Package 6 Versus 8

I had a similar experience here in NE. Couldn't seem to find a #7 with the right color. While talking back and forth with the dealer he gave me $500 rebate on the leather do I ended up $500 under MSRP.... That said he took about 300 of it back on the trade in so he didn't loose that much for that long....

For me having leather seats is nice but not wirth $1100 so getting them for $600 was nice (and in line with how I value them). So I went for the #8 to not have to wait. The dealer showed me the incoming list for the next month and had no #7 on that list (that wasn't taken).

I hope to pick it up next week. It should be in NY today (waiting to hear from dealer)

 

I have a black #7. I got it in WI though. Also a dealer in OH had one he called me about after I got mine already.

I say go for Package #8. The navigation is worth it I think!

Whats a Prius without ALL the cool toys in it? Just MY opinion and I was at once saying I wanted Package #1. I felt I desrved all the cool toys in it!

I wasn't sorry I went to #7. I would probably regretted not doing so!

Edited to add: If package #7 wasn't available to me I'm sure I would have went to package #8 (or traveled for a #7)

 

The navigation package is nice, but my guess is that 90 percent of the time you really don't need it. I have it and I really like it but if I was strapped for $$$, I would not have bought it.

 

I agree, if money was my main concern then I would get the cheapest package with the stability control in it and stay there (I think the is #4). The rest is over priced gizmos that you will stop using after about a month.... that said I love gizmos (esp. bluetooth and the Nav)

 

Yeah but what if you pass on all the gizmos and later want them? It would be more expensive to buy them after the fact and they wouldn't be part of the car.

 

True and if you never had the gizmos then you would never get to the "I'm bored" stahe and always dream about them.

I made a list of things I wanted in a car. Automatic Climate Control, bluetooth integration and hands-free phone, memory seats, automatic diming rearview mirror, premium sound and nav system. For the price the Prius offered the most for less money though I had to skip on memory seats or even comfortable seats as well as on a somewhat whimpy JBL system.

But I also started by looking at more expensive cars and overlooked the prius (for the highlander hybrid and lexus). If I where younger or planned to not keep the car for at least 120.000 miles (~6-7 years) I would probably stop after package #4

 

I opted to get a package #6 to save the $2K. However, just last week, I purchased a portable navigation (Magellan 760). I like being able to swap the navi out and place it in whichever car I am driving. Package #6 for me has most of the everyday functions that I need. (bluetooth, HID's, etc.) Good luck with your decision.

Justinc

 

If you really don't care about leather, then I would go for the package 6. I bought an '06 package 8 and don't get me wrong I love my car but I think the nav is overrated. You can't input an address while driving which kind of defeats the purpose and the voice activation is highly unreliable. While it is cool to show your friends that you can set the temperature thru a voice command the reality is it's just a gimmick and it's just as easy to do it thru the touch screen and how often do you do it anyway. The bluetooth is overrated as well and if you don't use a cell phone in the car that much. I got the package 8 because I wanted leather and didn't know about the peculiar nature of the nav and bluetooth. If I had to do it over again I'd get a 6 or even a 3 and add aftermarket leather.

 

That was my thinking too. I plan to keep my Prius for a long time! So I would rather get all I wanted upfront and not want to add them later on. You know things do change. I checked on installing a naviagtion system in a car and they wanted 2,400!

This why if I have everything now I'm all set!

 

And I wanted the navigation system to be part of my car.

 

I personally don't agree with this for the following reasons:

1: I normally input the address at the start of the trip as I get into the car and then drive to the destination.
2: I don't think it's safe to enter an addres while you are driving. I think this is a lot worse then even speaking on the phone. It will require to much of your attention (and while I'm good enough to do it I don't want the idoit next to me to be fiddling with his nav system while going down the freeway j/k! ;-))

 

Ooooooo... LEATHER. How can you NOT care about LEATHER. It's so... leather-like. There's nothing else like it. Wonderful, comfortable, wears-like-iron leather.

Or go for the pkg 6. Read my sig and you know MY choice!

 

Oh wow you just picked up your Prius today huh?!!

 

I agree that the only reason for not getting all the whistles is if your keeping it as a temp.

But who does that?.. Once you've gone to a prius, your ruin't.. where else can you go to except a later model? Everything else is just boring.... even if you have a car that will do 0 to 60 in 4 seconds.... what will be of little use and the fun will wear thin soon after you pay your ticket!

I feel that value is measured by quality plus service plus time.

If you are going to have this car for a while..... even if you don't use all the feature very often... they will be there for you for a long long time!..... you'll never regret it!..

It makes the hidden things about the prius come alive!
There are few luxury cars that will be able to rival all the toys the prius has!... Mainly because even if they did have all this installed, they have nothing to tell,, they are just a car? :lol:

And any problems you have read about the audio on the NAV is believed to have been solved by a special procedure where you can access hidden menus and turn up the mic gain so the Nav can hear your commands better.

 

The leather is only 1100.00 and the quality is nice.... if you want your seats to still look brand new 5 years from now... get leather.

The cleanup is rediculously easy compared to anything else.

 

I'm perfectly happy with my #2.
I would have preferred a #4 or #3 but had no interest at all in the higher packages.
I don't have any plans to ever sell Megumi.
To each his own.

 

See... you answered your own question.... I think the Prius III probably due in a year or two will make our Prius II feel old.... maybe not for the features but for the improved FE and EV mode... I'm really hoping/wishing for a true EV mode of say 25-30 miles through new battery technology and of course that would enable plug-in with a charge time of a couple of hours.... that would make me sell in a hart beat!

 

Ah.. but it wasn't my question.....

I don't really expect any major improvements for a while except in the realm of city driving for a while.