Rear Visibility When Reverse Parking

[Seamaster73]

I'm still struggling to make my mind up about which spec 2011 Prius to order.

Right now, the T4 seems the most sensible option, but based on my test drive experience and what I read here and elsewhere, I am afeared of ordering a Prius without rear parking sensors (dealer fit option on the T4) or the reversing camera (which means going for a T Spirit, which has all the other kit I don't need).

How are those with T3 and T4 models without rear sensors managing? Are they really necessary? Could T Spirit owners live without the camera? The Prius is a bigger car than I've been used to for several years, and I'll have to live with whatever spec I choose for the next four years.

[S.J.C.]

I'm still struggling to make my mind up about which spec 2011 Prius to order.

Right now, the T4 seems the most sensible option, but based on my test drive experience and what I read here and elsewhere, I am afeared of ordering a Prius without rear parking sensors (dealer fit option on the T4) or the reversing camera (which means going for a T Spirit, which has all the other kit I don't need).

How are those with T3 and T4 models without rear sensors managing? Are they really necessary? Could T Spirit owners live without the camera? The Prius is a bigger car than I've been used to for several years, and I'll have to live with whatever spec I choose for the next four years.

I have a T Spirit, although i do look over my shoulder when reversing, I do find the camera useful, firstly to check nothing is directly behind me as I start reversing, but i find when finishing the reverse say, into a parking bay its a boon to see how far you have to go back to another vehicle or structure. You also have the automatic parking feature. its a bit of a gimmick, I've only used it a couple of times as you've normally done the manouvre by the time you've set it up.

Hope this helps

Steve

[Opifex]

I am a new T-Spirit owner and am finding the camera and parking sensors very useful. I have driven a larger car for many years without any aids and did have occasional problems not being able to see low objects. The high tail on the Prius makes this a lot worse. The camera means that you can be certain that there is nothing in your path before starting to move and the distance lines on the screen allow you to get close to a wall without being in danger of hitting it.

The parking aid provides a useful warning if I am getting too close to something but can be a bit over-cautious. As I reverse into the garage I stay as close as possible to the passenger side wall and the parking sensor complains all the way.

Like a lot of modern developments, I expect I could live without the camera and parking sensors but am very happy to have them.

Hope this helps.

[kithmo]

I find the reversing camera is also very useful for positioning the vehicle alongside the kerb, the lines on the screen show me where I am going to go. This stops me kerbing the alloys when reversing in.

[dwilson]

Like others I find the rear camera very useful, although I use the door mirrors to check as well. With the camera I have been surprised how far I can reverse back safely towards parked cars ! I would go for the T-Spirit

[Jan&tone]

Imho the reversing camera should be standard equipment on ALL cars.... Best bit of kit I've ever had on a car...

[Doesn'tExist]

The truthful answer would that ofcourse I'd manage without the camera. Done so for decades with much bigger vehicles and worse rear view. But you get used to it :-) I wouldn't bother personally with sensors, I've had them on so many cars and can't stand the things without a visual indication as well, BMW provided a good sensor system on my 7 series back in the 90's where it would beep from the Speakers (all 14 of them) in the area where you were getting close that allowed the brain to make a virtual map very easily. But the normal systems drive me up the wall.

The camera is brilliant, not just because of the camera but also the moving lines that work in conjunction with the steering wheel and plot the path. As lets face it, rear visibility of the Prius is one of its worst features (well after the audio system but thats another story).