I put a deposit on an '06 Prius today, but later in the afternoon I got a call from the dealer telling me the HK package isn't available in our region. That's a bummer because I really want the HID lights, but I'm not willing to pay an additional $1900 for the Navigation package that also includes HID.
The HK package is available in California, but not in the pacific northwest. What a dirty trick Toyota is playing!
Does anyone know how the DVD nav system works? Is there a DVD player in the car that could also be used to play movies through an auxillary screen?
It's not Toyota corporate. It's the individual Toyota regions that decide which option packages that they wish to order and stock.
Best way to tell what is available in your area is to go to
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(unfortunately Toyota now forces you to usea Flash-enabled web browser), and on the left side under "ShoppingTools" use the "Build and Price your Prius" option (fill in your ZIPcode) to see what option packages are available in your area. If the option package (as seen at
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) isn't available in yourlocal Toyota region, you'll either have to find a local dealer that iswilling to do a special order or dealer trade with a dealer outside ofyour region. Or, you can input ZIP codes of regions that you arewilling to drive/fly to, and order your Prius in the region that iscarrying the option package that you really want.
The Navigation system stores the map and POI data on a DVD (as opposed to several CDs or a hard drive (HD). It only has mapping software (doesn't have the required MPEG decoder) to be able to play DVD movies. Besides, in many states it is illegal to have a video screen in a vehicle that is viewable to the driver.
There is a demo of the navigation system available on the Lexus website. Pretty much the same system, but some of the dash button locations are different.
Thanks for the reply. The dealer had told me they would probably have to do an inbound transfer at the port, but later called to tell me they aren't allowed to do that any more. It isn't clear to me if this is a dealer policy or policy at the Toyota/regional level.
I live in Oregon (no sales tax), so I'd hate to buy in California and end up paying enough tax that would cover the additional cost of the navigation system. If it were a couple hundred dollars I wouldn't complain, but $1900 is a lot to hand over for something you really don't need/want. I live in a town that measures 5 miles at its widest, so I know all the streets well...
Oh, the sales rep called this morning to tell me about silverstar bulbs. Any word on performance for these bulbs? I suppose that is an option for me, but don't they have a tendency to blind oncoming motorists (no auto-leveling system)? I suppose the same is true of the after-market HID kits I've seen advertised on the web.
Any aftermarket / OEM H.I.D. kits that have autoleveling?
2006 package 6 (HK) comes with the factory HIDs. They do have the autoleveling feature.
And yes, they are very bright. You may need to lower their base level a bit, so as not to be constantly flashed by oncoming drivers.
You might want to call a California dealer (remember that California is split into two different Toyota regions, North and South!), and see if they've done OR sales before. It might be possible for them to not charge the sales tax on an out of state resident driving the vehicle out of state... (When my mother bought her 2002 in RI, living in MA, the dealer collected the MA sales tax, and not the higher RI sales tax.)
I've got package #6 and have never been flashed because of the lights. Maybe my auto-leveler is set correctly or that the drivers around here are used to them (bluish cast). I think there is some adjustment screw on the unit which sits on what normally be would be the rear differential.
Personally, I don't know if they are indeed brighter. I have some (non-HID) higher wattage bulbs in one of my motorcycles and they are bright (80-110 watts verses the stock 55 watt ones). With those I can see "much" farther than the Prius HID lamps and they really annoy other drivers on I-5 by the number of flashes I get even on low beam. Fwiw, the blue color of the spectrum isn't the best region for night vision, it would be better towards the yellow/red portion of the spectrum (having had to read visual densitometers of bygone era). Your eyes aren't normally sensitive to blue.
On the NAV, I'll never have another vehicle without one. I even installed them on the motorcycles and previous car (Garmin units). Only problem with the aftermarket installs is that you need to remove or hide them else they are tempting for a thief. Very useful out of town in unfamiliar locations.
Much brighter, in comparison to my 2001 Prius. I much prefer following my husband in his 2004 with HIDs at night, than just me driving. (I'll even prefer him following me (lights up the road ahead/around me), providing that I dim my rear-view mirror.)
As for the headlight aim, instructions are in the owner's manual to adjust their height. In the US 2004 Prius Owner's Manual, it's in Section 8-3 "Do-It-Yourself Maintenance," "Electrical Components," "Checking the Headlight Aim" on page 302. Even has a little diagram about where to put the screwdriver to move the vertical movement adjusting bolt.
The HIDs autolevel, in that if you have a heavy load in the rear of the vehicle (which would tilt the front of the vehicle up), the headlights automatically dip themselves downward. At least on the Classic Prius as sold in the UK (and maybe elsewhere in Europe), the headlights had a manual adjustment for this occasion (in place of the interior dash dimming wheel found in the US).
yeah, but this is for a car that will be registered, used, and garaged in Oregon. He can't get the option package he wants in Oregon, but might be able to get it in California. Oregon doesn't have a sales tax, so he wants to be able to buy it without paying California taxes on it.
If you live in MN and buy a car in ND, you are charged MN sales tax and outfitted with MN plates. The visa versa is true too. Do you suppose California and Oregon have the same arrangement?
I live in Arizona, but bought my Prius in California. I had to pay California sales tax, but registered the car in Arizona. I paid ten bucks to California for a 24-hour temporary registration that had the provision that I had to get the car out of the state within 24 hours after buying it.
Why not go the other way and buy it in Wa? I checked the package you want appears to be available here and we here in Washington have a long history of not charging Oregon sales tax.
"At least on the Classic Prius as sold in the UK (and maybe elsewhere in Europe), the headlights had a manual adjustment for this occasion (in place of the interior dash dimming wheel found in the US). "
In Europe autolevelling headlights are almost unknown. EU regulations are very heavy on lighting generally. Xenon/HID headlights are available, to some extent, but they are quite different to the US ones and have a very powerful "cut-off" point.
The EU Prius models don't offer HID lighting at all. Nor do they offer auto-levelling at all. My Prius has a little wheel in an inaccessible place below and to the right of my (rhd) steering wheel. In my opinion it is *far* better than auto levelling because it means that with one touch on the little wheel I can get the lights perfectly adjusted to exactly the right spot, ie where I want them. No dazzling, no complaining, no being flashed, no paying extra for ridiculous extras that may pretend to save labour but actually do the opposite...
regards
Jerry PS: just the usual suspects I see, even in this out-of-the-way spot..
IIRC there is some sort of tax agreement in the border area. I recall buying something in Portland (or was it Vancouver?) and being asked if we lived in Washington or Oregon, for tax purposes.
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