display Audio navigation system is flash-based). You get a larger, higher resolution 7" screen with split-screen capability. You have the ability to have the navigation screen and share it with a hybrid screen (like the Consumption Screen) or an Audio screen among other things. It has DVD playback capabalities and you get the greener, leaner JBL GreenEdge speakers that use less energy and weigh less.

    I think you do get projection lines with the backup camera on the 7" screen but don't quote me on that.

    6. Rest of AT Pkg

    Well APGS is a cool toy. It's a party trick you can show at dinner parties or to your neighbours - "Look 'ma! no hands!". Yes, you can park faster but it's nice to have the car park itself at work while I gather my things in preparation for disembarkment.

    Safety Connect is a subscription-based service like OnStar that provides stolen vehicle locator services, automatic collision notification and roadside assistance among other things. First year is free

    Entune will include XM services such as traffic, weather, sports and stocks. Display Audio traffic is through RDS-TMC I believe.

    7. How to tell

    Look for two things - the panoramic moonroof and the parking sensors at the corners of the front bumper for the Advanced Parking Guidance System.

    8. Colour

    There's a reason why there's a lot of silver ones - it's the easiest to sell. It's the least offensive colour (most people like silver and even those that hate it will probably take it as a last resort if no other colour is available. If it was any other colour, it would be crossed off the list if the person hated it, even if it was the last one available).

    I'd just take the colour that you like or the one that fits the car's shape the best. My smart fortwo was black w/ silver tridion cell. I would never own a black car but the black smart with contrasting silver tridion cell looked good, hid all the unpainted plastic parts (like the handle and the lower bumper bits) and the black wasn't painted! (moulded-in plastic colour) so I didn't have to worry about scratches when I washed it.
     
    #4 Tideland Prius, Nov 17, 2011
  5. parnami

    parnami Member

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    We don't seem to get the package with Lane Keep Assist in the Philly area. I just assumed it wasn't available on the v. It's a feature I would like to have IF I sprung for the Adanced Technology Package. In what areas of the country can you get it? It just might be worthwhile taking a trip to obtain.
     
    #5 parnami, Nov 17, 2011
  6. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    Tideland, thank you for those very good and thorough answers.

    IN regards to # 7, I know that if you see the moom roof that it has the AT package as they come together.

    I meant, when looking online at dealer sites and autotrader they do not list the options and accessories, just the color and sticker price and throw in a stock photo, not the actual car.

    I am wondering if I can tell for sure which ones have AT package on em by the price. In 100 miles of Columbia SC I only see 1 listed at 37K+ so I assume that one has it. Though I think it can be had for the low 36s.

    Maybe less? I do not know. I'm referring to MSRP only here. I fully plan to haggle my guts out to get down towards 34K range even if it means waiting a bit.

    Any idea if a car this popular might get some promotions going on during december toyotathon type thing? Either in cash rebate or in financing promo? Or is that pretty unusual for a brand new model that is selling well?
     
    #6 Rhizzlebop, Nov 17, 2011
  7. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    DRCC: I use it frequently and it works very well, I miss it when I drive other vehicles.

    LKA: I use it occasionally, usually on long trips in the warm afternoon when I feel as if I could get sleepy. Mine does not work well at night, in fact it usually doesn't work at all after dark but it works as advertised in the daylight.

    PCS: It's nice knowing you have it and I hope I never find out if it works or not.

    IPA: Piece of junk, serves no useful function.

    The nav system on my 2010 Prius V is the same as everyone else who bought one that year has. I only have it because I had to buy it to get the AT package. A Garmin is much better, the only advantage to the Toyota nav system is that it is built in.
     
    #7 tumbleweed, Nov 17, 2011
  8. dustoff003

    dustoff003 Blizzard Brigade #003

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    Much respect to Tideland Prius for is good responses.

    Here is my two cents again..

    1. Yes the DRCC braking will disengage thus coasting prior when it cuts out the car beeps at you letting you know that you should be braking. You will need to continue to stop the rest of the way yourself. If I recall correctly this deceleration functionality will only work if the detected object is moving also, I do not believe that the system recognizes stopped or immobile vehicles.

    2. Correct

    3. Mostly correct there are some instances where the PCS may activate due to a false or confusing indication from things like uneven pavement or bridge expansion joints. It has happen to me and it happens very quickly when car brakes and tightens the seatbelts then quickly realizes there is no hazard and goes back to normal.

    4. Tideland got this one right on the money.

    5. Props. to TP once again. I really don't know or could explain which is better or worse or why that is.

    I second the others comments on the Integrated Parking Assist (IPA) pre 2011 nomenclature or the Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) 2011+ name. I don't think that it is totally useless but it is a more of a party trick. When I remember I do use it but I do not reverse park or parallel park that often. It has two modes Guidance mode and I guess it could be called non guidance mode. Guidance mode requires more detailed set up and for the car to survey the parking spot it takes longer. Non guidance mode is where the car does not survey the spot and you approve the final destination and then the car parks itself there. The non guidance mode is faster because you to not have to scan the parking spot with the sensor system. Guidance mode needs two parked cars to figure where to park itself if there are no cars you would have to use non guidance mode.
     
    #8 dustoff003, Nov 17, 2011
  9. pvogel

    pvogel '05 Five & '12 v

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    1. The system DOES recognize stopped/immobile vehicles and brakes HARD, beeping at you that it's going to need you to take over quickly.

    2. The v's ATP does NOT have LKA

    3. The place I most notice it getting confused is at a sharp left turn in the highway when I'm in the left lane making the turn and there's a very slow truck in the right lane, the radar doesn't realize there's a turn coming and so assumes you are running headlong into a large object that doesn't appear to be moving.

