I placed my order at the dealer yesterday. I inquired about cruise control and GPS navigation. They are not available, but the salesperson said "if they are on future productions, I'm sure our service department can add those features on your car".<br><br>Since she seems to know less than I do about the Prius in general, I'm not sure I should trust her on this. Does anyone have a more definitive answer about adding cruise control and GPS navigation in the future, and the cost estimates?<br><br>That computer screen has got to do more than displaying power consumption! I heard on the Japanese models you can actually watch TV on it :-)<br><br>By the way, I was charged $40 document fees in addition to tax and license. I didn't object.

Priusman seems to think that adding cruise control will be very difficult. <br><br>I would be very concerned with any comments that a salesperson makes that include words like should, I would imagine, as far as I know, etc. Past experience has proven that salespeople will say anything to close a sale.

Thanks for the feedback from what you're hearing from the dealers. We take the info we receive and counsel with our live-chat reps, our CR phone reps, our training dept and to our regional offices who work with our dealers. Training is a key element for the success of the Prius launch. This club has been a great help for us to react to conditions taking place in the market. Thanks. Priusman

On the cruise control, as I have stated to other concerned consumers, it will be very difficult if not impossible and potentially expensive to attempt to add after production. Several components will need to be added or replacement.<br>The Factory Navigation system cannot be added after production since it requires a unique wiring harness.<br>As for the center screen, after the ignition switch is turned on "Toyota" and our logo appear for a few seconds before the "Energy" monitor appears. This screen with the illustration of engine, motor, battery and wheels describes how the hybrid system is currently operating, energy flow and battery capacity. It updates every 2 seconds.<br>Behind that is a fuel consumption screen which displays average fuel consumption and energy recovery in five minute increments over the past 30 minutes and current fuel consumption.<br>Both these screens feature outside temperature at the top.<br>When the display button is pushed the screen will show the six radio station pre-sets plus contrast and brightness controls. A day mode for screen brightness when the lights are on is also found here.<br>Your AM/FM pre-sets and tuning is found here as well as bass, treble, balance and fade adjustments.<br>Cassette controls also appear on the screen.<br>Priusman

Priusman, do you have a date as to when cruise control will be available in the Prius? Also the GPS system?<br><br>Thanks<br>Tom

We are still studying the issue. We will tap a variety of sources for data to make a decision. While there appears to be strong interest from some of the members of this 20 person club, we need to get feedback from all corners before the decision is made. Yes, i am being vague because there are many factors beyond demand which need consideration. So while I can't give you any commitments, I can tell you we are listening. PM

Thanks for your prompt and informative response. I'm aware of the many features on the screen. I was half joking in my original message. Still, given the high-tech status of the car, and the prominent position of the screen, GPS navigation is such a natural function there. I know it wouldn't be a simple slap-on to add this feature, but are you saying the required "unique wiring harness" would make the future retrofitting extremely expensive? That would be really sad.<br><br>I think the cruise control issue will turn out to be much bigger than Toyota expected. True, the Prius is a "city" car. But the flip side is that it will almost certainly be the most fuel efficient car in the customer's garage. Guess which car the customer will want to take to Vegas, the Prius or the Land Cruiser? Come to think of it, the Prius is also the perfect "desert" car thanks to its cruising range. I don't know about you, but I want cruise control when I'm crossing Nevada :-)

&gt;&gt;I think the cruise control issue will turn out to be much bigger than Toyota expected. &lt;&lt;<br><br>Toyota Canada continues to say the Canadian model will come equipped with cruise control. It does seem odd that it is not included or even offered at extra cost in the U.S. configuration, given that in most other respects this car is "fully loaded". Having just returned from a week in Utah and Wyoming, I can confirm that it's a great feature to have in parts of the U.S.!

I also put down the $500 deposit today.<br><br>I too am quite disappointed that the GPS system will not be available. It would have been a natural for this car!<br><br>As I live in the NY Metro area, cruise control is kind of useless for me but I would have purchased it anyway if it was available.<br><br>I have a different question.<br><br>One of my friends owns a couple of Audis. He can connect the Audi's computer to his laptop's serial port with a special cable and diagnostic software which he purchased off the Internet for a few hundred dollars. He can do this even when he is driving and can set various parameters to his liking.<br><br>Are there any plans to make any interfaces like these available for the Prius? This may make the Prius the ultimate customizable car!

Skapur 1,<br>Gee I hope that no such interfaces are available. The engineers have designed alot of firewalls into the system. This is a well choreographed ballet between all the ECUs and sensor, tweeking inputs could really hamper how the car is designed to perform As an mfgr. we certify the car at very specific performance and emissions ranges and we're on the hook to over 100K with certain spec by state/fed regulators to maintain those performance specs...

On a "fly-by-wire" car like the Prius, the cruise control function is pure software, and the decision of not enabling this function on US cars is probably pure marketing. My guess is the code is already in the firmware. It will be turned on in future productions when Toyota decides it's time to have a "new and improved" Prius for the US market.<br><br>I won't be surprised to see standard cruise control and optional GPS navigation by Christmas. I think I'll hold on to my order for now. But if there's still no clear "upgrade path" by the time my car arrives, I certainly won't take delivery.

Cars are certified to very specific parameters which are required to be maintained for significant years and miles. While some accessories could be programmable in the future, those settings in operating systems which can effect emissions and performance are required to be designed to resist outside tampering. PM

Paul,<br>Its more than a software issue. The particular ECUs involved are not reprogammable and requires replacement of those computers. Plus the addition of supporting components such as the actuator and other control features. PM

&gt;&gt;Plus the addition of supporting components such as the actuator and other control features.<br><br>I know we've beaten this to death but... why would we need additional actuators for cuise control? Isn't the Prius already "fly-by-wire"? As for control buttons, we can just add a "page" in the touch-screen, much like the stereo controls. The brake and accelerator can still disengage cruise control quickly, just like on regular cars.