Prius customers' preference --- a question on packages

I too am leaning towards the Three with ATP. That also includes the QI Smartphone charging and Heads Up Display. The only negative comments I've read on this forum are ones relating to the navigation systems not being to good on any of the Prii. Can anyone on here who is familiar with the navigation system, please elaborate. Thanks.

 

Also, can you have a dealer order the one you want? Does anyone know how late in the year a dealer can order the car one wants?

 

The year is still young - with 7 months to go. You can order anytime.

 

Australia's premier motoring magazine (WHEELS) tested 2016 Prius in this month's edition. I posted a quote a couple of weeks ago, but here's their take on the tyres:

"... Steering is satisfyingly accurate and the flagship i-Tech on 17" rubber hangs on well. The 15" eco tyres on the base Prius lower grip levels slightly but are not as underwhelming as they look ...".

TOYOTA themselves said in their press release " ...The larger, 17-inch wheels feature new resin ornamentation and are 0.7 kg lighter than the equivalent wheels featured on the current Prius, reducing the car’s overall unsprung weight and contributing to better handling and fuel economy. ..."

So from that, it sounds like they're better & lighter than the 17" in Gen 3.

After reading that, I'll settle for either. Yes, the wider may make a slight difference to fuel use, but with Prius4 so good, in reality, you'll probably not notice the difference, and maybe enjoy the wider tyres.

 

Interesting to know, thanks.

0.7 kg is not that much. Our 3rd gen Canadian Touring has the solid alloy, silver, 17" rims; I'm disheartened they've gone to a black rim with "resin ornamentation".

This is maybe the press release?

THE NEW TOYOTA PRIUSTHE REBIRTH OF THE PIONEER

See they like the term "resin", mention it with the brake caliper pistons. You have to be careful pushing those in, a few people have cracked them.

The tone of the article is fairly typical automotive informercial, some of it almost worth a chuckle.

 

Dealers in Texas are under the thumb of the Gulf States Toyota distributor. I have found over the years that GST is notorious for loading cars with extra port-installed options (so if you buy off the lot you have no choice) and they tend not to stock the most loaded packages, at least not for Prius.

They can use their allocation to reserve one with the factory options you want once there's one on a boat from Japan that meets your specs and isn't already reserved for someone else. GST won't prevent you from getting it, but they seem to believe that people like you and I don't buy such cars off lots in their states so they let the heavily-loaded packages go to other regions. Aside from the wait for a specific car to arrive in port and then to your dealer, which could be anywhere from three weeks to three months, you'll have to try extra hard to get a deal since they hold all the cards. You're a captive buyer (needing to put down a deposit in most cases, say $500) and you don't have the leverage of helping them move their existing floorplan stock.

I was looking for a Four Touring with the Premium Convenience Package and ran into the same problem. None in Houston. None in Texas. And if you put your zip code into the Toyota inventory tool, you get to look at the GST inventory. None there either. Put in California or a state north of the Mason-Dixon line and they will magically appear.

I happened to have existing travel plans to Denver so I did the best-price-quote game via email starting 4 days before my flight. I found a good price on what I wanted and only had to compromise on the Moonstone interior, which wasn't my preference. I bought it last night and paid $28,900 after rebate, but I still owe TT&L to Texas on registration.

Long story short, you can get what you want with an order. If you want more price leverage or want it soon, you might need to look for dealer stock in another state. But unless you already plan to travel, factor those costs in not shipping if you have it delivered) before you ink the deal.

Good luck!

 

Where there is a will, there is a way...

 

The very first car available in the Southern California area was the exact model/color/packages that I wanted. I was a very lucky guy!

 

Factory options are always expensive, and if you have a smartphone with a decent data plan and good signal where ever you drive then it can be hard to justify the cost. That's an individual decision. The other two main complaints about factory navigation are the cost of map updates (i.e. > 0) and underperforming traffic avoidance.

I had factory navigation in my '05, and didn't regret it even after smart phones appeared in 2008. The system always worked, even if my phone had no signal or it's battery was low/dead. Phones are getting better, but GPS and route data still burns battery.

The factory system is integrated with the car's hands-free, audio, displays, and HUD (if equipped). CarPlay and Android Auto give you most of that if only it were an option. The factory system can work without a GPS signal, to a limited extent, by using the last known position and dead-reckoning based on vehicle speed and steering angle. Best of all, it shows you where you are even when not under guidance.

I think there are a good number of advantages over phone-based integration even today. The standalone units like Garmin are still advantageous over phones in some ways, too, but some consider it clutter or a hassle to remove from plain sight to reduce the temptation for smash-and-grabs.

After I lost my '05 to an unfortunate accident, I leased a base '14 Two. No nav. I got along without it using my phone, but I did miss the factory integration. My wife's '13 is defective, I think, and the XM-based traffic data seemed to lag behind conditions. I have nav again on the '16 and it seems more responsive than Gen3 but I haven't had enough time to explore it yet.

No regrets.

 

Not by Toyota, directly. The region is doing it to itself out of what it believes is it's own best interests. Search PriusChat and the Web for articles on Toyota's regional distribution network and how it now regrets it (but is contractually stuck). Gulf States Toyota is a separate entity from Toyota USA, so put the blame on GST where it belongs.

Purchasing in CO was my personal way of giving a figurative middle finger to GST.

 

Yes I ended up deciding the same thing, model 3 with ATP. And my local dealer had one. Gray with black interior. I've had it 3 weeks, 2000 miles.

Here are the things in this model and other models that wouldn't work for me, The white seats and dash, no spare tire, low profile tires. I really don't need the things in the PCP.

The radar cruise control works well, and I use it a lot. I love the fact that I'm driving a car with collision avoidance. The automatic high beam is real nice and works well. The lane control works well for what it does. It seams to know exactly where the car is in the lane, and the lane assist does steer the car a bit. But it's not a driverless steering. I'm sure it's coming soon.

 

I'm in the same boat as you, with a 2011 Golf TDI, and waiting for the next announcement from VW due next week. I too couldn't wait and decided after several months of research on this forum and YouTube that I wanted a 4 with Atp and Pcp. And like you I found that the car in my color choice was just not available in my area. I finally started searching in other states and found one in NJ. Talking the train from Baltimore to pick it up on Thursday this week.

I believe the problem with supply, at least on the east coast, is that Toyota anticipated strong demand of the entry models, which again doesn't seem to have happened in the Baltimore Washington area as I have only seen two 2016 in the wild since January. Some dealers in our area have up to 80 Prii sitting on their lots with deep discounts easily found on the entry level models, while threes and touring models are difficult to find, and 4s are nonexistent. My take anyway. J