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Navigation GPS Systems

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  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Search back in this very thread for "compar", because links were provided to full comparison tests.

    If you're thinking about one particular model, ask and I'm sure someone that owns one will chime in.

    There are just far too many models sold now to answer that in one shot.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    "OnStar service does not yet provide real-time traffic information or rerouting without another phone call to the operator"

    We wondered about that when we discussed it, but it looks like OnStar will not revise the directions if you make a wrong turn (or a road is closed). That's a bit of a pain.

    Also interesting is that FoMoCo had the best and the worst OEM systems. The Lincoln Zephyr took first, and two other Fords were among the bottom 5.

    Proof we can't generalize and say "Ford's NAV is nice".

    -juice
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    Surprisingly there are some good portable units under $700 so you should be fine in this price range. I guess it all depends on what you are looking for. I found the TomTom One to be user friendly and TomTom maps are quality which is very important. It's definitely worth a look! ;)
  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    I will be reading through this thread but thought I’d put the question first in an attempt to save some time. My wife asked me for a GPS with Bluetooth for Christmas and I know nothing about them. Anyone have a quick recommendation or direction to point me in? I don’t know what features I should be looking for. Money is not a factor but I don’t like squandering money either. Thanks.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    This is a great deal at well under $700.

    http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11159739&whse=BC&topnav=&browse- =
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    designman,

    I understand your wife's desire. But Bluetooth is fine for phone conversations when the microphone and speaker are near your mouth and ear, and you don't care about the additional battery power draw on your phone and bluetooth headset.

    A Global Positioning Satellite Navigation System doesn't need the complication and additional battery power draw of a Bluetooth phone connection.

    Your wife's phone calls will be much clearer to both parties of the conversation if she doesn't have to yell and try to listen over the distance to the dashboard or windshield where the Navigation System will be mounted.

    My recommendation is a handsfree wired headset for the phone. Garmin's nüvi line of pocketable Navigation Systems is a great place to start your research.

    http://www.garmin.com/products/nuvi/
  • designmandesignman Member Posts: 2,129
    Blane, she wants the phone coming through the car's speakers. If I got a nuvi, can you make another suggestion for the bluetooth without a headset? Thanks again.
  • topgun7topgun7 Member Posts: 412
    Thank you everyone for your help. I order a Nuvi 350 from costco tonight. Will keep you guys posted about my experience with the unit.
  • places2driveplaces2drive Member Posts: 3
    Do any of these systems identify scenic roads? Or do they allow alternate routes?

    Most online mapping takes you down the superslab whether you want to or not. I was just wondering if you could set some sort of preference.

    : Add Your Favorite Drives
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    designman,

    Nüvi sounds come from their built-in speakers. It is possible to route the sound through the car's speakers using an FM modulator or cassette adapter. But it probably will not be an elegant solution, such as muting a running radio program or CD as do original equipment built-in navigation systems that incorporate Bluetooth direct from the auto factory.

    You may want to do some research here:

    http://tinyurl.com/yhp8zv
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    places2drive,

    My Garmin nüvi 350 lets me select the following Route Preferences: Faster Time, Shorter Distance and Off Road

    It allows you to choose the following Avoidances: Traffic, U-Turns, Highways, Unpaved Roads, Toll Roads and Ferries

    It also allows you to choose the following Vehicles: Car/Motorcycle, Pedestrian, Bicycle, Truck and Bus

    Your judicious selections from the above choices should provide the results that you are looking for. I'm confident that the more advanced portable systems, such as the nüvis, provide similar choices.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    What would be really nice would be Bluetooth audio integrated into car factory stereos. It would allow you to connect to Bluetooth MP3 players, portable GPS systems or multi-function devices that support BT stereo audio without having to plug wires into any AUX audio jacks.
    Bluetooth audio would provide wireless audio without the noisy static of wireless FM adapters.
    This technology already exists since Bluetooth stereo headphones are on the market and I don't see why the technology could not be applied to other devices.
    No dangling wires required if you run the device on batteries and they could even have a USB power docking station built into the car to eliminate wires for charging/mounting the device.
  • tmarttmart Member Posts: 2,397
    My C320 also has these three options. Actually all the C300 models do too.
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Includes all these functions....

