What package would you get?

I got a package 5.

I was tempted by the headlights and vehicle stability control of the 4, but I read that people love to *steal* the headlights on the 4 (?!), and because there is no anti theft system on the 4, I felt like I'd always be worrying about theft. Also, I had to admit to myself that I'd never had vehicle stability control, and lived just fine without it.

The anti-theft system and safety features on package 5 were what swayed me, and the stereo system is icing on the cake.

GPS wasn't even on my radar/\. Guess I am a bit of a luddite.

 

I've got a package #4 and I'm very happy with it. My decision was based on safety features and price. I really like the HID head lights. I drive so conservatively now I doubt I'll ever need the VSC but I do feel safer with all the air bags. I'm not much of an audiophile so I didn't think I needed the premium sound system. All my CDs have been burned onto my iPod so I will eventually get an AUX Box to connect that and my Sirius receiver. It will be two years before I upgrade my phone again so I didn't need bluetooth. Having the nav system and bluetooth built int the MFD is cool and I would have bought it if I could have afforded it but the after market options are so much cheaper I won't regret going that route when I'm ready to upgrade. All in all it will cost me much less than the $3000 price difference between package #4 and package #6 to add the features I'm missing if I ever want them.

P.S.- Basic alarm, minus glass breakage sensor, is on all Prii. My dealer turned it on for free.

 

Buying mine used, I got what the last owner decided on. From what I can tell, it's a package #9. Had I ordered it myself, I never would have gotten all those bells and whistles, but now that I have them... I love them.

I highly recommend Smart Entry/Smart Start. I love walking up to my car, having it beep to tell me it's unlocked, getting in and just pushing the start button. The keys never leave my waist. It's so convenient. We also discovered that if both my husband and I are wearing our keyfobs, it senses where the keyfobs are and unlocks the doors accordingly. If only the driver has a key, only the driver's door unlocks. If someone with a keyfob walks up to the passenger door, all doors unlock.

Some people complain about the sound system. We think it's the best sound system we've ever had in a car, definitely from the factory. Granted, Joel's memory of the stereos he put in his cars as a teenager are not real crisp, but we like the premium sound.

The navigation doesn't get used a lot (except to show off when showing the car), but it is handy on trips.

 

I ordered one two weeks ago and I am getting the package #6, ( I'm spooiling myself, it's my first BRANDY NEW car ever )

 

[font=Comic Sans MS:4dd4f17649]I got a #6 BC and love every doodad and gadget! I even bought a bluetooth phone to go with it. I like knowing all the safety features are there, and hope I never have to know how well they work.

Navigation is great if you are going somewhere you've never been AND the place is in the database. I find around town I usually know a better route than SHE suggests, but not always. My only complaint with the nav, and usually good for a few giggles, is voice mis-recognition. I say "Zoom Out" and SHE says "Now showing sports facilities."

The HID headlights are great for seeing down the road in the country, where I live. The audio is OK, but I'm not an audiophile. I just wonder why it only goes up to 63...[/font:4dd4f17649]

 

We got the #9 back in 2004, which is equivalent to the #6 I believe. It was our first car and my wife wanted to get the nav system.

I have to admit, I didnt' the NAV was worth it, but we have used it a lot! When traveling, but even sometimes around Lubbock. The NAV lady isn't always the best way, but it hasn't gotten us lost yet. It is nice to have the 6 CD changer (since no mp3 and you can put the discs on random). The Bluetooth we don't use (no BT phone), but hope to someday.

I would definitely make sure to get SS/SE, it is very conveninet, but the #4 has it. We would get the #6 agian if we were buying another.

But it boils down to a large chunk of money for stuff that you may or may not use, it's up to you.

 

I got a package #4, and I am very happy with my choice.

Like you, I am very good with directions and rarely even use a map. I would probably use the Nav if it was built in, but I wasn't ready to pay the difference between package 4 and 6 to have that and bluetooth.

Since I was also leary of not having the anti-theft system turned on, my dealer turned on the built in system and threw in the Glass Breakage Sensor for free as well.

