When I got it almost 6 yrs ago, pretty much nobody had a Nav system, there were no portable devices, nothing. So I am really glad I got it, and couldn't imagine having a car without a GPS now. My next car however, whenever that may be, will probably not have one built in, since I can probably get a portable one for a lot less money. The built-in one is nice, though. Good size screen, voice comes through the speakers. Has one feature that my portable Garmin (I bought one to use on my other car and my motorcycle) does not have -- it indicates clearly that the turn is the next street. In some areas where streets are close together, that's been real helpful. Maybe other portable models have that feature though. And admittedly it's a minor thing.
its definitely not great. when i first got it i thought it was ok. it has nice graphic but kinda hard to use. then i got a garmin for my civic. the difference is just huge. the garmin is 100x easier to use.
The GPS was something I didn't even think of when I got the Prius. It just happened to be there in the car. Frankly, it and the Voice Activated Controls and Blue-tooth are a nice addition. I don't use the GPS navigation so much to guide me, but it is nice to know my location when I am in an unfamiliar location. The few times I have used the Navigation as guidance, it has been a big help. I don't know if I would spend the $$ if I was buying new, but it is nice to have. Just a caveat to those who buy aftermarket GPS units, they are a BREAK-IN MAGNET. Thieves can spot your "hook up" and know you have one, even if you remove yours to the space under the seat or totally out of the car (thieves know or think they know its in your car). I would rather not have a GPS than have my window smashed and the hassle that involves. This is a real problem for cars with portable units--with the built in unit, they are not going to bother. (IT is a smash and grab crime--your having an alarm makes NO difference.) So in my case, I would NOT buy a portable unit, whereas I feel comfortable with the in-dash unit/
What Wolfie said, especially the bolded parts. This topic has been beaten to death in these forums. I voted the "take it or leave it" option, as I find it completely functional for the vast majority of my navigation needs, though admittedly many of the new portable units beat it hands down in features, if that is important to you. Personally, I appreciate the large screen and integration and coverage is quite good since I do most of my driving in Toronto. Also, I really wanted BlueTooth in my car, and in 2006 the Nav package was the only package that included it. (Aside, since Ontario passed the handsfree law last month, it has proven to be a wise choice) So, my inner geek wanted it, but the reasonable side of me realized how overpriced it was. ...Then I stumbled onto a dealer who had the color, year, and package I wanted, as a demo car with about 3700 miles. So, in exchange for a bit of mileage (which I couldn't care less about since I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off), I essentially got the Nav package almost free. Done deal.
It's nice big, basic theft proof screen, but the update CD's have two year old data and cost an insulting $300. Upgrades to technology(live traffic) are not coming.
I've been lucky enough to use many factory fit systems and Toyota's is one of the best. The touch screen interface is miles better than some very high end system from Mercedes etc who rely on jog dials to input address info for example. The benefit is the larger screen and security of a system that is built-in and so not a theft risk. But it is (as are most factory fit systems) let down by a lack of features that are common to most PND's (Portable Navigation Devices) these days such as custom POIs, speed camera alerts, lane assist, reality view etc. Also the ridiculous cost of update DVD's is a major negative. £150 for a Nav DVD in comparison with £30 for an updated map for a PND. And so I use a TomTom GO 940 in preference for navigation. It is a much better navigation device. Renault now offer TomTom as a built-in option on some of their newer cars. If others do likewise and offer TomTom/Garmin/Navigon/Magellan etc then we can hope to have solutions with all the benefits of factory-fit but with uptodate features.
If you put the EXACT address you want..... and it has to be exact, I have had NO problems finding the places I want to find!! I figured out long ago, it's not a Rocket Scientist Computer, you have to be specific, and exact!!!