    Bluetooth Phone, Sat Radio, MP3, Navi, etc.

    -mike
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    One good reason to go with TomTom maps IMHO...major update for their US/Canada maps! :shades:
    link title
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    Oop! F-ed up the link to the article my bad! Here it is......
    http://crunchgear.com/2006/12/21/tomtom-releases-new-mapmaps/
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    They need to have a dash level cubby with power port and AUX audio port where you can mount a portable GPS or MP3 player and then simply close the door to keep it out of view when parked.
    It would be simple, flexible and inexpensive and eliminate the need to suction mounts and dangling wires everywhere or else spend $2000 on a factory nav system that you can't take from car to car.
    The current Toyota Camry has something like this in front of the gear shifter, but it is a bit low in the dash for a GPS unit.

    image

    image
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    jaxs1,

    Not only is the Camry cubby in your photo "a bit low in the dash for a GPS unit", but tucked in there, the GPS navigation system's antenna would be totally blocked from the necessary direct view of satellites.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Has anyone here noticed those Cadillac TV ads for their navigation systems? The guidance voice says something like: "Turn left, turn right", etc. If that's the best it can do, that's pretty poor functionality. No street names or route numbers? Portable units do much better.

    Anyone here with any experience with one of those systems? Is it as bad as it sounds?
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    The newer GPS receivers with SirfStar III chipset (such as a Garmin Nuvi) are sensitive enough to work well even from that location.
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    jaxs1,

    Sure, nüvis contain WAAS-enabled GPS receivers by SiRF. But whatever the chipset technology, if the unit's antenna cannot "see" or acquire enough satellites it cannot navigate properly. Just see how long (if ever) a GPS navigation unit takes to navigate inside your home but not within a foot or two of a window.

    A unit with its antenna "burried" inside of a car "cubby" will take forever to acqure enough satellites to navigate.
  • jaxs1jaxs1 Member Posts: 2,697
    It does work. I have another gps with that chipset and it can "see" the satellites and route properly through the dash plastic and roof metal. The antenna does not need to be pointing directly out the window.
    It just takes an extra minute or two for the initial lock if it isn't ideally located, not "forever."
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I have my Armada screen mounted up on the dash in the tray there. All I had to do was dremel a small hole in the dash (which can be covered when I sell with the rubber-grip pad that was in the tray. I'll try to snap some shots of my install. I also ran the aux cable to the carputer and into the aux but I could easily have run it up and out through my hole in the dash, as that's where the power wire comes out for the screen.

    -mike
  • mstemmstem Member Posts: 113
    This past Saturday I purchased a new 2007 Hyundai Sonata Limited V-6. We got the usual end of month, end of quarter, end of year pricing and a rebate, and we were very happy with the overall deal. After a few days I also am very happy with the vehicle; it replaced a Toyota Avalon that was just bigger and fancier than I needed. The real reason I write this is, in an effort to land the deal on the last business day of the year, the dealer offered a "free Garmin GPS" device for any Sonata sold. That was cool, but wasn't really the driving factor in the whole transaction. I expected some low-end, out of stock, past year's model. When they closed the deal and we signed up they presented us with the box, a Garmin nuvi 360. I wasn't really familiar with portable GPS units, but I did notice the picture on the box showed what appeared to be an attractive device, with a color display even.

    It wasn't until later on the New Year's week-end that I opened it up. I checked the Web site of my favorite retailer (Crutchfield) and was shocked to see what this thing sold for! Remember, I had expected something kinda cheap and out of date. I turned it on, the boot splash screen shows the Hyundai logo for a few seconds and then displays the standard interface that I have seen at Garmin's Web site. There doesn't seem to be anything Hyundai specific except for the brief splash screen that displays for a few seconds.