If you have some extra money, I suggest upgrading your tires before you pick up the car. There are many threads here on PriusChat that cover this subject, but I feel much more comfortable with upgraded tires after test driving a Prius in the rain with the stock tires. XM radio is also very nice, and you'll find that there are many accessories that you'll want to further "customize" your new Prius.

All in all, it's a great car any way you look at it. The package 4 was just more suitable for my needs.

 

As others have alluded to, which package to get depends on your needs and how much money you are willing to spend. I went for the package #6 and love it, and knowing my gadget fetish I probably would miss it if I didn't have it.

The NAV doesn't get used that much, but when I need it, it has been priceless. I doubt I will ever get another car without a **built-in** NAV system. With the NAV built in, I don't have another gadget I need to keep track of. It's there when I need it, and I don't worry about it when I don't need it. It requires practically no planning ahead - no downloading maps or planning other stuff ahead of time. If I ever get lost, I say "Go Home" and the NAV Lady ("Prissy") guids me home. Easy as that. I also agree that the NAV is not perfect - Prissy sometimes takes me on some rather goofy routes, but she has always gotten me where I'm going.

The Bluetooth also does not get used all the time, but it too is great when it is used. It isn't the most intuitive thing to set up (I'm using a Treo 650), but it works just fine once it is set up. Having it is not absolutely necessary, but I like it a lot and to me having it is worth the money.

Since I'm not sure what is included in the Package #4, I'm not sure how relevant the rest of the components are:

- Smart Key: worth every penny. The convenience this affords is downright addictive

- Extra airbags and VSC. I like to have every safety feature available in case I ever need them, and hope that I never actually do need them.

- Autodimming mirror with Homelink. The autodimming is very nice. The Homelink part is meaningless to me, since I don't have a garage or a hoity-toity "Estate Gate." If you do, more power to you, and this may be a handy thing to have.

- HID headlights and fog lights: the HID headlights in my opinion give a much better illumination of the road ahead and I wouldn't do without them. The foglights add very little and I could do without them.

My $0.02

 

I would most likely have gone with #4 if I'd understood ahead of time that the antitheft could be switched on by the dealer (I didn't know that until I found PriusChat!).

>The Homelink part is meaningless to me, since I don't have a garage or a hoity-toity "Estate Gate." If you do, more power to you, and this may be a handy thing to have.

I have an electric garage door, but I guess it's too old or not the right kind; it doesn't work with the Homelink system. (Or, at least, I haven't been able to get it to work.)

 

What brand do you have? I had problems until I went to Homelink's website and searched on my brand of opener. Sure enough, there is a subtle change to the instructions in the Prius book. I found it and the printout in now inserted in the Prius manual.

 

I'm not sure what brand it is (we inherited it when we moved in)...but it hadn't occurred to me to check for additional info on Homelink's site. Thank you for the tip -- I will try it out tonight!

 

I have the only package without the side airbags (#2), Package 3 is not available where I live and Package 4 was too expensive for my budget. However, I like having the anti-theft system, and love the SKS.


option code PRIUS AVAILABLE OPTIONS AND PACKAGES

GY Package #1 -- includes driver and front passenger seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags [2]
$650.00

AG Package #2 -- includes anti-theft system and auto-dimming electrochromic rearview mirror with HomeLink® [3] universal transceiver, and Smart Key System
$920.00

BI Package #3 -- includes driver and front passenger seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags, [2] and Smart Key System
$1100.00

AM Package #4 -- includes driver and front passenger seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags [2]; Smart Key System; and High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, integrated fog lamps and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [4]
$2075.00

AI Package #5 -- includes driver and front passenger seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags, [2] anti-theft system and auto-dimming electrochromic rearview mirror with HomeLink® [3] universal transceiver, Smart Key System and JBL 3-in-1 AM/FM Cassette/6-disc in-dash CD changer, nine speakers in seven locations and FM diversity reception
$2190.00

BC Package #6 -- includes driver and front passenger seat-mounted side and front and rear side curtain airbags [2]; anti-theft system and auto-dimming electrochromic rearview mirror with HomeLink® [3] universal transceiver; Smart Key System; High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps, integrated fog lamps and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [4]; JBL 3-in-1 AM/FM Cassette/6-disc in-dash CD changer, nine speakers in seven locations and FM diversity reception; and voice-activated DVD navigation system [5] with hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth® [6] technology
$5065.00

 

Very good, I was going to get a #5 package, until I found out that is wasn't available in my area (So Cal) or nearby. I bought a #6 and have been very happy with it.

