Navigation GPS Systems

gagrice

Seems like a good idea to me. I may buy another GPS that can be mounted on the dash of my Nissan Frontier. The Magellan with 7 inch screen is just a bit too large. Used on my wife's lap on our two week vacation. Overall a decent GPS. We rarely use it at home.

ateixeira

I wonder what the "sweet spot" is.

Garmin came out with their 5" models and I love that size.

Still, there seems to be many more 4.3" options. Even many of Garmin's own new models come out in a 4.3" size. I guess that's portable enough to fit in the pocket.

I'd love to see a 5"er with a backup cam, though.

stever

A backup cam would be cool.

My current GPS is a Nextar. It was out of date when I picked it up cheap, but it still works pretty good (see my post around here where it successfully navigated us over some logging roads and a small bridge usually dedicated to snowmachine traffic). They use (or at least mine uses) NAVTEQ maps.

ateixeira

Interesting, same map supplier as Garmin.

NAVTEQ is OK, but some POIs are missing even after I complained.

I wrote to Garmin, let's see if they can react quickly to demand.

stever

A reporter is interested in speaking with anyone who is willing to share their recent (last 6-9 months) experience with ANY of the following systems: adaptive cruise control, collision warning/crash avoidance, blind-spot warning, pedestrian detection, self-parking, Ford MyKey or MyTouch, Ford Sync's cloud-based voice-activated features (directions, weather, sports, stock quotes, movies, restaurant/hotel info, etc), in-car on-demand ipod downloads.

If you are interested in commenting on your experience, please reply to pr@edmunds.com no later than 5pm EST on March 16, 2011 and include your name, state of residence, the model year of your vehicle and your phone number.

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/30/fords-second-gen-sync-system-off-to-a-buggy-s- tart/

gagrice

I wonder if Ford changed vendors. They ranked at the top of the OEM last year I believe.

ateixeira

Sync was simpler.

MyFord Touch goes a lot further, and MyLincoln Touch even removes some of the more common buttons.

jfabian24

I have a Landcruiser 2010 but the Maps is not loaded for my country (Dominican Republic) how can i update the Navigation System to include this map? Where can i get it? Are dvds available?
Note: My dealer is useless.

tallman1

You would first need to find out if your navi system even has maps for the Dominican Republic. If your dealer can't help, try contacting others... even if you have to do it via email.

ateixeira

The best resource may be other Toyota/Lexus owners in your country. Ask them what they did.

It's odd, but my Garmin includes Puerto Rico, but not the DR, because it's not a US territory.

Garmin sells SD cards with maps separately for other countries (I purchased Brazil for my dad for $99), but that would not apply to your Toyota.

stever

"TomTom became the latest technology company to be embroiled in a privacy row when it emerged that the Dutch satellite navigation company had sold driving data collected from customers to the police.

The company was forced to issue an apology to its customers after a Dutch newspaper revealed that data, including records of the speed driven, had been used to help police set speed traps for motorists."

TomTom sorry for selling driver data to police (Financial Times)

fintail

Those kind of shenanigans should have the execs who approved such moves sent to the guillotine.

gagrice

Let me understand this claim. When you go online to update your Tom Tom GPS, it uploads all the accumulated data from where you have been etc etc? Wouldn't the smart thing be to download the updates to your computer and then update your GPS from that static data? I guess I am lucky I don't have any of those intrusive devices.

We had a device in our trucks at Pacific Telephone back in the 1960s that recorded how fast you drove and how long you stopped. First thing the fellow training me did was clue me in on how to get around it. This big brother stuff has never appealed to me.

imidazol97

>Wouldn't the smart thing be to download the updates to your computer and then update your GPS from that static data?

I don't think that can be done. I have a TomTom. I believe it must be connected to the USB to have it recognized on the website and the proper updates determined before anything is downloaded.

gagrice

I believe it must be connected to the USB to have it recognized on the website and the proper updates determined before anything is downloaded.

Can you do a cold reset of the internal memory to wipe out all your data? I only keep home in mine so not much would be lost of importance.

robr2

Let me understand this claim. When you go online to update your Tom Tom GPS, it uploads all the accumulated data from where you have been etc etc?

IIRC, only if you agree to it.

The only police that used it to set speed enforcement was in the Netherlands. The idea is to sell the data so help governments figure out where and when congestion occurs.

Personally, as long as individual information is not shared, I don't have an issue with it. I guess it's no different than the speed sensors on the highway that are used by traffic services that sell that data to news stations.

ateixeira

Shame on them. Tom Tom = Big Brother.

ateixeira

The idea is to sell the data so help governments figure out where and when congestion occurs.

Congestion, or speeding? Sounded more like the latter.

Tom Tom - helping the cops write your speeding tickets!

This is why I don't use those features on Google and Facebook that track your location. That's nuts. People have no idea the kind of privacy they are sacrificing when they use that stuff.

gagrice

People have no idea the kind of privacy they are sacrificing when they use that stuff.

Amen to that.

I see people still driving talking on their hand held cell phones. With the technology available to the police they can document who you are talking to and build a rock solid case. With the GPS cell phones they can get your speed and not even need to chase you down. Just mail you a ticket.

robr2

Congestion, or speeding? Sounded more like the latter.

juice - did you read the article? It said one department in the Netherlands used the information for speed enforcement. That entailed setting up enforcement - afaik, nobody got a ticket by sharing their information.

ateixeira

Most smart phones nowadays have built-in GPS, so indeed, that's correct.

