If you were around on Earth Day for the PriusChat Earth Day Live Chat with Doug Coleman from the Prius product team, you already know half the story. The Prius will have a factory-installed iPod integration option for Navigation-equipped models beginning with August production and most likely hitting the shores in September. What Doug couldn't (or wouldn't) tell us back in April was the price of this upcoming option. Today we have news from Toyota's Flickr and Twitter feeds that the option will be MSRP $230 if installed in the factory and $240 plus labor to pick it up from the dealership. A few things you should know about before you walk into your dealership asking for this to be installed: It's only available for Navigation-equipped Prius models It's called the USB Interface Kit. If you ask for the iPod integration unit you'll probably end up with this installed in your car (and it will remove your Satellite Radio functionality). Cost seems to be about in line with the cost of the existing OEM iPod integration unit. It does NOT work with the Zune, but it should work with USB sticks and the like. I'm looking forward to playing with this one! Toyota's Flickr Page
I'm missing something on the pricing. It says that the USB Interface Kit is factory installed with navigation systems. But it also says it has a MSRP of $230. My dealer tells me that if we ordered nav, which we did, it just comes with. There's nothing additional to order. Does this mean I pay an extra $230 automatically. Or is it an option?
There is other units out there you can install in an 08 that work just find. I see see if I can find the unit that I had in my 06. VAIS Technology is the unit that work like a charm in my 06 and it was easy to install!
My package 5 with a t package will pair with my Iphone and will pick up my itunes lib. Automatically when I enter the car. It is available on the audio button and it works as if by magic. I leave my iphone on my belt clip. The phone will over ride the audio when a call comes in. Then goes back to the music. Leaving the itunes on "shuffle" makes my 3 Hr commute a pleasure.
Are all new features now to be tied to nav? This was a major takeaway - removing backup cam from all models and making it part of a $2k GPS system.
Can you see the song titles and control the ipod with the LCD screen or only on the ipod itself? Long commute you have
You cannot control or see what is playing from your iPhone/iTouch/iPod from the LED screen. I wish it did.
Danny, Thanks so much for all your help. Is there a phone number for the Prius Shop? They do not respond to emails. How can I actually speak to someone? A phone number? Thanks so all, Danny.
