Thinking of getting a gen 2 tips and specs

When I decided that I wanted to purchase a Prius Gen II for my next vehicle, I wanted the very best there was - so, I went for the 2008 Tspirit model. A warning, there are Tspirits that do not include leather seats. The became aware of this during my research, and went for a model which had leather.

My 2008 Prius II Tspirit came with everything you'd find in the UK top of the range models. That included SATNAV, Climate Control, 9 speaker JLB 6 CD Stereo, more protective airbags that you can shake a stick at, and even that slightly extended spoiler on the tailgate.

The SATNAV is an acquired taste, and doesn't display 3D like your average TomTom app on your more modern smartphone. It won't tell you how long it'll take to your destination in real-time, like Google Maps does, on my iPhone 6S Plus. Still, I plumped for the expensive £140 SATNAV DVD upgrade, and I have no regrets!

The built in SATNAV will however, verbally warn you of traffic congestion up ahead, and offer you the option to divert. I was shocked AND pleasantly surprised the first time it did that.

I love the colour reverse camera - that's worth the extra upgrade to a Tspirit all on its own. This is a very useful option when parking in tight spaces. It helps shoe-horn the Prius into tight parking spots like a Boss!

Oh, and I forgot to mention the IPA - the car can be coerced into parking itself. It's freaky watching the steering turning by itself as it parks itself into a spot you have earlier chosen.

The JBL stereo in this vehicle has a 6 CD changer. However, unlike the base models, this will play MP3s and I believe WMA files off a CD! So, you can burn your favourite MP3s onto a CD (even in folders!) and play each MP3 based CD like a juke box! Very, very useful indeed.

The hand controls on the steering are absolutely invaluable. I call my Prius "The Spaceship" for this reason, and also the fact that I can issue voice commands to get the vehicle to do quite a few things. I can control Audio, Climate Control and SATNAV functions with voice commands! Sweet! There are so many commands available, you are guaranteed to have fun when driving around. You will also astound your passengers with these voice commands, especially when the Tspirit starts talking back, confirming your requests, like KITT from Knight Rider .

Let's not forget the Bluetooth Mobile Phone connectivity either. Usually works better with an Android smartphone, but I physically programmed all my numbers in from my iPhone 5 back then. It works seamlessly with my iPhone 6S plus too - which sits quite nicely in one of the cup holders between the front seats!

Those extras make it worth purchasing the Tspirit version. Leather seats, in my opinion are a must! They totally transform the interior of the vehicle, to something futuristic and out of this world.

Apologies for the very late reply - I work full time and rarely get time to visit PriusChat these days, but I'm off today, Good Friday, so, here I am, getting my long overdue PC fix!

I hope this helps you and anyone in a similar quest for knowledge


iPhone 6s +

Extra questions; how long does your commute take? How many miles? The Prius will not save you money on very short commutes. I commute 18 x 2 miles a day. Through winter, I've stayed above 50mpg. I presently have 57.3mpg on my last tank of fuel; 43 litres - I went 525 miles before fill up. Wembley to Walthamstow and back every working day.

My record in summer was 66.4mpg @ 634 miles out of one tank of standard unleaded fuel - and yes, I used climate control during the afternoons!


iPhone 6s +

 

The 2006 model adds the backup camera and mp3 jack which are useful.

I have the jbl audio and it's pretty sweet over the stock speakers. The nav stuff i got also but i still use either google maps or Garmin..

 

my 2008 was built like a tank.