    Has anyone else experienced or heard of this offer? My initial impression is very favorable, and I am eager to learn how to use it. I guess my basic questions are as such:

    1) Is this a generally well-regarded portable GPS device, or are there some major flaws I need to be aware of?

    2) Other than this forum, are there any sites you can direct me to that would assist me in learning the true potential of the nuvi 360?

    Thank you in advance, I hope to be a regular here. :)
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    Yes Mike, the nüvi 360 is very well regarded. No, there are no significant flaws.

    You will find lots of great information about the entire nüvi line at this very active GPSPasSion forum:

    http://tinyurl.com/yed9d2

    Just be sure to view the English language version, since the site is in France. 95% of the forum participants are in North America.

    As with any user forum, you will find some negatives along with the positives on the 94 pages. Be sure to read the sticky FAQs before anything else,
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    That is lame. I assume that it isn't audio only in the new Cadillacs...there must be some sort of LCD screen on the dash.

    I agree that portable units are far superior. Even though I prefer the tomtom One because you can carry it around on foot and use it as pedestrian but, I would even take the tomtom 910 or 510, which plug into the cigarette lighter, over a factory installed unit any day of the week! ;) :shades: ;)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    image
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    All the pice here: http://pbase.com/paisan/armada
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,733
    a "carputer" and a CB together at last! ;)
    talk about merging the old and the new.

    does that monitor stay there all the time? I would think that would be an easy target for a smash and grab.

    '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

  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Sometimes I leave it there, my first screen was snagged by a smash and grab, amazingly out at my parent's place in SI, whereas I had been leaving it parked at home in Harlem without issue for months.

    With the new screen it has a quick release on it so I pull it and stick it in the glovebox when I park.

    CB is essential for not getting tickets, and on-road communications in caravans. :)

    I need to work on getting the wires a bit more hidden on it but overall I'm pretty happy with it. Hopefully this weekend I'll get some screen shots of the GPS/MP3/DVD/Everything front-end system on the carputer.

    -mike
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,733
    CB is essential for not getting tickets, and on-road communications in caravans. :)

    but now you can just e-mail or IM each other. ;b

    '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

  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    That's pretty ironic that you screen was taken in harlem.

    Your carputer setup is definitely [non-permissible content removed] ;)
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    No it's ironic that it wasn't taken in Harlem. That's the part that is funny.

    I park in Harlem for months, no issues with the screen being taken.

    Then I am out at my parent's place in Staten Island which is basically all cops and mobsters, suburbia, and it get's robbed there.

    Afterward I'm like, this is odd, it SHOULD have been stolen in Harlem, not out in the burbs!

    Now I just stick it in the dash when I turn the car off.

    -mike
  • tubulustubulus Member Posts: 25
    Is this possible? Looking to buy a new A4, which has a relatively bad, overpriced NAV that doesn't do traffic. Is it possible to link the XM in the car to a Garmin or other GPS that accepts XM traffic?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Sweet, mike, love the setup. The screen almost looks like it grew right out of the dash, i.e. you lined it up nicely.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Hey folks, just loaded a freebie piece of software for my BlackBerry 8700g model - called simply "Maps".

    This is not GPS, it's basically like having MapQuest in your palm. It has maps, can find addresses, and give line-by-line directions, all for no charge, and no service charges either.

    Not nearly as useful as my GPS is, but when my wife has the GPS at least I have something. You still need 2 addresses and a compass, sort of, to make it useful.

    I'll share more as I start to use it. I will today because I'm in the Miata and I don't have the GPS with me.

