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Are extras (Nav, CD) an option later?

4574 Views 3 Replies 3 Participants Last post by  mrv
Hi everyone! I may be somewhat unique on this board in that I'm not yet an owner, but am currently considering buying a used 2001 Prius from Hertz. Because of that alone, I'm somewhat hesitant (how many butts have been in my future command chair?). What really gives me pause, however, is not knowing whether or not I'll be able to add the "cool add-on stuff" later.

I had the pleasure of test driving the Prius in question yesterday. My God, I actually fit into the thing (a rare thing for me). Anyway, I was cruising along and showing my son all of the nifty animations on the touchscreen (Big thanks to John for whetting my appetite and teaching me about this stuff so my son was mystified by my intimate knowledge of the thing). Just for kicks and giggles, I hit the NAV button and the CD button, and in each case it said something to the effect of "external system not connected". Well, I expected them not to work ( knew these weren't included in that particular car), but the thought of "dead buttons on the console" horrified me, so I hoped I could add these items later.

Just to be sure, I called my local Toyota dealer (they do sell Priuses, so I am ASSUMING they are a Prius-authorized dealer), and asked about adding the navigation system and/or cd changer later. The Parts guy to whom I spoke wasn't sure (which again, gave me pause), but said he thought those items had to come included with the car and couldn't be added later. Something about there not being connectors built in to units which weren't pre-equipped with the stuff beforehand.

So the question falls to you, the experts. If I were to buy this used Prius today (or sometime soon), would I be able to add the navigation system and/or CD changer at a later time? My only concern is that I'm an avid gadget freak, and I would HATE to have a bunch of buttons on my console that were dead and destined to do nothing but taunt me for the life of the car. I'm interested only in stuff which will be operable from the dashboard controls; not some helter-skelter auxiliary panel velcroe'd to the dash. Your collective knowledge and experience would be greatly appreciated.
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Keeg said:
<snip>
Just for kicks and giggles, I hit the NAV button and the CD button, and in each case it said something to the effect of "external system not connected".
<snip>
So the question falls to you, the experts. If I were to buy this used Prius today (or sometime soon), would I be able to add the navigation system and/or CD changer at a later time?
You can easily add a TOYOTA CD player later. You need a TOYOTA CD or changer and the CD "fitting kit" that includes mounting brackets and a special Y cable.
You can also get kits from Harry and Coastal to adapt a Jensen CD/MP3 player but not necessarily with full touch-screen functionality.

Adding the Toyota integrated NAV is NOT practical or affordable due to the need to install the GPS antenna/receiver under the dash top (est. 6 to 8 hours of labor), installing the special cables, brackets and NAV ECU (snother 8 hours or so) - all bought at REPLACEMENT prics$$$ At one time, we estimated several thousand $$ in parts alone - NO DVD database at those prices either!

Coastal has a NAV add-on but it does NOT integrate with the Prius touch screen.

CD/MP3 CAN be added later.
NAV "can" be IF you don't insist on factory functionality.
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Excellent. Thank you very much for the info!
options to add on...

Toyota items that have to be installed at the factory (cannot be added later):
GPS/Nav (an annoyance to all of us 2001 owners that were misled by our dealers that we could add it on later! it's a $1900 option on a new Prius, about $4000+ in parts alone (not installation) if you were to try doing it later...)
side air bags
daytime running lights

Toyota items that you or your dealer (or your favorite mechanic) can install:
cruise control (Toyota 2001 cruise control retrofit kit works fine on my 2001, and also on a friend's 2002...)
1CD player OR 6CD changer (use the same bay/connection)
floor mats
cargo net
glass breakage sensor
alloy wheel locks
front end mask
etc.

Harry does offer an aftermarket Jensen CD/MP3 player that will work with the Prius' dash buttons.

CoastalETech also offers a Pioneer GPS/Nav system that'll display on the Prius' dash, but doesn't accept touchscreen inputs... (coastaletech.com has lots of other Prius aftermarket goodies...)

You'll have to see an aftermarket professional if you want Xpel/Clearbra coating, a sun/moonroof, or leather...
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