    4. Agree with Tideland, other downside is that you are supposed to be gentle with it to avoid scratching the resin, and I know of no way to get the guys at a car wash to understand that -- having said that, it got thoroughly brushed by two guys at a car wash and came away with no scratches.

    5. Mu buddy has a v without the ATP, so I've been able to side-by-side compare the two -- .5 inches isn't that much of a difference, but the display is much higher resolution and the nav system is much faster and more responsive on my ATP vs. my buddy's non-ATP. I wouldn't get the ATP for this alone, but I would (and did) for the DRCC alone. I've occasionally been surprised at the route choices the Nav made, but my buddy's made the same. I actually like it better than a Garmin or TomTom, though it only tells you about traffic, I haven't seen it offer to reroute around it yet.

    Peter+
     
    #9 pvogel, Nov 17, 2011
  10. dustoff003

    dustoff003 Blizzard Brigade #003

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    Okay let me say again I have 2011 Regular old Prius V/Five with the ATP.
    I realize the OP was curious with regard to the Prius v's ATP features. Lets make sure we are both talking about the DRCC not the PCS right. I am going to quote my owners manual for my vehicle yours may be different. I would post a PDF copy but I can't get one from toyota.com because my VIN is not a Continental U.S. VIN. Okay this is from my manual pg. 232 covering the DRCC.

    "When the sensor may not be correctly detecting the vehicle ahead

    Apply the brakes as necessary when any of the following types of vehicles are in front of you.
    As the sensor may not be able to correctly detect these types of vehicles, the approach warning (->P. 230) will not be activated, and a fatal or serious accident may result.

    Vehicles that cut in suddenly
    Vehicles traveling at low speeds
    Vehicles that are not moving
    Vehicles with small rear ends (trailers with no load on board etc.)
    Motorcycles traveling in the same lane"


    I would think the Prius v manual says something very similar? Would circumstance three (Vehicles that are not moving) would meet my claims that the DRCC may not recognize stopped or immobile vehicles? Could you let us know what the Prius v owners manual says please, before someone reads bad information and acts on it possibly resulting in a fatal or serious accident.

    Mahalo.
     
    #10 dustoff003, Nov 18, 2011
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Thanks guys. I'm flattered :)

    I'm with dustoff003 in that I think you're referring to PCS and not DRCC.

    DRCC will not slow for stationary objects (for all it knows, you could be entering a curve with those metal barriers on the outside of the curve. You wouldn't want DRCC to sudden brake because it saw those barriers, would you?).

    PCS will engage PCS braking at the absolute last second (and you will still hit the object but hopefully at a much slower speed)
     
    #11 Tideland Prius, Nov 20, 2011
  12. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    Ttideland, is pvogal correct that the prius v with ATP does NOT have LKA? So it'll do nothing in regards to warnings about your lane position, norr nudge your wheel between the lines? That just doesnt seem right cause everything I read indicates its on there.
     
    #12 Rhizzlebop, Nov 20, 2011
  13. Chazz8

    Chazz8 Gadget Lover

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    I just re-checked my Prius v 2012 brochure (also now available online at Toyota.com) and there is no mention of LKA anywhere. I had to check myself when my salesperson had mentioned how my on route new Prius v would have problems with the LKA when there is snow on the ground. But it turns out that LKA is not available on the Prius v. I just thought it was more "taking the best of gen 2 and gen 3 features". It will be fun to read the comments about the usefulness and likability of LKA here on PriusChat.
     
    #13 Chazz8, Nov 20, 2011
  14. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    So, if I get this straight, there is no form of lka on these v5 with ATP? Thats some junk. So if i spring for the premium package and I dont care for the parking helper, then basically I'm getting the radar cruise, and a better nav and a moon roof. Tthatts it? Tthey took the LWD and LKA completely out? I can only think it must nott have worked very well if they removed it.
     
    #14 Rhizzlebop, Nov 20, 2011
  15. parnami

    parnami Member

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    I'm thinking the same thing: there must have been some sort of problem/confusion with them. Their elimination made it easier to uncheck the Advanced Techonology Package as a desired option, saving a quick $5,000. when I finally do buy my v!

    ​
     
    #15 parnami, Nov 20, 2011
  16. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    I just looked at toyota.com again at the details of the AT package and it sure doesnt mention the lane keep assist. Tthat is mega disappointing. the radar cruise looks very sweet, but the idea of a system giving me a little help if I got sleepy during a drive to wake me before i crossed over a line was VERRY appealing. Not sure how excited I am for a 5,000 dollar radar cruise feature.
     
    #16 Rhizzlebop, Nov 20, 2011
  17. parnami

    parnami Member

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    I think a revised name is also called for. Perhaps: NOT SO Advanced Technology Package.
     
    #17 parnami, Nov 20, 2011
  18. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    I know, I'm feeling quite deflated about the v right now.
     
    #18 Rhizzlebop, Nov 20, 2011
  19. parnami

    parnami Member

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    I wouldn't be. For 27-30K, you get one hell of a lot of car even if it lacks the ATP.
     
    #19 parnami, Nov 20, 2011
  20. Rhizzlebop

    Rhizzlebop Member

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    Tthis is true, but I was really selling myself on the upgraded cruise control and the safer lane holding system. I like making short weekend ski trips in the winter and you can get sleepy on that 4 hour drive. Anything to help keep me alert sounds nice. Now I learn it doesnt even have that feature.
     
    #20 Rhizzlebop, Nov 20, 2011
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