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Comments
You were smart to come here and ask, but you SHOULD have come in when you were told this so folks could have let you know before you purchased the wrong car.
How about just calling some other Honda dealerships and ask them before you purchased the wrong car? I bet they would have set you straight and may have had the right car on the lot.
They don't "owe" you anything and you DID sign to buy the car you have - so you got what you paid for. You now have a used car and you want to trade it in for a new one, so it is going to cost you a good bit of money.
I would get over it and buy a TomTom Go or Garmin C series or 2610/2620 GPS for $500-800 and then be a LOT smarter in your next car deal. But if you are dead set on the Honda NAV, then sell your car and buy one or shop other dealers for a trade for one. But with a used car (and new ones going so cheap right now) it is really going to cost you.
You know how to tell when most car sales persons are lying? Their lips are moving.
Dennis
I have a 1996 Dodge Intrepid which I recently replaced the factory radio with a new one but left the factory speakers, as is. However a friend of mine who just purchased a new Nissan Z350 is replace the factory bose system with a whole new fancy set up. He has afford to give me the bose speakers to go with my new Radio. I am not looking for a rattle the windows, piss off the neighbors sound system, Just an upgrade. But the man at the local audio store told me bose speakers only work with a bose radio. Is this true or is he trying to make a sale.
if it were me - and i can get lost fairly easily - $5900 just isn't a compelling price-point for the technology, specially when you compare it to aftermarket.
while i get lost - but i also seem to get where i need to go.
this is technology which unless you are travelling unknown roads all the time, will probably not be used often. only you know this for sure. for the times you do drive unknown roads, buy one of those floating compasses with the suction cup, and use mapquest before you get in the car. remember routes N/S are generally odd numbered, and routes E/W are even numbered, and like all rules, sometimes they are broken.
i suggest you move on and save the $$$.
maybe the salesman told you what he knew to be the truth at the time you asked him/her.
enjoy your ride.
Does anyone know about or have experience with Delorme Blue Logger GPS receiver for a laptop? It's described at
Delorme Blue Logger.
Thanks again, this has been very helpful, kind of.
Dorothy
still
BTW I test-drove a Honda Accord EX V-6 at John Eagle Honda in Houston and it was great experience. Love the acceleration, and the handling and brakes and the Accord I was driving had the Silver Star wheels; it makes it very nice. VERY luxurious IMO.
Here is a picture of the wheels if you don't know what I'm talking about:
http://automobiles.honda.com/models/exterior_accessories.asp?ModelName=Accord+Coupe
I concur that it would not be cost effective to spend $5,900 to trade your vehicle for one equipped with the original equipment Honda Navigation system (It is a great fully-integrated voice controlled system though). Typically, it would have cost you $1,800 to $2,000 more than you paid to have a factory equipped Accord with Navigation. That means that your dealer is asking $3,000 to swap cars. You can expect that if you trade your car to a dealer you will get about $2,000 less than if you sell it to a private party. That seems to put you about $1,000 apart.
I recommend that you consider selling your car privately and purchase a new one equipped the way that you like it.
If you are considering aftermarket Navigation systems, even though the price of the DeLorme Blue Logger system seems attractive, it would require you to have a VERY DISTRACTING laptop computer open on the seat next to you while you are driving. I believe that the DeLorme system has NO voice directions. That is a major deficit.
You should check the Magellen and Garmin units that sit on your dashboard, they provide voice directions so that you keep your eyes safely on the road. Units of that type cost upwards of $1,000. Now we are back to whether that amount of money, added to a private party sale of your vehice, at the below-invoice pricing that Accords are selling at today, might make the earlier choice a better one.
I don't mean to confuse you, but to provide choices to consider. Good luck, whichever option you choose.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0001MHL0Y/motorcyctoure-20
You can get the Garmin Street Pilot 2610 for $620 or a refurbished one for $550. Same design as the 2620 - touch screen, remote, talking directions, etc - but the 2610 comes with a 128mb CD card. You can get a larger card to load up more maps.
