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Given how complex the electrical system is on the hybrid, I might stick with a portable/external one, just to not mess with any of that.
-juice
Thanks.
Fun on wheels (CNN)
Steve, Host
So, I would like to get a portable GPS Unit that I can use when I have the need. What is the best Unit?
Are there any units that have Voice Command for instructions?
For example, do any Portable Units let a user say "SBC PARK, and the unit then gives direction to SBC?
Do any Units actually say the street name?
All opinions welcome.
Thank you.
Negatives are system software that crashes. (About 6 times in a week.) Another frustrating thing is that in rural areas, many addresses can't be found, so you can't navagate there. The incomplete map data is not a problem that's limited to Finedrive. Everyone who uses the Navtec maps has same issues, (and Navtec is the best mapping software available for GPS units.) I don't understand why Navtec is not as complete as your typical internet mapping site. Maybe it's a memory restriction problem.
Anyway, I ordered a Lowrance 350c yesterday to replace the Finedrive 400. The Lowrance uses the same Navtec maps as the Finedrive, but the 350c allows you to just point to a place on the map, and navagate there. This feature will allow me to get by with a GPS until the map databases are more complete. The Lowrance also provides many more features than the Finedrive, and at a slightly lower price.
The only problem with the Lowrance is that it won't be available for another week or two.
Or maybe Annete Benning, I think the movie was American President, because she keeps saying "AJ" to Mr. Pres and that's my name.
Not sure about which portable NAV systems take voice input, but many give voice commands. The Garmin StreetPilot c340 uses text-to-speech to tell you street names, and the price is right, you should be able to find it for $600, maybe less.
Check out Crutchfield, their web site has the best descriptions and comparison info, if not the best prices.
-juice
I think that we're at least 2 or 3 years away from mass acceptance of factory-installed systems in popular-priced vehicles. Right now, nav is too expensive. It's one thing to pony up an extra $1500+ when you're buying a $40K car, but it's altogether different when you're shopping the $20-25K segment. The tipping point will come when the price of full-featured systems falls well below $1K. (My hunch is that $750 will turn out to be the magic number.)
Consider the history of factory-installed automotive A/C. In 1958, fewer than 2% of all new American cars were shipped with it. By 1968, that number was nearly 40%. During that 10-year period, A/C units got both better & cheaper, while the base price of new cars climbed. Folks who wouldn't consider spending an extra $650 to cool a $2K car were willing to add $525 to the price of a $3500 car. Something like this has to happen to nav.
For buyers at this price point, the aftermarket nav units are a far better buy. Suppose that Honda offered nav as an option for the CR-V. (It doesn't, of course.) Would I have ordered it? Absolutely not; my Garmin c330 set me back $550, & I can move it among our 3 vehicles.
I was also influenced by reading an article about GM offering a Tom Tom unit on the Opel Astra as part of a promotion in Europe. Nav units are all the rage in Europe, but dash units are too expensive for cars in the Astra class.
Eventually factory prices will come down so that they are common options.
Mark
Now take a smaller volume maker, and it's much harder to make a profit, because they'll probably only sell half as many, if that.
Having said that, you can also get NAV on the Mazda3 and Mazda5, but that's probably because Ford had to engineer a solution for the Volvo S40/V50 and basically the Mazda3 inherited it from those.
-juice
-mike
Is that what you are taking on the 48hrs? We'll know what you're up to if you are not driving:-).
Mark
BTW, if you can post up and try to get some of the folks on Edmunds to come that would ROCK!
I got Sunday the 8th off so I'm good to go. I'll be rested by friday afternoon too.
-mike
You gotta update them, for instance an exit near me changed and it still thinks I'm off route when I take it.
But for roads it knows, it's very, very accurate, down to the city block even.
-juice
-juice
Thieves may not know that, though, and steal it anyway.
-juice
It comes with a spare charger, which we'll use in my wife's car, plus a tripod mount that's supposed to stick on the dash. I prefer the idea of a suction cup mount, so I'll use that if it comes with one.
I'll share impressions once we get it.