I'm not sure if they can track whether or not you were using a hands-free device, though. Maybe they could keep track of Bluetooth use, but a plug-in ear phone would still make it legal.

ateixeira

Aiding and abetting. Just as bad.

gagrice

afaik, nobody got a ticket by sharing their information.

I was thinking more about the Michigan police downloading your smart phone info when they stop you. It all makes me nervous. At least the NAV units are not sending out info unless you hook it up to your computer and allow it.

robr2

I was thinking more about the Michigan police downloading your smart phone info when they stop you.

That's different. In that case the police are phycially present and asking for the information. In reality, you don't have to share it with them - the ACLU is all over this citing the 4th amendment provision of unreasonable search and seizure.

Mr_Shiftright

Well I hope the ACLU slaps them hard on that one. That's outrageous.

stever

"The TripMaker RVND 5510 not only provides RV-specific routing that takes into account height, weight and legal restrictions (if your RV packs a propane tank for example), but also devises routes taking into consideration left or right-turn preference based on eleven different RV classes and provides speed limit and sharp curve warnings to help keep all wheels on the road."

Rand McNally's TripMaker RVND 5510 GPS tailored for RVs (Gizmag)

The best part is the option for turn-by-turn spoken directions from a "louder speaker" in English, for us older guys.

ateixeira

TURN LEFT, I SAID TURN LEFT!!!

LOL

stever

Oh, were you talking to me? :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

Would you REALLY trust them to be 100% accurate about height obstacles?

robr2

It's probably from the same database that tractor trailer drivers use to ensure they can navigate (heh heh, I'm funny) properly.

stever

The nice thing about hauling canoes is that the front tie down rope is always in my field for vision. I rarely forget it's there. Haven't had to back out of a parking garage entrance in years.

ateixeira

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/18/stranded-canadian-couple-latest-victims-of-de- ath-by-gps/

Death by GPS. Ouch.

qbrozen

What they call death by GPS, I call Darwinism.

ateixeira

Yeah, but still...

Of course whey they took a van on a trail that looks like Moab is beyond me.

stever

I didn't spend a lot of time down there when I lived in Boise, but it's pretty remote and wild high desert country. Part of it was declared a wilderness area a couple of years ago. And the roads get impassable when mud season hits after the snow melts. Spring road closures are common - they even close the ATV trails to keep the riders from tearing up the trails that time of year.

Ironically the county in Idaho that borders the part of Nevada where the Canadian couple got lost, Owyhee, is named for lost Hawaiian trappers.

ateixeira

The media will still blame the GPS.

What next, my Garmin telling me "put it in 4WD Low"?

stever

People have gotten lost there before. If you look at a map, it's a big empty and it sure looks "reasonable" that roads would go through it. I got on one of those in western Utah one time and sure enough there was a road on our map. It disintergrated into dust about 40 miles in.

ateixeira

It sounded more like they got stuck, as opposed to being lost, though.

Maybe a bit of both?

I mean, wouldn't the GPS just reverse directions if you clicked "Go Home"?

Mr_Shiftright

I was once told by a very well known Alaska bush pilot that the main reason people crashed was that, when they met adverse conditions, they simply refused to turn back.

stever

Good point; guess they really were on a "road".

ateixeira

Or they run out of gas...

Saving nothing for the drive home? At some point you'd think they would turn around.

Mr_Shiftright

Nope. The year I was up there they were falling out of the sky...outta gas, or right into a storm and then....a mountain!

Of course, most were flatlanders.

gagrice

Are there any hand held NAV units that give up to the minute gas prices and restaurants etc. I am so fed up with the NAV in my Sequoia not having restaurants that have been around for 20 years. Gas stations listed that were torn down 10 years ago. It is NEARLY worthless IMO.

fintail

I have one - it's called a smartphone :shades:

The internet-enabled nav I had in a BMW in Germany likely could do all that - I have to imagine US spec cars can do similar.

gagrice

I know BMW offers a service like Onstar that is tied to their NAV. It looks like a good service and very up to date. I will do extensive research on any vehicle I buy with NAV before I write the check next time. Or tell the dealer to pull it out and put in the latest from Pioneer or whoever has state of the art. It will never be a Toyota product with their horrible update costs.

PS
I don't want no cell phone with the high monthly charges.

fintail

On the BMW I drove, you could pretty much pull up a standard webpage on the nav screen, more advanced than onstar - I don't know if similar is offered in this market - as on the same note Euro market nav often came with TV tuners for years - never to be seen here. Updating nav can be impossible as the car ages - the older COMAND system in my modern car is long past the point of updates.

I get a phone from my employer, so the cost is marginal for me - but I can understand your sentiment. It does a lot, though.

Mr_Shiftright

I don't really fathom why anyone would spend a lot of $$$ for factory NAV anymore, since the smartphone systems are so good. Not only that, they update themselves for free! Actually I DO fathom why--they get an integrated system and a large screen, but in a short time much of it becomes obsolete.

My free NAV program on my smartphone has been fabulous--I jack it into the car's stereo system. True, the screen is small but the audio is more than adequate for guiding you around.

gagrice

What is the minimum per month for that kind of service? And do you have to sign a contract? Do all these services like gas prices and restaurants come via the Cell network? I thought some are offered via Sirius.

fintail

Depends on the carrier. I think you can unlimited data service in some prepaid plans, too. I am pretty sure some smartphone nav apps also allow you to find gas prices and restaurants.