You can get the newer Garmin C320 for less than < $600 from online discount places. It also comes pre-load with all the US maps so no PC is needed.
With all the deep discounts on Accords now, someone would have to DEEPLY discount a used one to compete against the dealers with cheap financing, trade ins, and cheap leases. That would put the price way away from what the dealer is offering.
I still don't understand why someone would shop one dealer and trust what one dealer told them. Shop and around and ask before deciding on something - like to give up the NAV system that was wanted. If you just call around a car with NAV could have been found and all this grief could have been avoided.
Dennis
Best Regards
highroller
but seriously - i'd forget about the voice nav.
if you want to be impressed by voice technology - get a good speech recognition program for your laptop and dictate your experiences.
better yet, nix the software and use an old fashion journal. stick receipts, place mats, match book covers in it which you collect along the way.
heck, sell the accord and get a motorcycle.
Dorothy
Here are some screen display dimensions for the navigation units being discussed:
Honda Accord - 6.25" Wide X 3.5" High, 7" Diagonal
Garmin 2620 - 3.3" Wide X 1.7" High, 3.75" Diagonal
Garmin 2610 - 3.3" Wide X 1.7" High, 3.75" Diagonal
Garmin C320 - 2.8" Wide X 2.1" High, 3.5" Diagonal
I know which one would be easiest to read while travelling down the Interstate. I also know which one performs hands-free in response to my spoken voice commands. Sometimes we get what we pay for.
ok - if you're travelling in the footsteps of your ancestors, there's always the horse and wagon.
let the journal be your company. seriously - if you want the most from the experience, it's going to be a challenge but it may very well be worth forgoing the technology.
enjoy the experience.
If any else has more input please say so.
Thank You
In this case, however it is $550-800 for a Garmin VS $5,000-7,000 for selling her now used non-NAV car and buying a NAV equipped one.
In this case it makes a lot more sense to get an aftermarket GPS than to sell a new car and lose thousands on the deal.
Of course, calling around and finding the NAV equipped car before settling for the non-NAV car would have been a much wiser move
I can't believe you missed the whole point of MY post and went and looked up all those screen sizes, just to try to prove YOUR (way off base) point...
Dennis
- Trading in your new car and taking the devaluation hit (after just taking the deval hit on your 1st Accord) is not good value, especially when there are plenty of good aftermarket choices for nav. If you must have new accord, I'd take my business to a different dealership. Then, I'd drive the brand new accord to the 1st dealer and tell them they lost your loyal Honda business for good. Then, I'd write to the Honda Area Representative and tell them why you're so pissed off and your going to give Toyota serious consideration in all future car/truck purchases.
- Don't buy a laptop nav solution. laptops are too big/bulky to work in a car, and seriously annoying if there's a passenger in the seat next to you.
- controls are very difficult when in a car (keyboard & touchpad)
- screen is almost impossible to see during the day.
- any mounting products will be expensive
- laptop will be a pain to hide everytime you get out of the car (to prevent theft)
- Do consider:
- PDA (personal digital assistant, i.e. iPAQ (HP), Palm, & even one by Garmin) based nav solution
- Dedicated nav device (similar to PDA based, but does only nav)
- Aftermarket, in-dash nav (mounts in the radio (DIN) slot)
- The above three choices (& there are many in each category) are almost as good as the factory nav, but a whole lot cheaper (a little more later on why these are not better than factory solutions). There are some that are much worse also.
- The important message here is that you don't have to get Honda factory nav to have an excellent nav solution in your car
- Some feature overview for these aftermarket nav soutions
- many use maps from Navteq (used be "Navtech") the same people that supply maps to all the major car makers for their factory nav solution. (this is probably one of the most important factors).
