oh im aware of that. that is why i will be getting a Viper remote start. i wont be messing with the OEM remote start option as i hear its range sorta sucks. the Vipers range is much farther from what i gather. and thanks for all the replies everyone! all this talk about the back up camera is right in my wheelhouse right now. im considering the 3 over the 2 for the back up cam, upgraded sound, and 3 door sks. i will not likely use the navigation or the entune features. i will use my iphone for nav and for any music. i love the idea of financing a 2 over a 3, but was really wanting the cam, upgraded sound and 3 door sks. looks like ive got plenty of more thinking to do. if anyone else can provide input on how they like their backup cam i would greatly appreciate it.
Sometimes I prefer the nav over my iphone simply because the voice recognition actually makes the nav a lot easier to use. Navigate to a specific address with just one push of a button on the steering wheel. Better than having to pullover and get the route, or pulling your phone out during a drive while at the same time distracting yourself. Surprisingly the voice recognition has been pretty accurate. The only drawback is that you can't search for POI by name.
Lol, take a look at my avatar. I'm an android fan, but had to get an iphone for my work bc the IT prefer Apple. Sold my nexus bc no point in using 2 phones.
from what ive read on this forum the voice recognition and navigation in the prius is horrible. and when i was at the dealership and the sales guy was showing me how it worked it took him 3 trys to get it to understand him. siri understands me pretty well so there will be no pulling over. i dont find it to be much of a distraction at all. i use it all the time currently and its great.
The issue may be that the voice recognition is only useful for inputting a destination address. For instance, if I say: "Destination...(then a physical address)" then the nav gets it every time. Other voice commands for other features aren't as accurate. But perhaps certain types of voice, speed of the speech, ambient noise, etc. can play a factor as well. .
+1, even though I'm slightly disappointed with the cam, I don't think I'll ever buy a new car without this feature.
I have a 2013 Prius 3 with solar roof. Why I got the 3 over the 2: solar roof is an option (which includes an A/C button the key fob) 3 door sks back up camera entune looked good on paper, but is pretty much useless because I can do all of those things faster and better on my phone, without all the distractions. navigation, but it gets locked out when you move, and doesn't read street names to you, so i use my iPhone for that. the 3 does /not/ have an upgraded sound system I am glad I got the 3 over the 2, and I use my moonroof all the time
damn you are right. its the 4 that has the JBLs. ok so now the 2 is looking even more attractive. w/out the JBLs the differences are: 1. navigation w/ entune and voice recognition: no thanks 2. available solar/moon roof: not interested 3. 3 door sks: would love to have this, but i know you can switch the 2's sks functions to a 3's so not a big deal. 4. back up cam: really want this i think. these can also be added to a 2, but not sure if the aftermarket kits will be as nice. hmmmmmm....
Make sure you read the DIY on the 3 door SKS upgrade before you decide it's something you want to do. I'm glad I didn't have to do it, it seems quite involved and doesn't work exactly the same way as the official 3 door SKS. Backup camera is great, and works as soon as you shift into R. The only deficit is the absence of guide lines, but I have learned to judge the distance without them. Almost all aftermarket setups will take at least a few seconds longer to start up and show you an image, and you'll have to find a place to mount the display, which will only be used for the backup-cam (I find this super inconvenient). One more thing: I really hope the Two includes bluetooth handsfree calling and bluetooth audio streaming. The call quality is very very good and noise cancellation couldn't be better. I can drive at freeway speeds with the windows cracked and the caller on the other end doesn't even know I'm in a car.
If you presently have a stand alone GPS such as Garmin or other you may not be happy with the Navigation display or features in the Three.
OP, while you're still deciding, perhaps another thing you can do in the meantime is try to find a really good deal on a Three. Or possibly find a leftover 2012 Three?
great advice. i am going to be getting quotes from different dealers asking if they can beat the last quote. and now you got me thinking a new 2012 3 would be a great choice if i can find one. searching now
Have you ever used carwoo.com or similar internet shopping tool? On carwoo, you can search for dealerships in your area that have 2012 models in stock. I suggest you give it a try since its a free service. Someone here said they used it (I don't remember who), so I checked it out and met my dealer through that way.
Are you in a rush to purchase? All 2014 vehicles will be required to have backup cameras standard. It seems like this is your main goal feature to have. If you can wait, I would wait for 2014 models to come out and get a 2. iPad ? HD
I have the 2012 Prius II, which is not equipped with the back up cam. But I find backing visibility is fine without the cam. However, in hindsight, I should have gotten the Three for the navigation feature. Try a test drive in the Three and try backing to see if you find youself using the back up cam.
not a big rush, but wont be waiting that long. and did you mean all car MFGs are being forced to install BUCs in all vehicles? or toyota is making it standard all around?