Help me choose '11 Prius please. II or III?

The audio is OK, but the bluetooth integration is what sold me. That is: drag the phone into the car and make calls with the built-in mic and all. I've been told it sounds good at the far end and it sure beats earpieces.
Some people think the audio's good, too, but my ears are shot to the point where I probably wouldn't have noticed.
(Note: Above comments based on a 12/2009 buy date).

Kbeck

 

my 2011 II came with two options not in the listing
1 blue tooth
2 rear bumper protector

 

the JBL audio is much improved over the base sound system. There is an audio amplifier under the front passenger's seat in JBL, 2 extra tweeters in rear seat, and I would imagine upgraded speakers.

With the right sound source (CD or whatever) my JBL can sound pretty well. Decent lows that shake the rearview mirror a bit and nice highs. Does it have booming, punchy bass or audiophile quality? No.

the base sound system is just that, base. Some are happy with it and you might be, but the lows are highs are lackluster and not too much happens when you turn up the volume.

$800 at a stereo shop tearing your new car apart to upgrade audio won't get you much. But, some owners are pretty handy and do nice upgrades themselves.

The integrated bluetooth with voice recognition works well too.

 

Does the price include destination charge, tax, title/license?

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but the 3 also has satellite radio included, I think.

 

That's right, 3 months XM radio included. After that a monthly fee.

 

make sure you check into the differences between upgrading the audio systems between jbl and base. i'm sure you can do both but if you plan to upgrade the stereo then there is no reason to get the III. i'm not sure what exactly flyaudio gps entails but if you are going to change the head unit then you will no doubt have bluetooth integrated so there will be no need to have purchased it in the original. there are a few good threads on this site that will help guide you.

 

I was in the same boat two days ago.

I purchased a Prius II on Tuesday with window tint and the protection package. The stereo sounds good IMO. The only thing that I wish I had was handsfree bluetooth. I too am going to be purchasing a GPS unit and that should add the bluetooth that I missed out on.

 

Welcome aboard! I went with the II because I knew I was going to upgrade everything anyways and by myself. If you don't want to do that, you might as well go for the III.

 

That price sounds bad but I haven't looked into the details and incentives in your area, if any.

Toyota Sunnyvale at Specials on new and used cars, trucks, vans, SUVs, parts and service specials. is currently showing

This above is after including the (current) $750 rebate for Nor Cal per Toyota Dealerships - New & Used Car Deals & Special Offers | BuyAToyota.com.

As I helped someone shop for an '11 Prius at the end of 12/2011 at that dealer, I'm pretty sure their price includes dest. charge and definitely not taxes and fees.

My friend ended up finding an '11 model Three from a dealer in Santa Rosa for $22,267. She got the Piercey Toyota to beat it by a bit so it was $22,060 or somewhere around there. Model Three has a better stereo and Bluetooth phone support.

 

Don't buy either. There are a lot of users here reporting much better deals on 2011's than you're offered.

Negotiate, squeeze, stomp your feet, threaten, win.

 

As an owner of a Pk 2 I'd suggest you get a Pk 3, but not at those inflated prices, if you're going to pay that much get a 2012.

 

Ahhh black, and make sure you pick up a couple of bottles of shampoo and wax since you will be washing your car at least once a week!

Choosing a Prius Two was a good decision if you were planning to later replace the oem HU with an aftermarket HU.

Aftermarket HU ---> installed into a ----> Prius Three = Bad Idea. The Prius Three has a JBL amp that is dedicated to powering the speakers. You will need an additional part/converter that connects to the amp that will offer an RCA connection to communicate with the aftermarket HU in order for everything to work. You will lose the oem integrated bluetooth module/mic, since only the Prius Three, Four, and Five, oem HU and oem Navi HU can communicate with it. Finally you will need an additional module for your aftermarket HU to communicate with your steering controls if the aftermarket doesn't support it. It's all a PITA if you ask me.

Enjoy your new ride! :rockon:

 

The only thing I wished on the II was the III's steering wheel with the bluetooth buttons. But I'm doing the same thing, bought the II and upgrading the stock stereo.

 

I would go for a 2. JBL stereo was not that impressive for me and bluetooth was not a deal maker or breaker for me either.

Consider a 2012 2. It's got a display audio (no JBL) and bluetooth standard. 0% is ALSO available on the 2012's.

Price difference between 2011 2 and 2012 2 was about $1400 ($21600 for a left-over 2011 on sale VS. $23000 on 2012).
2012 has redesigned taillamps, front lip, LED DRL, display audio, bluetooth, redesigned wheels and etc.

 

$800 got me a Kenwood touchscreen unit with:
AM/FM
CD-DVD
USB Memory Stick mp3 playback
Bluetooth
Garmin GPS
Backup camera (camera sold separately, $45 + install time)
Plus options for satellite radio and iPod connectivity, which I didn't buy.

I haven't upgraded the speakers, but I feel that my $800 gives me far more than the Prius 3 delivers. Yes, I did the install myself and I spent time on it, although a professional install isn't terribly expensive. In the end, I'm very happy with the result and I wouldn't have chosen differently.