Bluetooth question

Bluetooth is based on hand-shaking. You have to pair them up before they can talk to each other and look for each other the next time. If you don't, they will never recognize each other no matter how close they are.

 

Navigon 2100 has traffic updates (as a $99 lifetime add-on) and no bluetooth. You can get the 2100's for $150-$200 if you look around. And it has text-to-speech.

 

Damn, I thought I could drive next to another Prius and eavesdrop on his/her calls

 

I like the Navigon. It really is a good device, I can't recommend it enough. The only thing I have seen where it suffers is the user interface isn't as slick as some of the others - touch screen buttons are smaller etc. But for the price it is a very good unit, good maps (navteq), text to speech, updatable POIs.

 

I have Navigation on my 2006.
I also have Garmin street pilot, Garmin IQ4 and Nuvi 360 for my daughter.
The navigation on the Prius is the least of the above units.
I recently bought the traffic update for my daughters 360 (Christmas) and it is too early to tell how well that part works.
I have a lot of confidence in Garmin and have found their support to be great.
I do not believe there is a gps made that works perfectly in all areas.
Good luck on your choice and please let us know how well it works for you in your area.

 

I forgot to address your bluetooth issue.
I can only say I also have a Verizon bluetooth lg vx8600 and it is great to use on my Prius.
Of course you can only use speed dial as you drive or voice dialing. I have been pleased for about a year now.

 

I got a Garmin Nuvi 660 about a year before I bought the Prius (2007 option 4, no nav); no problem disabling the bluetooth on the Garmin and using the phone with the Prius. I think prices are really tumbling on nav systems. I paid (ouch!) $1000 (for the privilege of having a device that will berate me for not following its instructions when I know it to be wrong.) I keep it in the armrest storage, where the second 12v hookup is. It came with a year of MSNDirect live traffic, but must be connected to the car to get the updates. So, I'll be driving along, and all of a sudden from the armrest comes a disembodied voice saying, "Traffic Alert! You are entering a slow traffic area." Ha! Just like ventriloquist Senor Wences' unseen dummy-in-a-box used to say, "'s'allright". The traffic alerts have never been even the tiniest bit useful (sometimes she says there is an accident 32 miles behind me) and I'm glad I'm not paying for it. The Garmin's navigation is on the whole quite useful. My theory is, I tend to keep my cars for a long time. If I spend $2k extra for a built-in system, it will be obsolete in 5 years, or less. Having an external system, I can buy the latest and greatest, and over the life of the car, or the nav system, or ... or me, the driver, I can have a procession of systems with better graphics, better navigation algorithms, etc. The Garmin perches nicely in the opening of the little box in the center of the console, just below the stereo.