-juice
First the database is much larger on OEM units. The DVD based navigation units feature 4.7Gigs of information in comparison to the Megs on some units. Second, the touch-screens on the portable units are much, much smaller. Most PNDs feature a 3.5-4" screen while Honda/Acura features an 8" on some vehicles and 7" on Toyota/Lexus. Newer cars will incorporate even larger displays that are extremely bright and vivid. Lastly, the embedded navigation screen collaborates with other devices. Unlike the stand alone units the OEM versions work with other components. For example, when voice-prompts are provided the stereo will mute one or more speakers. The PNDs don't do that unless you buy an integration kit. Plus most OEM systems incorporate a gyro and speed pulse inputs to continue guidance in the absence of GPS signal which commonly occurs in tunnels, urban jungles and areas of high-intensity electromagnetic fields. Simply, you get more for your dollars.
I do not want anyone to consider this bashing of the PNDs. They are an effective low-cost alternative in comparison to expensive navigation systems found in some OEM vehicles. There are several benefits to either system which each user must decide which is best suited for their needs. However, I cannot stand by and listen to people disseminate bad information.
Yeah OEM ones are cool if you want to fork over a ton of cash to the dealer or you aren't a car-person and want it all just installed and forget about it.
I would say the only advantage the OEM units have over the aftermarket ones is that you can get car data on them, and you can also control some functions of the vehicle via the screens.
-mike
The portables really shine when it comes to bang for the buck. I can use my Garmin in any of our 3 cars. Consider the cost of replacing each of those 3 with a new vehicle equipped with factory nav. Moreover, we keep our cars for at least 8-10 years. An OEM system will be obsolete long before the rest of the car wears out. Replacing it will be either impossible or ridiculously expensive. But an obsolete portable unit can be replaced in minutes for a few hundred dollars.
Bottom line: the factory systems are 3-4 times more costly than the portables but don't provide 3-4 times the functionality. The future may belong to the OEM systems, but not until they come down drastically in price. As I said in an earlier post, the tipping point is probably somewhere around $750. At that price point, the OEM systems will make more sense than the portables. Until then, the portables will be far more appealing to the value-oriented buyer.
The advantages of aftermarket is primarily cost and, perhaps, higher frequency of (& cheaper) updates.
in comparison to the Megs on some units
False.
I have a 1GB SD card in my c320 and it does not fit the entire country, so it actually takes about 2GB of data to include all the Garmin info (roads and points of interest). Plus, a DVD has a capacity of 4.7GB, but that doesn't mean it's full.
Considering I paid about 1/5th as much, I'd say my PND is a *much* better value than the Pilot's.
When you consider that I use my Garmin in all 3 cars, well, the $404 I paid is a lot cheaper than the $6000 it would cost me on all 3 cars in my fleet.
OK, to be fair, the extra mounting bracket was $33. So I paid $437. That's slightly less if my math is correct. :P
PNDs don't do that unless you buy an integration kit
Not true, the latest ones do. And act as MP3 players, and can even receive Sat. Radio, XM traffic and all, just like the RL only for less than half the cost.
Simply, you get [a little] more for your [5 times as many] dollars
Fixed that for you.
One last thing - Acura's NAV excludes competing dealers from its database, i.e. a BMW dealer is not listed. So if you own an Acura and want to take your wife to pick up her BMW for service, you're NAV is useless.
Acura is not alone, Audi's MMI was not able to locate Miller Subaru in PA when a buddy and I took a road trip up there. Basically, they discriminate and limit the information available to you. Big Brother, anyone?
While built-in is harder to steal, that is perhaps the primary advantage, and you didn't even mention that. Yes the gyro keeps it accurate in tunnels, but so what? My Garmin positions you in the tunnel and pick up where it left off as soon as you get out. Since there are not too many turns inside of tunnels, that's probably OK for most folks. :surprise:
-juice
-juice
That's odd. My Toyota allows you to input an address as a destination even if the address leads to a BMW or Acura dealership. I'm surprised Acura doesn't allow this. Wow, that is useless.
Defeating the entire purpose of NAV. :mad:
-juice
My Garmin c330 has not exhibited the misbehavior that you experienced with your 2720. In fact, it's been faultless.
