Back-up Camera

It's not that bad, but the camera helps and adds very little to the cost. Remember that you already have the big MFD screen, so all that is added is a small camera. Don't worry about the cost.

Tom

 

The camera is nice, but you definitely wouldn't want to rely on it. It's good for letting you see when you're about to hit stuff like walls. It hasn't saved me from hitting anything, but has let me get closer to things than I otherwise would have.

 

I see the latest undermining effort is spreading. The idea came from a recently published article. It makes me wonder why it took the antagonists so darn long to think of it.

Now we see the thing here emerging as a question from a first-time poster. An innocent victim following up on a rumor? Perhaps.

But then again, Prius is hatchback. So of course visibility will be different. You can't cheat like you can with a sedan, relying entirely on the rear-view mirror. Using the side mirrors is required from time to time.
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VSC and side curtain airbags.

Tom

 

For someone with questionable depth perception like me, the back up camera is one option I couldn't do without. With the camera, I have parallel parked Fiona on the first try every time for a year - more than I ever parked any other car. I'll never have another car without one.

Here in snow & ice (and salt) country, I do have to wash off the lens of the camera each day before I set out as the view is quickly obscured by road salt & slop.

 

I don't use the back-up camera that much but it is very convenient when I do. I back up using the mirrors and the regular Mark 1 eyeball like I always have then use the camera to see how close curbs and other cars are. My wife and I also use it to do a quick check for kids and animals that might be hiding in the blind spot before we back up.

My kids love the back-up camera. I made up a job for them while they are in the car -- they have to watch the camera when I back up and tell me if I am about to hit anything. I also watch the camera but they don't seem to notice. They warn me about cigarette butts, pebbles, and leaves that I am about to run over.

 

Think of it this way; You may never have to read about you running over you children or grandchildren in the paper. I know its a gruesome thought but you hear about this kind of thing way too much these days and a quick look into the MFD and you know how clear it is behind you.

 

I was in Japan over ten years ago and noticed that every truck/minivan had a mirror attached to the back of the vehicle to view the blind spot. I thought this was such a great idea and always wondered why it didn't become standard in the US. The back-up camera makes it an even better feature since you avoid the large mirror suspended from the back og the vehicle.

You can just ignore the camera if you really want to but blamy is right -- the # of children run over in their own driveways is increasing and it is such a simple thing to avoid unless the animal or child is under the car.