Quick summary on the added and missing options on the Plugin Prius. I only spent 5 minutes looking at the options/features page so please add to the list on features that I've missed if you like. Missing on the Advanced - Lane Keep Assist / Lane Departure Warning Missing on the Advanced - Advanced Parking Guidance System Missing on the Advanced - 17" wheels and tires Missing on the Advanced - spare tire replaced by Tire Repair System Missing on all - Water repellent front widows Added on the Advanced - Heads Up Display Added on the Advanced - 8 way power adjustable driver seat. Added on the Advanced - LED DRL with on/off Added on the Advanced - auto on/off LED headlights Added on all - Vehicle Proximity Notification System VPNS AKA noise maker Added on all - Entune
No sunroof/solar panel combo available on either trim level. IMHO absolutely ridiculous. They did keep the remote A/C option though n
Another added feature is that all Telematics stuff includes a 3-year, as oppowed to a 1-year, trial. This includes entune and safetycconnect.
I have a package 5, the "advanced parking" system is useless, never use it. Lane Keep Asssit only works if the road markers have a very high contrast with the road, and requires DRCC to be on to work. 17" low profile tires and wheels are no prize either, they look good, until you hit your first pothole, nearly $300 for a replacement tire, and the wheels look like crap from hitting low curbs. I would not get them again, if I had a choice. The 8 way adjustable seat is a plus, entune? Meh, who really needs it, with the iPhones etc. I'm saving my money for a real EV or for a PHV with more EV range (no thanks Chevy Volt)
I'm pretty sure that the whole point of entune is for those people who have iPhones. Because it uses your phone to pull down all the data.
yes, I have an iPhone 4, and its still nothing to get excited about. The last thing we need is more distracted driving by integrating gadgets that don't really need to be integated. The USB interface for the audio/ipod control is enough for most, and you shouldn't be looking at the screen (or your iphone) for most other things while driving. They can lose the entune and give us slightly more KW of battery pack, now that would be something EVERYONE could use.
No Homelink on the $32,000 model, . Maybe they'll add it as a dealer option when ordering gets finalized. I use mine everyday, on both cars. Had that on my 2003 Avalon. On a bright note, they did put in a timer for the recharge so that can be set at like between 3 and 6 AM.
you know what? Looking a the specs, the Homelink, Leather seats (faux leather in this case), and the DRCC are the only things I would miss compared to my 2010 Package 5, which has all of those things. I think the Homelink mirror can probably be bought on eBay or the Toyota part department in the $300 range, the leather seats are starting to annoy me anyway now (I think I would prefer cloth seats at this point), my 17" low profile tires are expensive and annoying (when getting a flat). DRCC is nice, but not used often during my commuting... Perhaps I can live with the base model, and buy the mirror, now thats an idea
Nothing like the 1st mod for the Plug-In Prius or as a PriusChatShop bulk buy. Danny you listening? Danny?
^^ LOL I consider any MS software an 'anti-feature.' Give me an excellent BT streaming interface. I could not care less about the rest.
I wonder if we can add the HUD to base model... that's the only thing I want from the Advanced model... and I can live without it but it would be awesome to have!
Agree, HUD and Fog lamps are the only 2 things I would want from the Advanced. Toyota should make Fog lamps available as an accessory!
The LED DRL is really nice. Also added to the plugin is the separate driver and passenger low and high heated seats switch. The storage room in the trunk is alot bigger than the pre production demo.
I thought I wanted the HUD, but I was having trouble seeing it on the Advanced model that I test drove at the Green Drive Expo on Saturday. I had to duck down to see it (I'm 6'0" tall) and when I asked the Toyota rep about adjusting the angle that the display was reflected at, he was only able to change the brightness (which didn't help me see it). There may have been an angle adjustment that we weren't aware of, or I suppose that the final version might be slightly different, but I wouldn't want it in its current state.
Does anyone know if the Vehicle Proximity Notification System was on the models that were available for test drives at GDE in Richmond, CA this past weekend? I certainly didn't hear any sound coming from the cars as they drove towards me while waiting in line. Does it only activate at certain speeds?
The VPNS was on, but maybe the driver had activated the ICE when they were pulling past you. It actually sounds a lot like the HSD inverter, so you may just not have noticed it. The HUD can be moved up and down on the windshield to accommodate the driver's height. cproaudio - the spare is missing on all models, not just the Advanced. And the water repellent windows have been removed from all Prius models, I believe.
Yeah, VPNS is activated only at low speeds when the ICE is off. To me, it actually sounds a lot like an amplified electric motor.
