I just got my new Prius C last weekend, the level 3 trim level with sunroof and alloy wheels. I like it a lot, but I am really dissapointed that it does not have a back up camera like my 2007 Prius. I mean the screen is there, how difficult would it have been to include a back up camera ? I certainly would have been happy to pay for it! By the way the mileage seems to be identical to my 2007, but the C seems less zippy,but it does handle better.
Maybe it's just a way for Toyota to say, "If you want a feature that doesn't cost too much for us to add, you have to pay thousands more by getting the bigger Prius III liftback." I feel the same way as you do. I have the II, which has the display, but no cam. I understand no nav, but a cam in the back could've been standard.
I cannot remember details, but I think backup cameras are going to be mandated on all new cars pretty soon. I find it hard to believe Toyota is unaware of up and coming regs, so maybe the wiring is already in place ?
do you really need a backup camera in a car where the window is 6 feet from you and the bumper is only inches wide?
Why no back-up cameral on the C? Because the fuel economy is terrible in reverse and you're supposed to drive forward anyway. Just got back from a busyness trip to california and while there we had an infinity Q56 land yacht or something like that for the group from the rental firm. It had a multitude of cameras fed into its screen to the effect of making it look like there was a overhead view of the suv. cameras on all 4 sides showing how well you were centered in the lines etc. now that is something to wish for.
Nice feature to have, especially when you are driving in a large car that can hide a smaller car below window view out back or worse yet a group of small kids playing back there. Pets are killed every day as drivers back up out of garages or driveways. Don't think there's a camera system on the market that would show anything that may be sleeping behind any of the 4 tires. A good reason to always make a visual check around your vehicle, before you launch. Chances are that nothing will be there, most of the time, but better safe than sorry as they say. Unfortunately, if you start loading up the Prius c with every conceivable option found in other larger cars, you might end up with a very heavy small car that will get mediocre MPGs. Weight is crucial when it comes to fuel mileage. I drove a c in town a couple of weeks ago and found no problem with rear visibility, using it's three rear view mirrors once they were properly adjusted. Backup cameras are nice, but they do add complexity and weight. I also read that there's movement to make backup cameras standard equipment in all cars soon. I think Homelink has a rear view mirror that houses a screen that can be hooked up to a camera via wire or maybe even wirelessly. I thought I saw a thread on that subject here on PriusChat recently. Might want to do a search.
AroundView is what Infiniti calls it. It's starting to show up in a number of other cars as well. The question is, if the mirror breaks due to a careless passer-by, are you willing to fork out the cost of a new mirror with heating element, turn signal integration, blind spot warning and rearview camera?
Never had a backup camera, was a option with the nav package for about $1200 when I got my 2010 III, so forget that! I back up slowly while checking my mirrors and looking over my shoulder, primitive, I know!
How stupid is it to drive without headrest? On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the stupidest, how stupid is it to drive without the driver's headrest? I already took out the back headrests, a no-brainer because nobody ever rides in the back seat of my car. Then today, after driving myself crazy combing through the internet for an elegant rear-view camera solution, I was looking over the car, trying to visualize where the camera wires would thread through and where the monitor would sit, when it suddenly dawned on me that I would have plenty of rear-view visibility if I just took the driver's headrest out. But the manual says something like, "CAUTION Do not drive without headrest!". The problem is that I also feel like, "Caution, don't drive this car in reverse because you can't see a damned thing!" with the headrests set up...
uh.. 2? note: i am not responsible for the breaking of your neck from whiplash or other possible scenarios if you get into a vehicular accident... heheh.
I've never understood this explanation/theme for why the C lacks a backup camera option; directly behind and below is a blind spot, doesn't matter if it is 6 feet from your head, or 6 millimeters. Until they make an option for the entire rear of the car to be translucent, the camera helps. I'd say it is quite useful for backing the little car into tighter spots than I might try with any other car. Frankly, I've been scouring this site and aftermarket sites for a viable workaround to no avail. If anyone knows of a solution that uses the Nav screen, particularly if it isn't wirelessly on a license plate border that could be stolen, and could be professionally installed, I would deeply appreciate it.
The C comes with reverse camera on all models in Australia. You could always import one from here...I u don't mind driving from the "wrong (right)" side and paying about $5000 more for the same car. Lol
