Sirius/XM for brand new 07's

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Davideo @ Dec 21 2006, 04:23 PM) [snapback]365353[/snapback]</div>

I was surprised also to find an "AM/SAT" button in my 07 prius. But I still had to pay an extra $499 for the dealer to install the actual XM reciever. I'm not sure what IS in the prius 07 that qualifies it as satellite-ready. Satellite-ready sounds like "we left an appropriately sized space in your car so you can buy a satellite radio and put it in that space". My dealer was Castle Toyota in Baltimore.

I am very unhappy with my XM radio install.
(1) There's only a 10 character, non-scrolling display. My country songs are sung by Rascal Fla !!
(2) It's flaky and drops out sometimes. Not the reception - satellite reception is excellent. But sometimes the satellite radio itself conks out and disappears from my menu while I'm driving. It comes back on only after I park and restart the car. After three trips to the dealer they finally replaced the receiver.
(3) I had to wait one week after I bought the car to get the radio installed because the installer doesn't work for the Toyota dealer. This means long waits anytime I need to get the radio serviced.
(4) There are only 18 XM presets, which isn't sufficient. There are nearly 200 channels on XM, and I have to scroll through them with a clunky dial-wheel. An XM radio interface needs a numerical input - I should be able to key in my channel selection by typing 0 - 8 - 1 instead of having to scroll through eighty channels to get there.

I don't know about the Sirius + XM option. The dealer told me that most people are going with Sirius, but I'm an XM fan myself.

I liked the Prius enough to get it in spite of the poor XM radio integration. I'd love to hear from anyone out there who has a car with a factory-installed and properly designed satellite radio interface. I didn't find it in any of the cars I looked at.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Davideo @ Dec 22 2006, 11:25 AM) [snapback]365656[/snapback]</div>

Check out:

http://www.factoryinteractive.com/SiriusPrius/
This option still has the 10 character limitation that the previous poster was griping about.

http://www.vaistech.com/sls.html
This option supposedly can do 16 character display, but requires the SLS plus an outboard tuner.

http://www.metrotpn.com/ProductDetails.asp...archText=Sirius
From this site you can order the tuner & fit kit for about $250 (cheapest of these options)
but this is the same tuner with the 10 character display limitation

All these are integrated units; that is, they will work with your steering wheel controls and the Milti-function display (touchscreen).

Hope this helps.
Merry Christmas & Go Gators!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Davideo @ Dec 21 2006, 04:23 PM) [snapback]365353[/snapback]</div>

Read this thread:

http://priuschat.com/Best-iPod-Sirius-opti...Nav-t26402.html

 

Congratulations on the new Prius!

I have factory XM radio on in my 2007. It is fully integrated and displays 16 characters and spaces per line.

Your dealer should be able to install it, but as you can tell from reading this forum some dealers are better informed than others.

I suggest printing out the e-brochure from Toyota.com, taking it to your dealer and pointing out the XM Radio option on the accessory page. The msrp on in the brochure is $449.00, installed.

Also, you might try to have your dealer activiate the radio for you so you can take advantage of any discounts XM is offering to car dealers.

Good Luck.

 

I went the Factory Interactive route. I put the installation DVD in my Powerbook and watched short segments in sequence (even repeating a sequence a few times). Installation went very smooth. Sirius reception and function excellent. Was originally in my 2005. Same unit now in my 2007.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(GeoGeek @ Dec 22 2006, 10:26 PM) [snapback]365889[/snapback]</div>

Why can't they fix this?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prianista @ Dec 23 2006, 01:34 PM) [snapback]366023[/snapback]</div>

Are you sure it's Toyota factory XM? Others are saying factory XM or Sirius still has the 10 character limit.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rest @ Dec 23 2006, 11:07 PM) [snapback]366224[/snapback]</div>

I just had the factory XM installed in my 2006 Pkg 8. It has 16 character display. I ordered two of them... one for my Prius (already installed), and a 2nd for my daughter (also a 2006 Pkg 8). Her's is under the Christmas tree now.

Original quoted installed price was well over $500. However... when I said others seem to be getting it for $450... he quckly matched that price, and then took an extra 10% off since I was buying two. Final price was $405 each including installation.

