BMW X3 Navigation System

jboyer202

Anyone tell me anything about the navigation system in the X3? How does it compare to Acura's or Lexus' navagation systems?

micckie

If nav is what you like then Acura has it hands down. period. Don't bother.

markcincinnati

We have the nav system in our 2005 X3.

There is little, if any change in the 2007 system.

The screen is color.

The screen may be set to split screen -- 1/2 moving map, 1/2 turn by turn arrows, etc.

The typical female-voiced instructions are spoken at appropriate times, and there is another indicator of "distance to go" before next action (impending.) This indicator replaces the digital clock when nav is active.

The system has the typical and that means comprehensive navteq DVD map system.

The system is easy to program and accpets no voice commands of any kind. There is no integration of the nav and traffic or nav and anything else, frankly (well, possibly the clock.)

The nav system in terms of point to point nav and ease of use is "perfect." The nav system's ability (technically) to tell you how to get from here to there is pretty much standard, normal -- just like everyone eles's.

The system is, however, not comparable to Acura's -- other than in its ability to get you from a to b.

How about this, the system is fully functional but, er, "basic." In some respects it is a marvel of the 21st century -- you have this is a car that you drive and it doesn't cost much. It is a remarkable technology.

The BMW implementation of nav is hmmm two steps back from Acura. Maybe I am being generous, it is three steps back from Acura, my Audi is two steps backwards.

The X3 system is not at the same state of evolution as the BMW's equipped with iDrive. It is very easy to program and entirely manual in this respect.

It works and it works flawlessly. It has nothing "sexy," but the screen is in color!

Woo woo.

We love ours -- but we are well aware that Acura's (and perhaps Land Rover's) are the best.

We use ours all the time.

capc

Just bought a X3, navigation system is on of my bigest frustations with the car. No search by location phone number (even my wifes Dodge Caravan has that feature). I tried a known location close to home (easily found in the Caravan) and would not appear in the X3 system. The search criteria itself is not intuitive at all.
The ergonomics are by far the worst. Small knob on the far right of the dashboard. Has to push it an turn it like maniac to get around the system, but first you have to push another button (menu) to actually access the NS. The volume is contained in a different menu under preferences. In other words, the hole system is scatered around the whole dashboard. Terrible.
In short very far from what you would expect for a 2500 equipment

jacqva

The navigation system in the X3 less than stellar. First off, there is no touch screen. Everything is done by one button off to the right that is very difficult to use when in motion.
It also does not include any roads that have any restrictions on them. For example, in Wash DC a significant portion of I66 is not included at all because it has HOV restrictions (2+ people/car) for a couple of hours inbound during morning rush hour and outbound during evening rush hour. I was told it was because BMW doesn't want to get sued if their nav system instructed someone to get on the highway when they may not have enough people in the car. Therefore, they eliminated an entire interstate and sends you on back roads. Given that my office is just off the interstate, this renders the unit virtually worthless.
Lastly, it requires that you have the entire address to input a destination. If there is an intersection that you want to go to, you need to know where BMW has filed it. Sometimes it is under a city, sometimes a county. you may have the exact street address, but if you do not know where the jurisdiction lines are, you may not find it. This is especially challenging in a large metro area.

jhoupt

Has anyone had the following problem with their 07 bmw nav. system? My system has an error margin of 50ft. Meaning when is tells me my turn is in 50ft. almost immediately it says you missed your turn. This can be very unnerving when you are in a strange or conjested area. BMW tells me that this is the way the system works and to "deal with it" I have had other autos with factory systems and this never happened. Is it me, my car or BMW that is wrong? Thanks

jrynn

If what BMW is telling you is that GPS doesn't know to the millimeter where your car is located, then BMW is right. GPS (especially when it's not boosted by WAAS) often has horizontal error (and even greater vertical error). If you want a technical discussion, then search GPS and SPS or Standard Positioning Service. A good car GPS, through clever software, can enhance its estimate of where your car is by matching your progress along mapped streets, but it's still not going to be perfect.

I don't use a BMW system in my BMW, so I don't know whether BMW's unit announces street names for turns. Frankly, that's more useful because no driver thinks the GPS is going to read street sign names for him/her.

chucar

I just bought a new 2008 X3 without nav. Had 2005 with built in BMW Nav which was weak at best.

Any recommendations for an after market system? I like the look and reviews of the Garmin Nuvi 880. Any models that will fit into the flip top box on the dash?

stever

You may want to check out the Navigation GPS Systems discussion too. I see lots of deals out there right now, but the market changes so fast I can't keep up.

SFLarry

Is there a way to turn off the audio? It's incredibly annoying. Thanks.

adavis2493

I have a 2007 X3 and I regret getting it. The Navigation Plays a large roll in it.

What's wrong with the Navigation?
1) Your control panel is a button directly on the opposing side of the volume knob. It can get confusing, as well as the fact it takes for ever to scroll to a number.
2) The actual GPS screen is a half of the entire screen. It is so little that it is hard to find anything on it. I know it is nice to see your coordinates, and altitude, but you can easily fit that on the bottom of the screen, rather than the entire half.
3) It only displays golf courses, not gas stations, emergency places, etc.
4) The woman who speaks sounds like the jailhouse foreman. She also is very wordy.
5) It is very expensive of an option ($1,800)

In other words, I would still view it as a poor navigation system 9 Years ago, and technology has really changed since.

If you want a good Navigation, take a look at Infiniti or Audi. They are great.

pp2009pp

I despise the ride in the X3 2009. I will take your nav problems and give you my ride problems.

I think car navs are always a problem because electronics change every few months while cars change every few years at best. I think the avg car is on the road in the US for 9 years, up from 7 since before the recession.

That is a long time to have an in-car nav system. Although they will not, I wish car manufacturers would just make places in the dash to install after market electronics....yeah, sure they will.

bmwowner2

I hate the navigation system as well. It only has like 3 colors. I paid 50 thousand for my X3. I am wondering how much people paid for their BMW X3. Mine has all available options installed. The BMW X3 hasn't impressed me at all. It needs more features, it doesn't even have parking sensors or back up cameras. I own a 2008 BMW X3si.

My premium sound system sounds like a cheap sound system. Anyone with that problem? Does anyone know how to lower the sound system while the navigation system talks? I think that is common sense, I am sure the X3 has that option.

I hate the transmission, it is kinda slow. Acceleration is horrible. Leather looks cheap and plastic everywhere.

kyfdx

We leased our '08 X3 for $440/mo. + tax.. but, yours must be really, really loaded, because our X3 only stickered for $44K or so...

It's my wife's car... but, I don't like the transmission, either..