I have a 2013 Prius and want to update my gps. Is there any way to do it myself or is the dealer the only option?
Dealer is the only legal option. Unfortunately for 2012-2015, the use of the flash-based (6.1" LCD) or hard drive based (7" LCD) meant that the dealer has the USB stick to upload the maps to the car so you have to leave the car at the dealer to update. The USB stick isn't for sale (after seeing all the counterfeit DVDs on sale on ebay, I can see why Toyota no longer releases the USB)
I wholeheartedly support this. I use a (crippled) Garmin and my Note 5 to find locations and then enter them in the Prius, either by voice command or manually when we stop for fuel or something to eat. If it's last minute and close, I just switch to Bluetooth and listen to the phone instructions through the Prius speakers. Given how much the Prius nav system costs, it should come with free lifetime map updates. I'm not sure what the current cost is, but I believe a Garmin (or other standalone device) with lifetime map updates can be had for less than a single Prius map update.
Really? There are people just like you and me who work at dealerships trying to make a living and support their families. If you don't want to do business there, fine, but there's no need to be nasty about it.
My 2013 Prius 5 is my third Prius, and I would have opted out on the GPS (and the headlight washers, which I've never used) if I had had a choice, but I wanted the safety features the 5 offered. The map package in the car was NOT up to date. I've been directed to follow highways that were rerouted ten years earlier, and I make it a practice to phone restaurants and other businesses before driving to them after making several trips to some that were closed years before. I won't buy an upgrade from the dealer because of the outrageous price and no certainty that it will be any more accurate than what I have. Now I hear that you can't trust update packages from other sources, so I'm stuck with a unit that can't be trusted to give good directions, which is worse than none at all. I use my $125 Garmin with free updates when I travel to other states.
Ditto, When I bought my 2010 I was swayed off buying the Nav system for that point alone. The exorbitant cost and updates were iffy at best. Same here I bought a top of the line Garmin in 2011 with lifetime updates and traffic, never ever regretted my decision.
As much as I love the prius... the nav system is...how can I put this politely.... a POS? My Dodge truck has Garmin...love it. My Jeep has Lowrance...love it, my Ford model A has garmin..love it. the 2001 prius does not have nav...use a garmin..love it. My 2011 prius has the nav package... it sucks... (it's hilariously stupid) and finally my 2012 prius has nav and although much improved it still is suckish. Neither of the navs in the prius have been updated because of the update price. When the dealer told me the cost I explained I wanted a map update, not to replace the nav unit. When he clarified that the price was for the update I literally started laughing outloud. Only an idiot would pay that price. I have never paid over $100 for ANY GPS map update (and that includes aviation GPS updates) Toyota should be ashamed...
This is just what a dealer recommended I do! Use my cell Phone! To "update" my 2012 Prius, it would have cost me $268.00 for the "update disc" (Which I later found does not exist.) AND a minimum $142.00 to install it. My GPS decided on it's own to "avoid highways." So, every time I plan an extended trip, I MUST go to "options," and un-select "avoid highways." IMHO, Toyota should have disclosed the fact that a GPS update would cost me more than a decent, brand new, in the box GPS with all the bells & whistles would.
This is true of all nav systems I know of, except Tesla. When you buy the car you buy it with the map version included. The people that make the nav disks have nothing to do with Denso and they charge a lot for maps. All built-in nav vehicles have a hard drive or DVD drive just for the navigation maps. And only for nav maps in your region! Take your US car across an ocean and it won't have a clue where it is. Google is also special because they have made the huge investment in making and upkeeping their own maps. That's why a cell phone is a good idea with Google Maps, it is always up to date. You pay them by giving them data on where you're going, when, how often, routes, and live traffic flow data, etc.
