Navigation on prius worth it ??

Toyota Prius Nav systems are horrible for the price you pay. Stick with your Garmin and use all the money you saved not buying that package...for gas. The Garmin is far superior and cheaper. YMMV

 

My Prius nav works well, but frankly so does the nav on my iPhone.

I do like the traffic information on my Prius nav.

 

I have the Prius V Three, which simply has the navigation in the screen standard. I think it's great. We never use our iPads or Garmin or the older Tom Tom. I've done many longer trips with it and it works perfectly. I also think it's a hidden gem since Toyota never advertises it, probably because they have a very expensive optional product.

 

And just to throw it in there, the backup camera is very helpful. I was sold on it immediately, as it lets me drive backwards with surprising aim and agility. I can back up to the point of just 1/2 inch from my mower without a worry in the world.

 

I ended up with the Nav because it comes standard on the plug-in, and at first I really disliked it. Having lived with it for a year, I've gotten a bit more used to its quirks (and the latest Entune update finally increased the GUI speed which helped a lot) and I'll now usually use the on-screen nav rather than that on my phone because it's good enough and it's nice to have it in front of me without having to suspend the phone from the dash or windshield.

That said, I don't know how much if anything extra I'd pay for it. The backup camera, while similarly low quality, is quite helpful both for safety and especially for parking.

Have you considered a plug-in Prius? The Plug-in is equipped about like a Prius 3, and with incentives it's generally available for about the price of a regular 3 or a bit less. Plus, you being in California, it will get you an HOV sticker.

Good luck!

 

And the backup camera is standard in many (most) cheap cars now.

 

The way the option packages are set in order to get the sunroof you have to get the GPS. Keep in mind that yearly updates are $199. You can buy a new Garmin every other year and be money ahead. Not worth it.

 

I prefer a integrated infotainment system and I'll gladly pay the difference. Not always the best systems or most up-to-date. Very few actual yearly updates so a yearly upgrade is a waste. Maybe every 3-5 years.

 

Fact is, most of the integration is standard on the less expensive models. I drove a rental Corolla that had the same navigation as mine.

 

I agree!!

 

I've had mine for 5 years, and 90k miles - it always got me where I needed to be. It doesn't know the traffic secrets that I do But, if I know the secrets, I don't need the nav, right? I updated it after 2-3 years, but was able to find the data file online to create my own disk. I"ll bbe looking for an update again, soon. Anyone know the latest version?

 

I have a 2014 Prius 4 without nav, and I don't miss it. I just can't justify the cost, either upfront or annual.

A nice Garmin GPS with lifetime maps is going for 240 at Amazon. If I want to use the in dash screen I can plug in my phone (iOS) or just connect via BT with Android. Even easier is to use the turn by turn GPS on GoogleMaps and get the audio via BT on the car audio system.

Another thing to consider: how long are you going to keep this vehicle? I don't trade my in anymore: I expect to run them until they die. As such, the tech in the car is going to laughably outdated long before I give up driving it. Or at least that is what I hope. As such, keeping as much of the tech out of the car is better, as it is more easily upgradable.

 

It would be nice if the same engineering excellence that went into the car was also apparent in the electronics. It seems to be just "good enough" for the car. I don't have access to Entune, being outside the Lower 48, and the other features seem to be lacking compared to what's available from other manufacturers.

 

That's one tactic to make what you've got appear better; degrade everything else it might be compared to.

Some of the trolls who come to this forum use a variation on that method.

 

I didn't particularly want the nav, but I'll use it now that I have it. I've had 2 Garmin Nuvi's and I'll take the newest one with me, but I'm going to try to do the next trip in Aug/Sep with the built-in only. I love the integrated speech that fills the cabin with the instructions so I don't miss them. The major problem with my Garmin is that I tend to play with it too much while driving, just like Gas Buddy on my phone, and I'm hoping the built-in will break me of those habits. That said, built-in nav is rarely worth it from a financial perspective. However, finances are not the only consideration. Heck, if my Prius purchase was based on finances, we'd be driving something else with a lot more power and comfort.

 

We had to get Nav to get the sun roof. We did not want it. Coming from a 2013 Dodge Dart with the 8,7" U-connect Nav screen, the Toy Nav is totally stone age in comparison. Toy should look at what Dodge has in its U-Connect, and try to emulate it. If you do not want the sun roof, for sure skip the Toy Nav and use a portable nav..