Greetings and questions.

Greetings and salutations, all! It's obvious I am new here but I have gained a great deal of knowledge since I found this forum and am so thankful for you all being here!

I have wanted a Prius for a long time but until recently it was beyond my financial ability to obtain. That, however, to my great glee, has changed. After considerable debate with myself I have decided on a Gen 2. I am trying to find a later gen 2 with Nav I can afford but might have to settle for an older one. Either way I want the Vav and other accessories in the higher level versions.

All that said, I have a question I am having trouble finding an answer for. I usually see a steering wheel with control clusters for Nav, VOX, and phone, but sometimes the center console has four buttons and sometimes it has more. What is the difference? I need the Nav for work, I deliver Pizza. Does the Gen 2 with control clusters on the right side of the steering wheel have Nav? Or is it only on models with more than 4 center console buttons?

Thank you for your time.

 

I've been using Google maps and Waze on my phone(a Note 2), but I hate having to constantly maneuver the phone when driving to keep my route. I thought the onboard Nav would be easier to use and be more in my line of sight. I rather not use a unit suction cupped to the windshield . I don't like obstructing even a small portion of my field of view.

I also want the bluetooth connectivity. I often have to call a customer to get clarification of location, so hands free calling is a major enhancement I want.

I found an 05 with all the bells and whistles, it just doesn't have leather seats, for $5k. It has 140K miles so I am still debating that option. Most Gen 2s with Nav and bluetooth are asking north of $6,500, and less miles ups the price more to over $7,000, so the debate is raging.

 

Please, never think I am trying to argue or be contrary. I know I am not as knowledgeable as you or others here.

That said, I do have a plan in case some things do go wrong. First, I got myself trained on traction battery cell testing and replacement. I was a mechanic for many years so it's right up my alley. Second, I plan on purchasing a Hybrid Cell Rebalancer from the store here to help maintain and extend the life of the cells already in the car. Ideally I will find a car with a new traction battery already installed, but worst case I can buy a few cells at a time and rebuild the entire battery myself.

Third, I need more schooling on what the inverter and inverter pump are, what might go wrong with them, and what it entails to fix or replace.

I thought long and hard about my choice of vehicle. One factor I considered was that here in Indiana the hills are not too steep for the Gen 2 traction control, except in icy conditions. As a rule the streets here are fairly level with only gentle rises and declines to worry about. I researched how the Gen 2s deal with winter driving and found those who had them found the weight of the vehicle was actually a benefit in snow conditions. The exceptions were limited to icy inclines of medium or greater steepness.

I do have to admit this. I have a touch of OCD and I cringe at having stuff mounted in my car that didn't come with it. Laugh all you want but I never said I was normal, lol!

I thank you deeply for your advice, it really means a lot to gain what you have to share!

P.S., will a 7 button MFD plug into a 4 button MFD mount? If I have to buy a base model with a 4 button can I buy a 7 button MFD for the blutooth and other conveniences? Also, will a 6 disc cd player mount in the slot for the single disc?