Trim IV or V?

It depends on what you want. Personally i wouldn't even waste the extra money on the V. But if you really want it, and are willing to pay for it, then get it. If you want to save money, then get the IV. You wont really miss much out of the V.

 

"only???" That is plenty! There aren't that many V's on the road, so the 17" wheels look pretty sharp against the sea of plastic hubcaps. You also get the faster turning ration or shocks or whatever, but the handling of the V is definitely sportier than the IV. And, the DRCC of the AT package is the killer app of the whole thing. It actually makes cruise control usable when there is traffic.

 

x2. I will go further saying that V is the only trim that cannot be "bought" afterwards. This is even more apparent with ATP. (BTW, V also has unique shocks and springs...so, the suspension is unique with the V.)

But, to the original poster, i think that IV is very nice...and definitely the "minimum" Prius that i would consider.

 

Those are significant items. In fact, the reason I got the V.

LED headlights--I wouldn't drive a car with halogens ever again, for safety reasons. I've driven cars with HIDs for the last 10+ years, and the LEDs are every bit as good.

17" wheels: improved handling, more direct steering, and look so much better than the 15" wheels.

Fog light--not a deal breaker, but good to have.

 

To me the V was the best looking model. 17" are a must and the LED headlights are great.

 

Non V (soon to be 5) folks please don't be angry with this comment.

Would not be here on PC if the '10 Prius did not come in the V trim. I may have taken a Prius for a test drive, but doubt if I would have pulled the trigger on purchase.

When walking up to my car it looks very modern and sporty. The wheels and low profile tires do so much for the appearance and handling. The LED headlights and fogs are very nice.
But the headlight washers... I've used them twice in over a year. First, a mistake by pushing that switch rather than the mirror control at night - and messing up my hood. And second, as a test before a car wash, to see how much it messes up the hood.

 

It's a question I studied for some time resulting in the purchase of a level 4 model. The 17" wheels are available as an aftermarket and I negotiated to purchase them at cost. You can get the LED's or equivalent. You cannot get the upgraded steering rack of course.
With level 4 you get the moonroof and of course the solar package which despite what people say is fantastic if used to its potential.
No regrets get the 4 !!

 

I chose the IV because the long term costs would be lower on the IV than the V (tire replacement, fuel mileage...although the latter might be a wash with the sunroof). I drive ~ 70 miles per day on the freeway, and I felt that in the end, the IV would give me a nicer ride.

Still, I like the LED headlights. I liked the handling on the test drive. I like the looks of the 17" wheels. I have moments when I wished I got the V instead of the IV because of the looks and sportiness of it relative to the IV.

But, my IV is very nice, and much much nicer than my last car. If you can afford either, get what you value/like the best. Good luck!

 

I removed the fuse for the headlight washers. They do make a mess of the car, and apparently will automatically go off if you use your windshield washers with the headlights on.

 

I'm also very happy with my V. The wheels and handling are great and I like the LED headlights. So far I getting around 48 MPG which includes one short trip a day to the supermarket.

BTW: My other car is a Nissan Maxima with a sunroof. In my opinion the sunroof is way too noisy. The V is very quiet, I love it.

 

I debated on the IV vs. V also but wound up with the IV. I've driven my LEXUS and friends LEXUS with the LKA, DRCC, Automatic parking etc... but to me (IMHO) over priced extras. I can park much faster and easier manually vs. using the ATP feature. DRCC didn't work too well for my in New York and Long Island where rush hour traffic is a huge problem and DRCC would never be used except once or twice a year on family road trips. Daily commute it would never be used... LKA is nice but I preferred the SOLAR roof with the auto venting...

17" and Headlights - aftermarket... (cheating a bit) because I picked up HIDs as LEDs are not available but just as bright/white and I'm used to the HID's from my LEXUS. 17" wheels can be purchased seperately later on if needed...

Finally major concern is repair cost of the Advance Technical Package if any of the systems "died" after warranty expired. I can only imagine the price of fixing only one of the components! I've already seen some $$$$ repair quotes (dealer) for DENSO (OEM) NAVIGATION units, to the point where people are just buying 3rd party OEM replacement units from EBAY and the INTERNETto save $$$. I don't think LKA, DRCC, ATP, are available 3rd party or the internet...

Just my opinion...

 

i got a III because I simply didn't need all that other stuff. I think it's all in what you want and can afford. i didn't buy my Mustang for luxury reasons, and I didn't buy my Prius for luxury reasons either. When the day comes that I want that, I'll buy a Cadillac Boat and call it a day.

 

There's no aftermarket LED that comes remotely close to the OEM LED. Closest would be HID. The projection remains the same as the OEM. You're only changing the color and the intensity of the light.
The OP being in Washington state I don't now how much sun they get annually. A sunroof with solar Prius might not been used to its full potential.
The solar package has the worst handling of all Priuses due to added weight on the roof and the 15" rims. upgrading to 17" rims would probably remedy that.

If Advenced Technology Package is not important to you then stay with the IV. You can upgrade to 17" rims later, swap the HL bulbs to HID, add fog lights. The HL washer is not that important. It just sprays everything. So far I haven't seen the auto headlight leveling adjust the levels yet. For steering I would rather have a smaller turning diameter than a faster turning ratio. To me a faster turning ratio is useless if I have to make a 3 point U turn vs a slower turning ratio that I can use to make a full U turn on a residential street.
If you're considering the ATP then you should get the V with ATP. There's no way you can add any of the ATP features afterward.

 

Buy yourself an Ipod...and Acura's HDD benefit goes away...and the average Ipod will hold a lot more than any HDD system. And from what i understand (at least with Lexus HDD), updating the map is just as hard (if not harder!) than buying an updated DVD...and just as costly too!

Lonewolf...i don't know...the Solar Roof can have issues too...and just might be as costly to repair. As Tideland noted, the solar panels can get damage easily by hail...and i can't imagine that replacing it is cheap.

Beyond the DRCC, LKA, etc., there is also PRE-COLLISION with ATP. PCS can be a life-saver! It is kinda like an insurance plan...hope that you never need it, but glad that you have it just in case the worst case scenario happens.

 

I'm going to echo Tideland and say if you are coming from beamers, you are going to be much happier with the V. The tighter steering rack and larger wheels make the driving experience much better on the V, and the ride more stable, albeit not as soft. Some people claim skinnier tires are better for snow, but I haven't seen any V drivers complaining about winter driving. FYI, here's a IV driver's take on switching back and forth between 15" and 17" tires:

http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-iii...-17-tires-advice-appreciated.html#post1170668

Also, IMHO, the AT package is worth it just for the dynamic radar cruise and the PCS. I could do without the LKA and parking assist.

...and finally, having grown up in Omaha, I can tell you its a pleasant place to live...(but you might have to run your prius west on I80 now and then to remind yourself what mountains look like!).

 

Their inventory search shows a Blizzard Pearl V with AT as "Available" (i.e., they'd have to trade another dealer for it). Bellevue won't be the biggest dealer in town (probably Old Mill). I once got a great deal by going to a Lincoln dealer.

As I'm sure you've already heard, the Old Market was hippie town in the 60s and 70s, then became quite gentrified. Plenty of music, bars, shops and restaurants. With the nearby river walk areas and lagoons, there's plenty of places to run, bike or hike around, and the country is just a hop skip and a jump away. If you are an urban type, and don't need a yard for kids or dogs, your loft sounds great.

I've read that Omaha has quite a hip music scene these days. Both Creighton (rated very high by US news and others) and UNO are quite respectable universities now.