Rear camera necessity? New purchase help!

We have a 2005 without a rear camera, and a 2006 with a rear camera. So yes, it has posed a $500 bumper repair for the 2005, due to just touching a little post sticking out of the ground. (The fine print of the marriage contract also prohibit me from stating who was driving at the time.) Also, if you read the papers, it seems somebody somewhere runs over a child on a daily basis. Which is outrageous since the cameras could have been installed on every vehicle for a couple hundred dollars more. Of course, if you don't have little children running around people might say it isn't as necessary, but many times backing out from a parking place it will let me easily see somebody walking up to the car oblivious to thinking I'm going to be backing out because of course the car is silent and they don't know it can still move.

I do think it is possible to put a back-up camera on a non-back-up camera Prius, but I haven't checked into the prices.

 

I was new to a prius and had a perception problem with the distance. I installed a rearview mirror with a backup camera, it was amazing! (Gentex auto dim) I think it is def worth getting a back up camera. Look in the forums, they posted pics of the rearview backup camera.

 

I had an '04 with no camera. I got use to using the mirrors while backing. Now I have an '09 with a backup camera. I still use the mirrors and hardly ever look at the MFD when backing. It's all in what you get use to.

 

same here, but i should probably make more effort to use it in case a kid is behind me and i can't see them if they are below the window.

 

It's pretty common to not have the back-up camera. I'm not sure what packages included it, but my 2006 does not have the camera.

I've never had a problem, but I've had lots of experience with backing up and know how to judge distances, etc. I also always turn my head and look when backing into the driveway so I can see if one of the neighbor girls is walking anywhere nearby. Your backup camera won't be able to see that.

 

NO BACKUP CAMERA?! You must be kidding, the average adult before the introduction of backup cameras had run over 12 children by the age of 45. MUST HAVE!

Actually I don't have one. Who really cares? Do you need a parallel parking and lane assist, too?

 

My 2004 has a couple of sensors mounted to the rear bumper, whose purpose is to detect nearby objects. Aural warning is provided via a beeper device mounted to the roof headliner. This was an aftermarket installation by the selling Toyota dealer, and works quite well.

My 2007 has the backup camera but I mostly ignore it.

 

I do not think it is necessary for most drivers and situations but I can see where it could be helpful. That being said, it would not even be on my list of wanted options if I were purchasing a new Prius. Some people LOVE their backup camera though so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

 

the thing is, it's difficult to look over your shoulder and at the screen at the same time. but a look at the screen to make sure no one is there before you start to back up doesn't hurt. but my father taught me to walk around the car before getting in and i've never forgotten that.

 

My model did not have a backup camera, but my wife wanted one, so we fitted an after market camera attached to the rearview mirror.

Like any car, you need to get used to the blind spots and change the way you look out when reversing to minimise the effect of those blind spots. Having a camera helps, but I do not find it a must have.

I find that in some situations, the camera is useful, especially when squeezing into a tight parallel park situation, but I could just as easily do without it. One of the problems with the screen on the rearview mirror is that on a bright day, you cannot see the screen, so the camera is useless in this situation. As a result of this, my wife rarely uses the camera - she thinks that it is not as useful as she thought it would be.

 

I look over my shoulder (the old fashioned way) during the first 95% of backing up into a parking space, then I use my back up camera to finish up at a precise spot. Works great!

 

I have the camera and rarely use it - I just trust looking over my shoulder far more. It is nice every once in a while when I have to get in and out of a tight spot, but I would not really miss it much.

 

The 05 Prius brochure that I still have doesn't list an option for a rear camera for any option package, or as an optional accessory. The backup camera became available on the 06 and newer when the hi-res MFD was introduced. The replacement mirror and camera mentioned in an earlier reply sounds like a good idea for you.

 

I did the same on all my Prii. The backup sensors are nicer than the backup cam HOWEVER while I don't use the cam for backing up there have been more than a few times backing out in a tight spot while between a van and a truck that the backup cam allowed me to peek around the corner where I couldn't see backing up. Also once you get use to where you are looking at in the backup cam I can backup to within inches of a pole without hitting it. It's a plus to have it.

 

speaking of backup camera, i don't understand why people would like to have a backup camera that is only visible when the driver is facing the front. If I can change the design and not worry about cost, i would rather make the screen hidden in the roof headliner, behind the rear seats, and unfold whenever I put my car in reverse.

(Unfold like those little tv screens in not-too-new planes that unfolds to show you the safety video and in-flight movies)

 

I like my backup camera, and use it almost every time I back up. That said, it's not essential, and I could easily get by without it.

From my perspective, the backup camera provides a quick check that nothing is directly behind the car but below the window, and it also helps greatly when backing up to a wall or parked car. I also find it handy when backing up to our small trailer, but that's not an issue if you don't pull a trailer.

Tom