Prius and the Ipod

Coastal told me recently that the iPod device is a ways off but that the idea is to mimic the iPod display on the MFD, also using steering wheel controls. That is cool enough that I deceided not to opt for the iPod2Car device, which I understand also gives some steering wheel control. In the meantime, I am using a ProClip to mount the iPod (and my Treo as well!) and the Belkin device that charges and has an output, to which I connect my ancient Sony cassette adapter. I have crammed the cables into the crevices (which I hope is not too bad an idea) so it looks fairly neat.

 

I'm a "here and now" kinda guy...
Got my Prius this month (March 05) and bought the iPod2Car.

I've used the iTrip (static when stopped at lights and HATE that they use audio tracks for programming - can't play entire library because of this), and a cassette adapter (iPod volume must be <50% or pops in audio, and after a few months the tape/mechanism gets loud and distracting - unless all you play is Hard Rock).

The biggest problem was power and audio management. I didn't want to go the cigarette lighter route, so I would try to make sure the iPod was charged before driving - quite annoying! And driving while changing tracks? Not a good idea!! Also, a number of times I have forgotten to turn off the iPod before exiting the car. When I came back, the battery was dead or close to dead. The iPod2Car solves this!!

Is iPod2Car perfect? No. I REALLY want MFD interaction... be able to change playlists and also see the artist/track info. I hope that some solution will do this, but for now the iPod2Car is SO MUCH BETTER than the FM or Tape options (for me)...

Brian

 

As my current cassette adapter is starting to wear, and my fascination with the controlling everything via the steering wheel grows, I've become more interested with the SmartDeck from Griffin Technology. It's basically a cassette adapter but it allows you to change tracks and pause/stop with the car stereo. It's also only $25 which is a lot cheaper than the iPod2Car.


Griffin's SmartDeck

 

by MFD interaction, you mean it can't display ID3 tags onscreen? if so, what a major bummer! i was really hoping it would.

david



"No. I REALLY want MFD interaction... be able to change playlists and also see the artist/track info. I hope that some solution will do this, but for now the iPod2Car is SO MUCH BETTER than the FM or Tape options (for me)..."

 

No cassette player without the upgrade. I guess we'll have to wait for the Coastal Etech device.

 

I moved my iPod mini the other day from one side of a shelf to the other. It looks so lonely in the bag with all the parts, but I really have no use for it until I can attach it to the car, and no interface I feel like shelling out for has shown up yet.

Good thing I won it, or I'd think it was a horrible waste of money...

 

I currently use my iPod mini at the gym. But so far, that's the only place.

 

I just ordered my aux-box for iPod.
It says it will work with the steering wheel controls, but it will not show up on the MFD. Oh well. Its a lot better than my iTrip which worked fine in my old car, but not so great in the Prius. So hopefully after next week i will not have to worry about the static and pops and hisses.

One weird thing is that i get better reception on myiPod with my foot on the gas. I get static if i take my foot off the gas. Hmmmm..... Oh well

 

I like the Vais Tech AIC-100i. A couple days ago I finally spoke to a person at Vais. He didn't see any reason why it wouldn't work in a 05 Prius. I told him I would be happy to buy it and give it a try. The website isn't setup to allow buying with a Prius so he told me he would call me back.
I'll post if I get a call.
http://www.vaistech.com/home.html

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BobR\";p=\"73549)</div>

$370 on sale is daunting. I'd go for the $609 video and iPod unit instead, then save up for the camera stuff.

I still hope Coastal has something a lot cheaper coming along someday...

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(BobR\";p=\"73549)</div>

The vaistech method looks like the other integrations that car manufacturers have been doing. The limitation that I will not accept is that you can only select from a limited number of playlists that you have set up in advance. That is why I have opted for now to mount my iPod in a convenient place using the custom ProClip, which I highly recommend to anyone wanting to access the iPod itself while in the car. (The ProClip mounts are custom for the Prius and do not deface it in any way.) When Coatal comes out with a unit that lets me have all the fuctionality of the iPod through the MFD then I will happily stow the iPod in the glove box.

 

So nobody got the Coastal setup yet? I'm thinking of getting it with the backup camera. A lot of money though.

Also, Coastal didn't ship a receipt in the box when I got my hitch. The instructions with the hitch were pretty good, and the hitch fit perfectly and does the job, but without a real receipt I couldn't claim it thru my work lease. And they wouldn't respond to my emails about a receipt either. Very irritating.

 

Coastal has not released its iPod setup yet, though you could use the A/V input to connect the iPod without other integration. They tell me that the iPod device will be standalone, i.e. not require the A/V device.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cpwaites\";p=\"74810)</div>

Actually, I was asking about the A/V device they're selling.

However, a dedicated iPod device seems interesting if it's cheaper (and if it can show the iPod controls on screen). The only reason I'd get an A/V device besides for the iPod, is for the backup camera.

However, $700 worth of parts to plug in my iPod and for a backup camera is a bit steep for me.