- Features incld: voice prompts, dynamic re-routing, Points of Interests (retaurant, hotel, gas, etc), moving map display, ability to buy map updates, enter destination from the PDA contact list, record your travel route, 3-D map view, ability to change the voice for the voice promt, route preference by freeway, local roads & option for toll roads, automatic color schemes for daytime & night time (so the screen isn't blindingly bright at night). zoom and pan the map, ETA, distance to destination, elapsed time, etc.. (list goes on)
- PDA's use a touch screen and the better/newer versions have big buttons so you can use your finger to tap the information in.
- My opinion on essentials: Navteq map, dynamic re-routing, clear voice promts, fast routing engine, easy to use interface.
- PDA solution almost always force you to "cut up" the map on a PC and transfer it to the PDA (some dedicated units do as well). This is because the map of the whole USA is HUGE and there isn't enough storage (memory) on the PDA to store it all, so they make you cut out a few States or regions and transfer to PDA. The maps are huge because there is so much infomration for routing (one-way or not, speed, turn limitations , no left/right turns), road class, also Points of Interest data base). I heard that the whole USA map is about 1-1/2 gigabytes. usually factory nav and in-dash nav units store the map on a DVD disc moutend somewhere.
- As I mentioned earlier, factory nav is better than almost any aftermarket nav. Why? Because no matter how good these PDA/dedicated/other nav solutions are, they almost always rely on one sensor, the GPS. A few high end aftermarket solutions (in-dash units) use multiple sensors like the factory nav does. These other sensors are speed sensor, steering sensor and most importantly a gyro. This is important because GPS requires a view of the sky to know it's location. Enter a tunnel or drive around in downtwon new york or san francisco and your GPS signal is lost or very weak/sporadic. The additional sensors help the nav system guess where your going even with a temporary loss of GPS signal. Keep in mind no amount of addional sensor will help if you loose GPS signal for an extended period.
- I've tried many nav solutions and i'm currently using a PDA variety and I'm very happy. It also suits my particular needs (which may not match other's needs). I travel and when I do I grab my nav & GPS and fly to my destination. WHen I arrive & rent a car, I plug in the cigarette power and i'm ready to drive. I"ve tried the Hertz "neverlost" gps nav and it sux [non-permissible content removed] man. I"ve also tried the laptop nav and all the above mentioned issues were learned the hard way.
Thanks!
http://automobiles.honda.com/images/2005/accord_coupe/customize/ACCOR05437_mid.jpg
Some other points - you can get a Garmin 2650 or 2660 "professionally installed" and it does "Dead reckoning" using a cable that attaches to the speedometer cable or electronics and the back up lights. These are the same GPS units as the 2610 and 2620 with this added feature. The price of these installed would (indeed) approach the price of an OEM system, however.
Another thing to note, having a non-OEM GPS means you can use it in any car. I have 3 cars, 2 motorcycles, and truck and I can use my Garmin 276c or GPS V in any or them. My wife can use her GPS in either of her cars, or out daughter can borrow it. Depending on the GPS model some can be used hand held for hikes or geocahcing - or even on a boat.
If you only have one car and you want a GPS, most OEM systems are integrated really nice and would be an (expensive) best choice.
Dennis
I know the V-6 LX and I4 LX use different size steel wheels (1" larger diameter on the V-6) and I assumed this would be to clear the larger brakes on the V-6 car. Unless the lugs are different, I don't know why it would not fit.
Aftermarket wheels are probably a cheaper choice, in any case.
Dennis
you seem to be on a mission to hold someone accountable for the current outcome.
i don't want to kill the experience for you - sway you one way or another - but i thought you might want to consider that at this point you're dealing with a known quantity (the operation / quality of the build of the vehicle which you're currently driving)... say you are put into another car after putting up additional funds and going through the hassle to "win". my hope is there are no issues with the replacement vehicle - and also - that you don't set up a situation with the dealership that makes future service a pain (i don't know the market you are in and your choices for who services the car under warrenty).
i supposed you've taken both issues into consideration at this point.
good luck.
