Is the car's Bluetooth interface worth the effort?

[Armature]

The quality isn't great, but that's OK. The safety factor is most important (and I don't look like the dumbasses on the road jabbering into their handsets).

It's been said that talking on a cell phone makes you "drive like your grandmother". I've found that doesn't happen with the Bluetooth interface.

Count me as a fan!

David

[Salsawonder]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ceric @ Mar 28 2006, 08:27 AM) [snapback]231393[/snapback]</div>

The main advantage of Bluetooth is not sound quality nor your own convenience. It is about safety. Any kind of hand-free devices free your hands from handling the phone while driving on the road. That is safety for everyone near you, including yourself. Besides, the bluetooth also tunes down the volumn of stereo automatically so you wouldn't miss any calls even when your music is loud.
[/b]

I agree, safety is the best but I usually have the music on loud and it is nice to have it automatically mute so I don't miss so many calls (one more thing that you don't have to do while trying to answer your handheld phone and driving and drinking your coffee while reading the paper....)

[DocToss]

I love it.

[hdrygas]

OK I think it is great. The quality depends on the phone. That is based on owing two different phones. The Treo works better. Verizon will not let you access the phone book and now that I have it I love the one touch. I have had real (no headset) hands free for 8 years. I paid almost $400, including installation to have it in my car 8 years ago mainly because of the 3 watt booster. I do not use it a lot but when I do it is for emergent situations. Being able to talk to the hospital while I am driving in an emergency is beyond priceless. I can get information, give orders, get things set up so we are good to go when I get there. Not everyone needs that. At the least having your hands on the wheel when you "need" not "want" to make a phone call. I am a total supporter of hands free. The Bluetooth saves me from having someone install something in my car.

[RolandB]

I have a Tracfone which DOES not have Bluetooth as I am not much of a cell phone user I am not tied to the phone plans being offered by the major cell phone companies I have a Tracfone which does not offer a bluetooth. I ma thinking of getting a T-Mobile pay as you go phone its a Motorola V195 T-Mobile To Go which has bluetooth can anyone guide me as I make this decision

[qbee42]

Put some punctuation in this question and we might be able to help (at least I think it was a question, from the little I could glean).

Tom

[paulccullen]

My wife has the bluetooth phone option in her Prius and she loves it!

I don't have it in mine, I use a Plantronics Voyager bt headset instead.

Driving while holding a phone to your ear is just plain suicidal.

[SparrowHawk60]

Humm, let's see use the Blue Tooth or risk a fine of $250?

[Trevor]

It's the law in NY to use a cell with a hands free solution, so it's either the car's audio system or an earpiece. I don't get all that many calls, so I found that using the a bluetooth earpiece is far more of a hassle than using the system in my Prius.

I uploaded part of a phonebook when I first got the car, but for my uses, I don't really see the point. I'm either getting an infrequent call, or if I have to make a call it's usually if I'm stuck in traffic that's not moving, in which case it's easy enough to take my iphone out of my pocket and hit the phonebook on that. The audio goes over the car's system no matter how I dial.


I guess it all depends on your expectations, and the integrated system meets all of my expecations.

[9G-man]

SmartKey and Bluetooth are the two best features of the Prius. They completely change what are accepted as normal interactions. Quite liberating to be freed from handling keys and cellphone, and it really makes the car. Aside from HSD, of course.

I love the Bluetooth feature.