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Three Questions about Prius v

Discussion in 'Prius v Main Forum' started by iwannanewprius, Feb 18, 2012.

  1. iwannanewprius

    iwannanewprius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 18, 2012
    6
    0
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    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Hi to all,

    I'm a new group member but a long time Prius owner. We have a 2004 Prius, package 9, and it's been a great car.

    We're thinking of adding a Prius v. We've test driven and are almost ready to pull the trigger. I had 3 questions that I can't seem to get straight answers on from dealers.

    1) It seems clear that the 7 inch navigation display and audio system is ONLY available if you buy the $5,000+ technology package on version 5. Is this really true? Is there absolutely no other way to get the better navigation system? We are so used to the colors and clarity of our 2004 navigation display, and the navigation system on the 6.1 inch system is very disappointing (no colors, hard to read street names).

    2) I tested out the bluetooth coordination with my Iphone 4s. Works pretty well. I didn't have any Itunes mp3s or audio files to test though. I did test some streaming audio from some radio apps which worked. However, I noticed that the audio level was quite low. In other words, when we were listening to FM radio we could listen comfortably at audio level "10", but when I switched to the streaming audio the level had to be boosted up to about 30 to reach a comparable volume. This is somewhat dangerous since if we switch back to FM from streaming audio our ears will be blasted out. Is this common? Is this only because it was streaming audio? Does this happen as well with itunes audio, or just with streaming? If that's just the way it is, I'll have to learn to live with it. FYI, I had my volume on the actual Iphone at the maximum level so I don't think that's it. Interestingly enough, when we tested the deluxe audio system in a package 5 Prius v with the 7 inch screen and $5,000 upgrade, we did not have this problem. Could it be that the lower end audio system cannot adequately play Iphone audio or doesn't offer proper amplification of the signal?

    3) We were wondering if it's possible to put an infant car seat in the middle of the back seat of the prius v? I know the latch system is only on the sides, but one can use a traditional seat belt method to secure a car seat. But it seems that Toyota recommends only the outboard seats for child car seats. That's strange since everything I have read suggests that a center position is safest for a child since it protects best against side impact collisions. Does anyone have experience with this? The middle seat belt is somewhat strange in the v, originating on the roof way up in the "cargo" section of the car. I don't know how it would work. Obviously, we'll choose the most secure position for the car seat, but I would hope that we could have something secure AND in the middle if possible.

    Thanks so much for your help. I really appreciate everyone's generosity on this forum.

    Best wishes,
    Justin
     
    #1 iwannanewprius, Feb 18, 2012
  2. Keiichi

    Keiichi Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2012
    808
    79
    2
    Location:
    Goleta
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Five
    At this time, there is no other option but to get the ATP to get the better Nav display.

    Streaming from any device via bluetooth actually is dependant on the device. I figured that out myself too that apparently, the sound system does not amplify the audio, it presumes you have the media volume at the level you want, but actually, you want to up your phone's media to a higher level. Although technically, the iPhone should probably be using the accessory connection, because for my Android, I had to do that and the audio was lower until I upped it on the phone.

    This one, can't tell ya... Don't know it too well. Do note, however, the center lacks an airbag, the sides have the front seat and curtain sides to provide airbags. I think they also recommend the sides as it makes it 'easier' to get or access to it, especially in emergency cases, as the airbags will probably be in the way should a 'quick extraction' be necessary.
     
    #2 Keiichi, Feb 19, 2012
  3. pdp

    pdp New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2011
    162
    16
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    We have the regular 6.5" audio system in our Prius v 3. I've used both Bluetooth streaming and direct USB connection with my iPhone 4 (standard Music app). The volume is a tad lower than the radio, so if radio is at volume 10, I might have to turn the volume to 13 for the iPhone to get the same amount of sound of the speakers, but not anywhere near 30. When I use Bluetooth, the Bluetooth volume on the iPhone is at 100% and when using the USB cable, no volume control is available. We've also used the iPhone dock connector's line out (which also has no volume control via iPhone) to connect to the car's AUX input, and similar results: volume knob only had to go to 15 when using a local radio app to stream music. Are you using the headphone output of the iPhone per chance? I never use that output and don't recommend it, not because it doesn't work, but the output impedance isn't optimal and it's not as clean of an output as the dock connector's line out. Also, depending on the app, volume may be different.

    We also read in the manual that to use the LATCH system, the car seat should be on either side, and not the middle. Since this is what Toyota apparently recommends, we figure it's probably the best option (and probably pretty safe) and just stuck with the rear passenger seat for our rear facing car seat.
     
    #3 pdp, Feb 19, 2012
  4. scottmd42

    scottmd42 Junior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 9, 2012
    4
    2
    0
    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    Although I don't have a solution for question (1), I believe I can provide the following:

    Question (2): Have you checked to see if the sound check option on you iPhone is selected? This makes a profound difference in the volume of music being transmitted through the Prius's (or any other vehicle's) speakers (i.e. Look under Settings and then Music on your iPhone and make certain the sound check option is off to bring the volume of your music to normal levels). Alternatively, the Prius audio settings also have a similar set of preferences where the volume of your music is automatically adjusted. I don't have the manual in front of me, but when I turned this option off, the volume levels between the iPhone improved.

    Question (3): There are anchor points for a forward facing infant car seat in the middle as well as on either side of the back seat. We have a two year old in a convertible infant seat. When the seat's facing forward, there's an anchor strap that goes over the back seat and latches onto an anchor point behind the seat (This applies to either LATCH or seatbelt systems). Although it's not obvious in the manual, we did find the anchor point in the middle, and the seat belt from the ceiling works nicely to anchor an infant car seat in the middle position of the back seat. The only negative point: the top of the car seat does obstruct the rear view somewhat when looking through the rear view mirror. In spite of the manual's (lack of) recommendation, I went through this effort (i.e. It took a while to find the anchor points behind the back seat) because inspector's from a children's hospital couldn't recommend enough placing the infant car seat in the middle...

    I hope this helps and good luck with the Prius v (My wife and I like the vehicle, and my daughter loves it, especially all the buttons on the dash...)
     
    #4 scottmd42, Feb 19, 2012
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