The 2005 Prius does not come with an auxiliary 1/8″ stereo input jack to send iPhone music through the car stereo.
Option 1 – FM transmitter
Pros – $40 or less, easy, works will all cars
Cons – No charging capability, low to terrible sound quality, will drop out especially in major areas with many radio stations, no integration to cars stereo controls (like skip)
Option 2 – Cassette adapter
Pros – $10 or less, easy
Cons – No charging capability, lower sound quality, not all cars have cassette decks, no integration to cars stereo controls (like skip)
Option 3 – 3rd party add-in iPod connection
DICE iPod Car Integration Unit – discontinued
GROM Audio
Pros – Prius stereo controls work, Charges iPod, Good sound quality, can use old iPod/iPhone as dedicated device
Cons – Likely no longer available + DIY installation of 1-2 hours, iPod interface not supported on newer devices
Option 4 – 3rd party add-in 1/8″ input
Pros – Works with any device. Good sound quality but must set volume on phone, can use old iPod/iPhone as dedicated device
Cons – $150 + DIY installation of 1-2 hours, no charging
Option 5 – 3rd party add-in for Bluetooth
Carstream BT101TOY – Crutchfield – $160 if DIY
MediaBridge AMBR1500TOY – $130 discontinued
GROM Audio Bluetooth adapter – not recommended – could not get to reliably connect
Pros – Works with any Bluetooth device. Good sound quality.
Cons – $100-$160 + DIY installation of 1-2 hours, no charging. Location of Bluetooth antenna can cause it not to be reliable.
Option 6- Replace head-unit
Kenwood DDX371 ~$250 + $200 installation
Pros – Get a new system with additional features like DVD and touchscreen.
Cons – Cost – $200-$500, DIY for only the brave.
Recommendation
The 2005 Prius is an old car and the importance of audio has to be balanced with the value of the car. In my case, I installed two 3rd party options over the years and it was more pain than it was worth. The first was Option 3 (iPod adapter) that work well for 5 years but had no bluetooth or iPhone capability. The 2nd DYI lasted less than a year. I went to a shop that does installations (Best Buy) and was happy to have someone who installs all the time just take car of it. I could have economized by going with a non-touch screen unit and not installing a new hands-free microphone. I also utilized the USB connection to plug in a flash drive rather than an iPod. In other words, I can play music on the flash drive (which is always in the car) or via Bluetooth from my iPhone.