There is, however, no doubt the OEM units should perform better. They are "engineered" to be integrated into the car they come in after all, and are much more expensive. Whether they do perform better or not remains to be seen. If they continue to "mess" with them (as denoted in above messages) the manufacturers may kill their desirability and leave the market to portables!
Our Garmin is, too. With one advantage - it doesn't deactivate some features when you're in Drive like the built-in one does.
The Garmin c series is touch-screen, very easy to use. The suction cups hold so tight I can't really remove them unless I pop the retaining clip.
-juice
I would also mention bluetooth phones, but the portables are starting to get in on that, too, so that is no longer a distinct advantage.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
One thing I am using my 2610 for now is an annual trip we do every year, with a different route. The convenience factor is I can plan the trip ahead of time, lay in all my waypoints,then download the route to the Garmin ahead of time.
I do not believe you can do that on a built in NAV unit.
Mark
I see most mentioned here is Garmin. I don't require use of a notebook, just finding my way from pt.A-B with an easy to use unit. I would like one that is easy for old eyes (62).
Any thought on these two units?
Basically I carry the unit inside, in my house, and sit on the couch to enter several addresses before I head out on a road trip.
I did this with our mailing list - basically entered every address we have. Boom, all set, now every place we go in on there.
When I got the school directory, I entered all my child's friends names and their addresses. So if she goes some place after school, all I need to know is the child's name, I already have all the addresses.
I guess you could do this in your car, but it takes a while and you'd need the key in the ignition. It's much more convenient doing it on the couch.
-juice
I wanted to review the following with all of the current and future forum readers.
The DVD map disc is completely full - the map disc is loaded with lots of POIs. Whether it's from Pioneer, Alpine, Honda, Jaguar or Toyota... the content is vastly superior. In fact the PNDs (with 2GBs of memory)hold less than half of a DVD map disc - something to consider when evaluating your options.
OEM units are covered by the vehicle's insurance. If something should happen to the vehicle (vandalism, accident, etc.) your automotive policy will cover the loss less your deductible. PNDs are not covered by the auto policy since they are not bolted the vehicle or occupy the space of a factory component. Some additional insurance is availble to cover extra stuff from various companies. Additionally, your home owner's insurance policy may cover the loss. I would definitely consult your insurance policies for specific details.
As mentioned previously in another post PNDs are much more attractive for thieves since they are portable. Just look back to radar detectors when they were all the rage in the early 80s. They used to call cars with a radar detector stuck to the windshield a "BMW" or..."break my window." Be sure to move them out of sight after use to prevent un aggravation.
Lastly, the OEM navigation units are more expensive but offer a greater value. As some users have mentioned not having to deal with taking the unit in and out of the car is a benefit as is the integration of other functions such as: climate control, radio, CD-changer, automotive diagnostics, back-up camera, XM ,MP3 players (iPod), etc. Unfortunetly, due to the stand-alone nature of the PNDs interfacing to the vehicle isn't possible except through the use of some interface devices. While some PNDs (like Clarion's N.I.CE.) do incorporate media input/output they aren't truely integrated with the car.
Some people don't mind and even like programing the unit inside their home... that is a preference I wouldn't even argue with; after all it is a preference! As is evident from the forums some users like to program their trip route at home while others prefer to do it on the go! It really depends on how the product is being utilized. A hybrid of this can be found on Cadillac's STS and some Audi vehicles . They allow users to 'beam' their information from their PDA which is pretty cool too.
In summary users must decide which system satisfies their needs! What is more important... the portability of the device or it being fixed? Is the longer warranty worth more money on OEM units or is one-year okay? Is the larger database (POIs) a positive or negative? Is the ability to collaborate with other devices an important feature? And the list goes on!
If we look beyond PNDs or OEM units installed aftermarket navigation units can bridge some of these gaps between these devices. This statement, I am sure, will lead to even more debate which I look forward to!
They simply want exceptional performance during normal driving conditions in any environment. Whether that be in a large (above or underground) parking structure, urban canyon or forrest which could inhibit GPS reception. Like telecommunications services, they also seek 99.9% reliability when offering route guidance.