2010 Prius Navigation System is really horrible

I would generally agree with this response although I think if I were now buying my Prius I'd not order the Nav system but instead go with a Kenwood or similar radio system that uses Garmin. I have a Garmin and it does a better job of route selection and seems like it will use all of the roads in its inventory. The Nav system will only route me on streets with the bright blue line, even when a shorter route is shown on the map. A great example is coming to my home where the Nav would have me turn right on Division, drive half a mile, turn left on 15th, drive half a mile and then turn left on Section St to drive back to La Venture while if I had just continued straight ahead on La Venture instead of that first right onto Division I come to the same place. And the map does show La Venture going through to Section St but it is not a bright line.

I haven't read the complete owners book so maybe I am missing something that I could change in options.

 

From what you describe, I believe that if you will read the manual and try to understand the different option settings, that the Nav does have the ability to calculate the better routes. Like most computers, it does what you tell it to do and not what you want it to do.

Each time my Nav has chosen something different than what I would have chosen, I have found a setting that I had to modify and then it would choose the correct route.

 

Wish I have bought the Prius after half year of luanch so I will know what to get and what not to get.

The Nav is something I regret from buying since day one. So crap the route it takes I never follow it. Where as the garmin I've owned for 5 years Loved it and every route choice was excellent.

 

In my area (with full street coverage) my 2010 Prius Nav routes me on any necessary streets.
Perhaps you are in one of the MANY areas with "incomplete" coverage? See Toyota's built-in "Region Coverage" map.

 

I haven't had tons of experience with any Prius navigational systems, but I'm almost positive you could save money going with a Garmin GPS, (my favorite) and still have leftover money for auto graphics or decals.

 

We just completed our first long (3000 mile) trip in our Prius, and I must say we loved the navigation system. It got us everywhere we wanted to go without any problem at all. It is also so much more convenient than the Garmin which we also have, but did not take with us on the trip. We stop often to stretch, and not having to hide the Garmin at every rest stop was a real plus. One of the features I like best is the big screen, which is split (if you wish it to be), while driving on the interstates. The screen on the right shows the next 3 exits, and also includes the distance to the next rest area if it is within the distance of those exits. If it is not, you can scroll up to see the distance to the next rest area. One of my favourite features!

I also like the fact that the system finds the satellite immediately, unlike our Garmin which is frequently very slow at finding the satellite. The navigation also always knows where you are. For example, if you park in a parking garage, then when ready to leave set your next destination, it will immediately give you the routing, telling you, for example, to make a right or left turn from the garage. In the past, with only the Garmin, we have driven from point A to point B (parking garage) without using the Garmin (we knew how to get there), then when we set the Garmin in the garage to go to point C, it didn't know where we were, and since there is no satellite reception in the garage, we didn't know which way to turn once we exited. This may seem trivial, but it is not if you are exiting onto a busy road.

Another feature I like is the fact that there is no annoying voice with an attitude telling you it is "recalculating". The navigation system just does it quietly.

In our home area, the navigation takes us home using what we consider "local knowledge" streets. That was a pleasant surprise.

Take time to read the navigation manual. There are important items that you must know to get the system set up the way you want it. One of the key items is to set the system to allow toll roads. If you don't, it will do anything it can to have you avoid the toll road. As an example, one time we set the navigation system from home without knowing this, and started our trip by getting on the New York State Thruway south of Buffalo where the toll starts up again. The navigation practically went berserk, telling us to make a legal U-turn as we entered the southbound Thruway at the Camp Rd on-ramp in Hamburg, NY! Good thing we didn't have the lane keep assist to force us make that "legal" U-turn! After that, it tried to get us off the Thruway at every exit. We figured out the problem, and thanks to PriusChat I learned to go into "Preferences" to make the change in settings.

Another issue that has been mentioned is the lack of a mute button as you get near your home or wherever, and you no longer need the navigation. I agree with that, although you can temporarily turn off the route guidance by pressing "Route", and then "Pause guidance".

I highly recommend the navigation, and just wish the updates were not so expensive.

 

Have you taken the time to set your preferences up correctly? My experience has been that it chooses the routes that my preferences set it up to choose.

Once I took the time to understand each and every one of the preferences, and tried each one if I did not understand it, mine surprises me with some of the routes it chooses, which include "local knowledge" routes.

 

I have found that it occasionally takes extremely poor routes no matter what you set as preferences. My Garmin takes much better routes.
There is really no excuse for a more expensive device with more expensive maps to choose worse routes.
There is a particular destination where it always chooses a route that bypasses a direct route and instead goes miles out of the way and the makes 2 left turns that really makes a gigantic U-turn back to the location. The route it chooses is nether shorter or faster and doesn't avoid tolls or carpool lanes and the direct route's roads are on the map. It makes no logical sense at all.
Because I know the area, i ignore it and take the more direct route, but it likely makes the same poor choices in areas I'm not familiar and I just don't realize it.

 

The NAV is just part of the price. The NAV unit also adds Streaming Bluetooth audio, enhanced cell phone control(phonebook downloads) and backup camera.

Have you adjusted the driving speed based on road type? That will make a big difference on route times Also be sure to "allow" private roads.

 

There were no private or unpaved roads involved. It was a totally illogical routing. If I detour and take the direct route, the arrival time gets several minutes shorter, so it knows it's faster once you force it.
It just sometimes makes some very dumb routes.

 

Never had high expectations for the Nav system, however I never dreamed the Nav would be as poor as it is, especially for the premium.

Love the integration w/the speakers, voice etc.

Can't deal w/the map display, UI, and the routes are often whacked. Wish I could hook up my iPhone to the system somehow and use Navigon or Garmin app. Anyone familiar w/iPhone integration into the 2010 Prius IIIs?

 

I just got my Prius iv and am very happy with the Nav. The voice guidence is very well timed. The accuracy is amazing. Just as my tires hit my driveway, the voice says "You have reached your destination".

Question: I am going through the rather extensive nav manual, and I still don't understand how to scroll the map with your finger. It does not scroll for me. Any ideas?

 

You can touch the screen on one side of the map and the point that you touch will move to the middle. Or you can touch the screen and drag your finger across the screen and it will move with your finger.

To return to your current position just press the Map button.

 

That's what the manual says, but the map didn't move. I will try again.
Thanks.

 

I think you might be too gentle in touching it. Touch the screen and press a tad harder to drag the screen side to side.... keep trying it!

 

Thanks Dianne. You could be right. I will try now and let you know.

 

Swipe it....gently but firmly, and it will drag.

 

I just tried it and it works! Needed to use a little pressure.
Thanks very much. Timely advice is the best advice.

 

I do find inputting stuff to be more cumbersome with the 2010 Nav but I do like the voice commands once you get the input straight

 

I think it's much improved over my Gen II.

If you want to see horrible integrated NAV, you should have seen my wife's Mazda CX-9. That was THE WORST. Her new Ford Fusion Hybrid with Microsoft Sync is very, very nice.