2010 Prius Models and Option Packages

I have been noticing on car web sites searching for price quotes and whatnot, that the 2010 Prius I has an MSRP of 21,000 with an invoice of 19,950. I know it is late availability. I suspect no news as of yet as to what this "barebones" Prius is going to have or NOT have?

 

Has anyone purchased, and is using, any of the following options:

Nav,
Solar,
Advanced Technology?

What are your experiences with them? Would you buy that option again? Was it worth the money to buy it?

Can a good GPS do what the Nav option does?
Does solar really work well, for the money?
How does the AT option function?

Has anyone purchased a Gen III and wishes they had purchased a different level than the one bought? Thank you.

 

Well I am the proud owner of a 2010 silver Model III with solar roof and nav package.

I understand the auto parking and lane assist will be available later in the year but I will not buy them.

I was determined to have a moon roof in my new car. So that predetermined the other features.

The fact that it is a solar roof and keeps my car cool while I'm away is just AWESOME!

I am not happy with the Nav system!
My Garmin NUVI is much more intuitive and easier to use.
It is said to be much more powerful, but I don't see any features I was missing except the verbal commands to dial the phone etc. And even that is awkward and not very dependable.

But what really burns my butt and insults my intelligence is that they have locked out the use of the manual Destination features while the car is moving!!! My passenger is unable to use it to search for a store etc. while the car is moving! Personal responsibility, not manufacture's dictate.

Like I said, I demanded and appreciate the solar roof and love the way it feels and its gas millage! I do really like the smart key, I am not sure if that is an option without nav? But no, I wouldn't choose the nav system if they had given me a choice.

My hubby says we are mostly making a statement about the use of fossil fuels.

Respectfully,
Lucky

 

Looking at the Prius IV features, I'm beginning to suspect that I bought a Prius IV not a Prius III!

From personal experience, I use the navigation feature only when absolutely necessary. I've noticed that it can do things that are pretty neat, such as tell you what the upcoming exits are when you're on the freeway (this is with driving directions off), or provide live traffic data via XM Satellite. It also detects whether you veered off the calculated route and recalculates a new route for you based off of your heading.

But sometimes it's convenient to have a backup, which is where my and my fiancee's iPhone(s) come in handy. The navigation system is quite competent when it comes to finding things like specific addresses and the like, but we always use our iPhone and the Yelp application if we want to explore the city for some good eats for example.

With that said, there's an extensive discussion on the DVD navigation on the Prius versus other GPS devices here:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-prius-main-forum/45668-prius-dvd-nav-vs-other-nav-system.html

 

so i have decided to buy the new prius. but i had wanted silver. but all the dealer had was white. he said that the paint will last longer and its a better color. what are everyone's thoughts on that?

 

Blizzard Pearl being a better color than Silver varies on the car buyer. Do you like Blizzard Pearl? The richness of the BP may in fact last longer than the others, but you need to verify if you have to pay extra for that specific color as well. I thought I read that getting a BP Prius costs an additional $200. Hopefully someone will confirm/debunk this and I'm not leading you astray.

 

I didn't know there was a difference between "dirt" and "sand/dust/mud". The distinction escapes me. Perhaps you can enlighten us?

 

Dianne Whitmire in So. Cal. said that a very few model I's are starting to come in, as showroom models.

 

What is the length (and width) of the cargo area, with and without the back seats folded down?

 

We opted not to have the AT package on our Prius V as we found it not as intuitive to use as our Mbz. I would love to have the solar sunroof as an option.

 

I have nav and would not buy it again...I would opt for a third-party integrated nav system instead. The GPS itself isn't horrible (although it's certainly not as good as a standalone unit) but the audio interface is abysmal, especially for the iPod.

 

Why is the battery charger available in Canada but not in the US?

 

Hi Doug,

I am in the US, and my question is simple - when are we going to have more flexibility in having the Prius of our choice?

My compromises, for example, are in the following context.
1. Fog lights unavailable on trims lower than Prius V.
2. Prius V with no package installed is impossible to order.
3. USB/IPod integration without the necessity of having to shell out for the outdated navigation system (looks and feels so 2001...) is not possible.

For me, the current Prius offering already falls short with a lack of useful IPod integration. The one offered with the aforementioned antiquated navigation system has unlivable shortcomings (such as slow to respond, changes track while scrolling/hunting). Not to speak of the older one that comes at the cost of disabling the XM satellite radio. Can you explain why Toyota could not package a better IPod integration for this car whose ASP is ~ $25000? Especially for a customer like me who's looking at spending ~ $27000 on a new car. It is disappointing that I am looking at living with this compromise for the next 5+ years.

I also like the aesthetics of the fog lights, plus I believe they can make a small difference in dense fog. However, if I want them, I'll have to pay ~ $6000 more ($26550 for a IV vs $32520 for a V with ATP). The dealers are telling me that it will be extremely difficult to order the stock V fog lights and install them on the IV (that I have finally settled on).

So I have grudgingly compromised that I can live without the IPod integration and fog lights, since I am unwilling to go over budget. Then to rub salt into my wounds, the dealers are telling me that I may have to wait 2+ months to factory order my Prius IV with no package, since the current IVs arriving on their lots are with the outdated navigation packages (not to confuse with the outdated navigation systems with no IPod/USB integration)! I wouldn't mind even going over budget, if the navigation system were more modern (3D interface and quicker response times, HDD/flash memory based, may be user feedback enabled such as the new TomToms ... am I narrowing my focus too much?).

By my analysis, even with the compromises, and at ~ $27000 for the leather-equipped Prius, it is still a good value. Hence I wait patiently...

 

I made basically the same choice that you did (see my sig below). You might consider buying out of region. Some areas seem to get more of a given configuration than others, while some regions (like mine) may not get your desired configuration at all.

Your dealer should be able to put in a "preference" for the model/configuration that you want. My dealer did and got exactly what we wanted rather quickly. We had a wonderfull 1300 mile road trip going home, got about 50 mpg doing it.

 

A local dealer (Bay Area, CA) told me the backup camera could be ordered on any model without the NAV package for $1395. But how long would it take to receive a Prius with a custom order?

 

Not sure how accurate this really is, but I went to the cars.com website and they have some info on the Prius I. According to the website the Prius I has 4 speakers rather than 6 (like the Prius II) and 8 (like Priis III-V) the radio doesn't have Satellite Radio capability and it doesn't come with cruise control.