/Jim

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Prianista @ Dec 23 2006, 12:34 PM) [snapback]366023[/snapback]</div>

Hi Prianista,

Can I ask you a huge favor? Can you take a picture of your display with 16 characters so that I can bring it back to my dealer and demand a fully functional unit? Unfortunately, the e-brochure on toyota.com doesn't mention the number of characters in the display.

When I go to Toyota.com, I see that the XM radio option is available "in April 2007". It's lucky that you were able to get this option - are you saying that your Prius came equipped with XM radio, and that you didn't have anything dealer installed? If so, then it won't be an option for davideo (or me) since we've already bought the car.

In any case, even 16 characters doesn't seem like enough for an XM interface; XM demands a scrolling display. Why is it so easy to get that in a $99 add-on unit and so hard to get inside my dash? Sorry, I know I'm the umpteenth person on this forum to complain about the lack of scrolling.

Thank you for the information, Prianista!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(annapolis1 @ Dec 24 2006, 02:01 PM) [snapback]366368[/snapback]</div>

I'd be happy to post a picture, but it will have to wait until after Christmas.

I'm puzzled that you say Toyota.com is telling you that XM radio option is not avalible until April 2007. I just checked the "Build and Price" feature on Toyota.com and found no such language. I also didn't see any such language when I checked the e-brochure before my earlier post on this subject. (I looked at the "general" e-brochure, not one specific to a zip code) Also, earlier this year I had my dealer install XM radio using the Toyota factory tuner in a 2006 Prius. It also displayed 16 characters per line. On my 2007 Prius, the XM radio came as a port installed option, but I've no doubt that a dealer can install it as well.

You are correct that the e-brochure doesn't specify 16 characters per line. I agree with you about the scrolling and with the writer who say users should be able to use a keypad to put in the number of the XM channel they want to hear.

 

I thought the units people were getting online are the same as the factory units?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(annapolis1 @ Dec 24 2006, 02:01 PM) [snapback]366368[/snapback]</div>

Annopolis,

These are the part numbers for the factory XM that I had installed in my Prius:

86180-0W030 ..... XM Tuner Base Kit ........... $199
PT546-47060 ...... XM Tuner Fit Kit, Prius ...... $100

My price was quoted at $450 installed at my Toyota dealer... and with a 2 car discount, they took 10% off and sold me them for $405 installed (each).

Mine absolutely has the 16 character display for each of Artist and Title.

/Jim

(edited 12/25/06 to fix the part numbers)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(annapolis1 @ Dec 24 2006, 06:01 PM) [snapback]366368[/snapback]</div>

This one really pisses me off also.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(flynz4 @ Dec 25 2006, 03:05 AM) [snapback]366467[/snapback]</div>

These are pictures of the older factory "Solara" XM radio:
http://homepage.mac.com/brusso/PriusRadio/PhotoAlbum53.html
I bought this from Coastal soon after I bought my Prius. It worked perfectly but the 10 characters got to me.

Having had great results with Vais AIC-100i and SLI, I bought the Vais SLX XM interface.
http://homepage.mac.com/brusso/PriusRadio/PhotoAlbum49.html

This has a limit of 16 Characters that is limited by the XMDirect tuner not the Vais interface. I hope some day there is a new XMDirect tuner that allows for more characters that I can replace this one with.

I've done a lot of research on the whole 10/16/32 character issue. Check out www.xmfan.com for more info. I don't believe it is the radio in the Prius, but the XM receiver. It appears that only the "Next Generation" portable devices support 32 Characters on a line.
In an attempt to confuse the issue, a lot of the XM sales information lists 32 Character support, yea, 16 per line.

From what I read, when XM was setup, it was 16 Characters. Sirius has always been 32 (36?) characters.
For XM to expand they have to send the additional data in a different way, so it is always delayed and it is only for the song title information.

My guess is that Toyota designed the XM receiver a couple years ago, before the "Next Generation."

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(annapolis1 @ Dec 24 2006, 02:01 PM) [snapback]366368[/snapback]</div>

Here's the picture. Hope it helps.

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