I just wanted to add that the Homelink works with the X10 remote system, so you can have the buttons operate porch lights and room lights.

 

I have a BC... for this reason... :lol:

 

Ahh, this brings back fond memories. I'm pretty sure that my first post on this forum was one where I was seeking opinions about package #4 versus package #6. As such, I welcome you to the club.

I ended up purchasing package #4. Money really didn't factor into the decision, as I could have afforded either package. It really became a projection about what features I would really need, versus which features I would rarely or ever need.

To assist you, I'll take a look at the features that are part of package #6, and not part of package #4, provide you with the reasons I thought I would rarely use them, and my reassessment after owning a package #4 for 3 1/2 months.

1. anti-theft system - as others have indicated, this is present on package #4, though it's not activated. As the dealer can activate this in a package #4, to me this was a non-issue.

2. auto-dimming electrochromic rearview mirror with HomeLink® - this feature was one that I really wanted, and if you search older threads you can read discussions about how to install this if you really want it. I have a garage door opener that clips on to my sun visor. As such, the only thing I was gaining/missing was the auto-dimming mirror. After 3 1/2 months, I haven't encountered one time when I wished that I had the auto-dimming mirror. In short, I don't regret not having this in the car.

3. JBL 3-in-1 AM/FM Cassette/6-disc in-dash CD changer - 99% of the time I'm driving, I'm listening to NPR, so I could care less how many CDs can be loaded on the system, or how good the audio system is. This is another feature that I don't regret not having in the car.

4. nine speakers in seven locations and FM diversity reception - see my thoughts on #3. I don't have a clue how many speakers are in package #4, but there are more than enough for me.

5. voice-activated DVD navigation system - I'm a soccer ref, and my kids are on very active soccer teams, so I'm frequently traveling to locations that I don't know like the back of my hand. That said, I'm very good with directions, and can't recall the last time I was lost. (As an aside, most mapquest, yahoo map, switchboard, etc. directions list distances in 10ths of miles, but the Prius odometer doesn't display 10ths, so that did take some getting use to.) I can only think of one time in 3 1/2 months when I wished that I had had the NAV system. I suspect that I would use this feature if it was installed in my car, but I really don't regret not having it in the car.

6. hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth® [6] technology - I almost never use my cell phone in the car, so I don't miss having this feature. However, my wife does use her phone quite a bit, and frequently pulls over to make calls or carry on conversations while driving. She does wish that our Prius had this feature. Call this a split decision as to whether we regret not having this in our car.

That's my take on the features that are available in package #6 but not in package #4. While I work in IT, and normally love to have all the geeky bells and whistles that are available, I really don't regret opting for a package #4.

In the end, it really comes down to a comfort level. You'll get use to whichever package you purchase. I'd suggest that you think hard about what features you really need, and let that guide your decision.

Good luck. You won't go wrong with either package, and I can almost guarantee that you'll love owning/driving a Prius.

 

If I didn't have this (as well as a few of the other goodies) I wouldn't know what I'm missing. Before I had them I felt the same way about the autodimming mirror and the Smart Key, for example, but now that I have them and use them I truly appreciate them and wouldn't want to do without them.

 

You can get Sirius in your Prius with a kit from http://www.siriusprius.com/ . This is the same as one of the outfits that offers XM for the Prius and I have their XM kit and couldn't be happier with it. The installation DVD made all the difference. I imagine the Sirius kit works in pretty much the same way as the XM kit, and I was able to install the XM kit myself without any previous car audio installation experience. It took me about 2 hours, and involved taking apart and reassembling most of the dashboard, which was pretty scary, but the DVD gave me the confidence needed to get it done, and it has been working very well. The XM kit, as I believe the Sirius one as well, integrates with the steering wheel controls and the multifunction display and does not require any ugly head units.