2016 FOUR Touring, PCP or Not? Help Me Decide

2.) Not all Prii have nav and an app suite. The nav and apps you get with the PCP (Premium Convenience Package) are the same as the nav and apps on other midlevel Prii with nav. The PCP just happens to add the JBL stereo system. As for the audio sources, you can play USB flash drives, songs on your phone or iPod (or mp3 player), CDs, bluetooth audio from your phone, use an auxiliary cable, or the use the Radio (theres also XM radio).

There are 10 speakers; there are six locations of the speakers. There are two areas where two speakers are grouped together. IMO, the audio system is fantastic!

3.) Toyota gave me 1 year for free of Safety Connect. I would say this is useful if you're married or have kids that drive or if you live or park your car in an unsafe (high crime) area.

Most of those things (if not all) come on the lower trims and they are all on the Four Touring (standard). Nav and app suite come standard on the Prius Three

I think the PCP package is worth it. Good luck finding your car!

 

Like the Touring Four so much I bought a second one. Both have the convenience package. If you are young and a good driver, buy the cheapest Prius on the lot.
I need all the sensors and yes it has sensors on the back, front, and sides.

Have only seen that option at a dealer lot with a Touring Four and advanced convenience package.

The red is to die for but good luck finding one.

 

I'm not quite sure what this was trying to say, but just to clarify any confusion on this point (much of it caused by Toyota's own misleading literature), MP3/WMA CD & USB, aux, and Bluetooth are on all models, not just the JBL stereo. Nav, HD, and XM are on all models except Two/TwoE.

I felt much the same way, and would have lived with Softex and a somewhat lighter bank account to get PCP and heated seats, but giving up the spare tire (or messing up the trunk to add one) was a non-starter. Toyota left a bunch of money on the table with this buyer.

 

BTW/wasn't PCP a drug in the 60s?

 

Exactly, they got you! You have to buy it all to have it all. But do you really need it all. I did for safety reasons only.

 

But there's the rub - for some odd reason, the advanced safety features of PCP are only available on the Four, which lacks the critical safety feature of an on-board spare tire. In effect, they will not allow you to "buy it all," which I was certainly inclined to do (the wife had been looking forward to heated seats, for one thing). That's just foolish business-wise, MPG tomfoolery or not. After learning that they're cheating in reporting MPG for Touring models (due to significant losses from 17" wheels, far greater than from carrying a mini spare), this is even more infuriating.

(Responding here to this precise point, not seeking to resurrect an admittedly well-beaten topic).

 

Keep The Wife happy: these guys offer carbon fiber seat heaters built into their seat covers for an additional cost of only $39/seat:
Toyota Prius (Series: Hybrid , V , C , Base) Standard Color Seat Covers - Wet Okole Hawaii

 

We're aware of multiple options on that score (many for a lot less than $300!), though that was a minor concern, but thanks for the reference. Much harder to replace are the PCP safety features, which was my main gripe. "Sure you can have these state of the art autonomous safety features, just give up the old-fashioned safety feature in return." Conceptually, it makes no sense. But then, neither does withholding meaningful safety technology from customers who decline (or can't easily afford) to buy high-end trim and premium sound systems. That's not so much capitalism as Social Darwinism.

 

Some may argue that a spare tire is a critical safety feature. Not sure if I mentioned it here or not but when I told people that I changed a spare tire on the freeway (away from traffic), so many people voiced that I should have never done that because it is a common way for people to get killed (and someone told me that drunk drivers are more likely to hit parked cars).

 

Enjoyment for a drunk driver as they are bored.

I think 10 feet off the road you are ok. But it may be difficult to get that far off the road.

 

I quick Google will confirm their concerns are well founded.

That said, if you have a spare you will also have the option of calling AAA and have them change it for you. Of course, if you can do that then having the spare is more for convenience than safety.

The other safety issue is being able to securely jack the car up.

Apart from finding a safe level spot, one challenge to doing this along a roadside is the hardness of the shoulder.

The one and only time I had to do this was as a pre-teen along the NY State Thruway. Basically the base of the Jack sunk into the rain-softened ground and was useless. Probably better than just sinking in a little bit and being unstable, however.

Most people with a spare don't think about carrying a board, or a decent lug wrench, or chocking a wheel, or reflective triangles.

