Which to choose? Prius Pkg 4 w/Solar & HDD Nav. or Pkg 5

I happen to think it looks pretty darn good in Seaglass Pearl, too.

 

Yes, I would agree that your "Rosie" in seaglass pearl looks good.

 

Hey Mike,

I just purchased a 2013 Prius 4 (White with solar) and I love the way your car looks, Can you tell me what exact wheels those are? I think they are Enkei but cant quite tell. Im considering the black wheels and the "body kit" like yours .

Thanks,
E$

 

First things first, welcome to the Prius addiction

My wheels & body kit are the factory Toyota Plus Performance Package. You can find that at a dealer or go on eBay. Some sellers will sell the body kit, wheels, & suspension parts separate if you want to do a little at a time. I ordered my car the way it is. I wanted all factory parts rather than me trying to find stuff later to put on like I have on so many previous cars.

Here is a decent pic that shows the wheel color well. The wheels are gunmetal gray. Those are Michelin MXM4 tires. Good stuff.




Mike

 

Does the Plug in Prius come with the 7" HDD Navigation?

 

The Advanced model has the 7" HDD Nav.

 

I love our solar moonroof !! It's in the sun all day at work and when it's hot is when you'll love it for more than just it's looks. The the regeneration from the sun signals a sensor and automatically turns the cars fan on so it at least stays the same temp inside that it is outside.
Steering wheel's not melting your hands very nice addition. You know of where we live, we need it, year round.
Highly recommended and, yes looks cool as hell

 

I also have the solar panels and moonroof and love it.

Aside from appreciating the difference the interior feels in hot days I'm thinking since the traction batteries sucks air from the interior, it could ultimately help extend the life of my batteries in the long run. Could be a "must have" maintenance feature if you live in places like Arizona etc.

oh i also forgot to mention since it runs the fan and dries the AC system after use, it does keep that damp musty smell at bay.

 

I have the Four with the solar pkg and I wouldn't pick a second time.

Not enough sun here in IL. I found the HUD the most useful. The GPS is so so, the display is fine, nothing special. The entertainment system is flawed. Given a second chance I would probably get a basic Prius and install the aftermarket quality leather. The premium is very high and offers very little. Just saying.

 

Hi Mike. How is the ride with the Performance package, compared to stock? I'm getting to the age where I like cushy. Nice looking ride by the way. Thx

 

The ride is a bit firmer but not jarring. I have back issues and it doesn't cause any problems at all. Nice handling in the corners too. I do have the MXM4 Michelin tires which I feel contribute to the handling. I would recommend this package to anyone. Much nicer driving than the stock suspension. I have driven rental Prius well over 20k miles since 2009 and can see a huge difference from those spongy stock suspensions compared to mine. Stock ride works fine, but if you like the stellar looks of the Plus Perf Package and a firmer more responsive driving car, then by all means go with the Plus Perf Package.

Mike

 

drcc is by far the best feature i've ever used in any car hands down. if it's within your means and you drive a lot, I couldn't recommend it more. Especially over a dodgy set of solar panels which are nearly guaranteed to give you problems down the road.

 

I prefer the moonroof I can stay in my own lane My solar roof looks like the day I drove it off the lot nearly 3 years ago

Mike

 

I would think you of all people would know the difference between lane assist and drcc. But hey, hope it works out for you in the long run, maybe you'll get lucky. Just remember your post if the day comes you need to spend 4 or 5 grand to get the panels repaired.

 

I would opt for the solar roof option if I were in the market again.

You do know that they are making the lift back 3 with solar roof package now? I have been seeing a bunch of them around on dealers lots recently.. thats an option and a way to save a few bucks and still get the solar roof.

If you get the Prius W/O solar roof, be advised that you can always get the roof vinyl wrapped with 3m Gloss wrap for around $250, you'll get awesome look but obviously not the solar function…

Roof wrap will be my next mod..

 

Which USA trim levels have the DRCC?

This does seem like a very useful thing that I would use daily as I use CC whenever possible.

Any way to get this as an oem add on after buying a car w/o it? I have a persona and would consider paying for this as an add on. Prob not possible though...

 

The DRCC can also be amusing/annoying. Some people don't like a car staying a set distance behind them (and I'm keeping the longest distance between us). I've had the vehicle in front of me change lanes just to get away from the radar lock.

The drawback to using the DRCC all the time is that it doesn't handle braking and acceleration efficiently. When approaching stopped traffic it will maintain speed then apply the brake more heavily. Acceleration also feels like wide open throttle.

I don't like it on hilly terrain as it will brake on the downhill and accelerate on the uphill. I prefer to keep as much of the downhill momentum as possible.

It will not bring the car to a stop.

The ONLY way to get it is in the AT option package:

Prius Five-AT
Prius v Five-AT