I'm trying to stay within range of the oem specs as much as possible so that I can avoid any premature wear and tear. Both the i4 and v6 models use 5-lugs but my concerns stem from the www.hondacars.com website, which won't display any 16" or above alloy wheel as an option for any i4.
What are some of the disadvantages / trade-off's of going with a lower profile tire? (If I do go with it I'm considering the Avon Tech M500 215/50-R17.)
Would you reccomend any good aftermarket alloys (in terms of specs and aesthetics)
Thanks !
I would go to the TireRack.com web page and use their "wheel machine" to try various tires and wheels onto your Accord and see what you think about them. They have all ranges of prices and styles - and can sell you the wheels with new tires pre-mounted on them (mounting and balancing for free with the package).
All of the wheels they sell should be OEM offset - you are wise not to go for something too wide or too offset. Some may think it looks cool (I don't) but it is heck on your car's suspension.
Lower profile tires look better
The downside is that all but the most expensive wheels will be a lot heavier than OEM steel wheels (or even alloys). Larger un-sprung weight detracts from handling even as the lower profile improves it. Also the ride will be a lot more firm - that is good thing at a race track but can be a bad thing on pot hole filled roads. With so little rubber between the road and the rim you can hit a curb or pop hole and easily bend a rim.
Wider tires also tend to hydroplane worse as well as being worse in the snow.
So there is lot to think about when deciding to get new and different size rims and tires.
The Avon MTech gets good reviews and tests on the TireRack site, but I have never used them. Another to look at are tires from the Kumho line - a lot of performance for a little money. I have used their tires on several different cars with good results. TireRack sells these as well. If you never drive in snow, a "summer tread" tire will out perform most all season tires in both the wet and dry and would be your first choice. After that is a trade off of grip VS wear. They make tires that will last you 70k miles or more, but they are pretty darn hard so braking distance will go up and cornering down. Something nice and soft may wear out quick (the OEM rears on my S2000 lasted 12k miles or so) but provive short, safe stops and ultimate grip. Soft tires tend to cost more too
Dennis
If you try installing the speakers with no amplification you may end up screwing up your deck. BOSE speakers are 3 ohm instead of 4 ohm I believe which will cause them to try and pull more power from your headunit. I would really recommend either forgetting about the BOSE speakers altogether or getting a 4 ch amp for everything. There are many sites online with people complaining about Nissan BOSE installations....doesn't seem like there is much of a reason to put that in your car.
good luck
The display is smaller than the factory systems. The factory systems have bigger screens: but the Garmin can be located much closer to your line of sight.
For $6-700 it's a no-brainer.
Thanks
Im sure you've since worked on this but in case you havent, maybe check out Crutchfield.com. I ordered a replacement dash piece that makes the climate controls still look good with the aftermarket receivers..bout $150..I think installing premium sound equip is the way to go, alpine, pioneer, etc.
I don't want to modify the head unit at all .. as I like the integration, and navi. It seem to me that I could get away with just replacing the speakers.
So, if I am willing to throw $500-1K at the problem, what would people recommend that would not require an external amp, or other system modifications ... just a plug-and-play swap.
Does one have to add an amp to get best results?
Most people who buy them don't bother to do performance tests before they replace the stock system, so they have no idea. I've yet to find a K&N user that documented before and after performance and mpg.
Do you REALLY want to have to handle a messy, dirty, oily air filter, have to wash it out, rinse it, dry it and reoil it before reinstalling it and having to clean up the mess on whatever surfaces you've contaminated? YECHHHH!
I gave up on oil soaked air filters the day that I read that all manufacturers were going to the much more effective pleated paper type back in the 1960's. Pull out the old one, pop in a new one and off you go in a few minutes.
If anyone claims that they've experienced "noticeable increases in gas mileage or performance" with a K&N, I wouldn't believe a word of it. They do have great advertising though.