The 4 Touring has an emergency button you can press for service (they charge after a year) or it will call automatically in some accidents. I would not hesitate to use it and risk losing my man card.

 

The message I'm getting here is that if I have a flat on the highway I should leave the Prius, run like hell, phone Better World, and let that guy get hit by a drunk driver while he's changing my tire. Seriously, it seems like a better idea to drive very slowly on the flat until you come to some safe spot (wider shoulder, offramp?) to pull well off the roadway. The tire is probably history anyway. Who wants to drive on a patched tire that blew out on the highway? Main thing is to avoid damage to the $$$$ Toyota rim (which might already be history if it took a long distance to work your way off the roadway).

But how likely is this scenario? Maybe my memory is poor, but the ONLY on-the-highway blowout I can recall in 50+ years of driving is a Firestone 500 (remember those defective tires?) that threw its tread on an LA freeway 40 years ago. I can't remember where I changed it. But I clearly remember that it was on the station wagon belonging to a family I was house-sitting for, and that thing was so huge I could barely feel it had a flat. When I took it to Firestone they offered me a pro-rated discount on another Firestone 500, perfect! That experience has colored my opinion of warranties ever since. In the glovebox I discovered paperwork showing that two other Firestone 500's had already blown on that car. Only one more to go!

The more usual scenario for me has been tires that leaked slowly, so that I dealt with them either by changing them at home or by taking the car to a garage. And I can't recall more than a few of those. I noticed that the tires looked squishy or discovered the problem during a routine pressure check, but TPMS would have warned me too.

Still, I'm considering a compact spare to make life simpler for the Better World guy - assuming he survives.

 

I've only had a flat tire once and it was a complete blow out (thus me changing it on the freeway, I wasn't far from home but I had just dropped my husband off at the airport). Coincidentally, I had road side assistance through Costco and it was a pain so I figured I'd get home quicker by changing it myself.

 

Same here but not an option anymore. Just have to wait for the truck.

Does anyone have a current list of what the 24 month Toyo care covers? Seems it my cover flat tires.

Nice they will help me with winching.
So, wonder what the policy is with no spare?



With ToyotaCare, you'll receive 2 years or 25,000 miles (whichever comes first) of no cost scheduled maintenance, plus 24-hour roadside assistance on your new Toyota. Any maintenance your vehicle needs, you'll have Toyota trained technicians to help you every step of the way.

ToyotaCare features 24-hour Toyota Roadside Assistance for those days when you need a tire changed or a door unlocked. The service also covers flat tire changes, jump starts, fluid delivery and towing. Just call 1-800-444-4195 and a representative will help get you moving again.

Not only does ToyotaCare cover the first five normal factory recommended maintenance services, it also allows you to take your vehicle to the professionals who know it best. We ensure you will get Toyota trained technicians, state-of-the-art equipment and the Genuine Toyota Parts your vehicle needs.
What Does the ToyotaCare No Cost Maintenance Plan Include?
The ToyotaCare plan covers the 5K, 10K, 15K, 20K and 25K normal factory recommended maintenances, a maximum of five (5) services, for 2 years/25,000 miles from the day you purchased your vehicle (also known as the vehicle's date of first use), whichever occurs first. It also includes 24-hour roadside assistance for two (2) years from the date of first use.
What does the Toyota Roadside Assistance plan include?
The 24-hour Toyota Roadside Assistance covers battery jump start, tire service, fuel delivery, lockout protection, towing and winching Congratulations on your purchase of a Safety Connect-equipped Toyota vehicle. This on-board communication system can make driving more secure, convenient and fun.

Designed to be intuitive and easy to use, your Safety Connect system employs built-in cellular and GPS technologies that can connect your vehicle to live assistance through the Toyota Customer Experience Center.* Our response agents can help you with emergency support, roadside assistance, and can even assist police in locating† your Toyota should it ever be stolen.

Your complimentary suite of Toyota Safety Connect services includes:

• Automatic Collision Notification

• Stolen Vehicle Location†

• Emergency Assistance Button (SOS)

• Enhanced Roadside Assistance

For more information about Toyota Safety Connect, visit Toyota.com/safety-connect or call us toll-free at 1-800-331-4331 and follow the prompts for Safety Connect.

We look forward to providing you with the added peace of mind that comes with Toyota Safety Connect.

Sincerely,
Safety Connect Customer Support