    -juice
  • alltorquealltorque Member Posts: 535
    Here in UK the Tom Tom units are highly regarded. I have an early GO 300 model and am toying with the idea of downloading the USA map and bringing it with us on our tour of AZ in a week or so. Great for moving car-to-car and works well as a hand-held in cities, (4 hour batt life), but you do look a bit of a dork. Would love a new GO 910 but the old 300 refuses to break down, (even having been dropped).
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    alltorque,

    Can you change the Tom Tom voices from British English to American English or Australian English as you can with the Garmin nüvi series units?
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    I'm a retard I meant to say that is ironic it WASN'T stolen in Harlem. By the way I had no clue that SI = Staten Island. I thought Wu-Tang was from those parts. Your "carputer" reminds me of the new Dodge Nitro with it's MyGiG which is its vidoe/audio interface...it holds a ton songs, pictures, has a ipod hook up, etc.

    How many gig you got on your carputer?

    image
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    replying to myself here...

    The directions were OK but I went a different route, Beach Drive is too fun to avoid.

    The maps were helpful in finding which street to turn on once I was close, though.

    The Pearl has more functionality with this application, but I have an 8700g so I don't know much about it.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Yes looks very similar!

    I have a 250GB internal HD, but could put in any IDE Hard Drive available. Externally I have a 60GB USB 2.5" USB-powered HD, basically I plug that into a mini-usb plug which doubles as my BB charger.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Another update from Consumer Reports. The Nuvi 350 is rated highest, but the two Best Buys were a Tom Tom and the smaller Garmin i5.

    Not very informative. I was hoping for a LOT more info on the models they tested.

    -juice
  • mstemmstem Member Posts: 113
    Can anyone recommend a Web site or two for some Garmin GPS accessories? Thanks in advance... Mike
  • blaneblane Member Posts: 2,017
    mstern,

    Here's a couple:

    http://www.gpsnow.com/

    http://www.thegpsstore.com/Accessories-Garmin.asp
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    Yeah you definitely have the diesel version of the nitro MyGiG ...lol.
    link title
    Seriously car companies like DCX are starting to include these psuedo car/computers as a standard feature. You are a bit ahead of your time. I'm pretty impressed that you got 250 GB what do you do with all that space on your HD???.....are you surfing the web while driving??
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    I actually rip the DVD movies so that I have a virtual library of movies on the HD rather than having to fumble with DVDs. Also I keep a copy of my data from my home PC on there as a backup in case of a fire or what not I'll have all my records in an emergency.

    -mike
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Going to look hard at this unit for the GTO come March. Sub $1000 stereo w/DVD,MP3,Nav,Ipod,XM,XMTraffic,Bluetooth

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    If my next vehicle has a double-DIN opening, I'm going to look long and hard at this unit.

    Sadly, more and more automakers have custom sized opening. A big hit for aftermarket vendors, and a shame really.

    Tribeca and Mazda5, for instance, won't take double DINs.

    -juice
  • paisanpaisan Member Posts: 21,181
    Even with an adapter plate? For instance my Armada looks like it wouldn't take one, however after pulling my dash a few times I realize that the stereo controls on the face plate are connected via a flat ribbon cable to a double-din box behind it. Basically a double din stereo with no face, then a ribbon cable to a flat face plate mounted to the dash, pull the dash off and now they sell a new face plate that would allow a double din stereo.

    -mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Creative solution, a custom face plate.

    I just wonder if they will bother to make one for a small niche model like many Subarus.

    I believe models with climate control have HVAC buttons in the are so they would need a creative solution like this to go aftermarket with the stereo.

    My 98 Forester and our 02 Legacy are standard double DIN. I think even the new Foresters are.

    -juice
  • snapcracklepopsnapcracklepop Member Posts: 111
    New North American TomTom Maps are here. The Maps are supplied by TeleAtlas. If you have a tt 510, tt 910, or tt One, the maps are upgraded for free otherwise it's $49.95.
    * More than 410,000 new road miles and 500,000 points of interest
    * More than six million new household and business addresses
    * Improved road detailing for better visual representation
    * Updated shopping centers, golf courses and more!

    This is pretty cool should really improve TomTom capabilities in the US
    http://www.tomtom.com/products/maps/?Lid=4&TT=rg60d3hldk5bhqpnun51esg953
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