Is Navigation system worth it

I bought my '05 with Nav specifically for the bluetooth option. I now find that I will never buy a car without navigation again. Sure, I drive the same commute every day, but it sure is nice when there is some super heavy traffic. One random turn and I am out of there! I absolutely love it.

 

I saved the money.

My wife and I like taking road trips to “discover†areas of Northern California we have never been. Going to an area and getting lost is part of that discovery process. Nothing beats actually getting out of the car in some small out of the way area and asking the locals about the area. A nav system would lessen the experience . . .

. . . that is until IPv6 comes to fruition, Google has cataloged everywhere and everything with IPv6, then attaches the information to Google Maps and Google Earth for browsing purposes. Of course, by that time, Google will also have launched their free nationwide wireless access.

Anything you want to know about any area, at any time, updated on the fly, for free. Kind of makes the information on the nav disk seem so 8-track.

[Broken External Image]:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e3/8track_inside.JPG

Until that time, I will stay blissfully lost.

 

Yes, get it if you can afford it. I wish I'd had one years ago. I don't use it much but when you need it you really need it. And even just the experience of using it will be useful when you're considering getting an improved version in the future.

 

There are two questions here. First -- Is a navagtion system worth it? Im my opinion and experience over the past six years -- very much so.

The second question -- is the Pirus navigation package worth the extra price over a comparable portable system. The integration of the Prius nav system may or may not outweigh the fact that a portable system can be used in other vehicles, such as rental cars on a trip as well as on airplanes. There are some very sophisticated portable systems with voice, easily updated maps and fairly large screens. (Garmin has a new series for buses and RVs which have seven inch diagonal screens for instance.)

On the other hand, that updated Prius nav system sure does sound tempting.

Not easy to decide what to do.

 

If you drive alone and have lots of money, it's a nice tool. If you have a passenger who can operate a hand-held, they are a lot cheaper. Plus you can carry it while walking around town.

I use a hand held (Magellan Sportrak Color, $230 with uploadable maps) a lot in the woods but rarely need one in town. But I admit using it because I have one. Mine is set up more for hiking than for road navigation.

 

I am in the boat of...it came with pckg 6. Now tat I have it, I like it...but in retrospect...if I had got the car w/o it, I probably still wouldn't have one. Now that I have used it, I would get a portable system of some type for future use....like when I get my motorhome for travelling when I retire.

I do hate the fact that the software seems so dated. I ditto the comment about roads having been around over 10 yrs still not on the system in less urban areas.

 

The Detour feature is one of the biggest selling points for me. I've used it 5 times since I got my car in April, all on long out of state trips.

The scenario is this... You're driving down the highway, 300+ miles from home, and all of the traffic comes to a stop, due to an accident or construction, or whatever. A hundred yards or so ahead of you is an exit, but you don't know where it goes, and your highway map doesn't give you any details. So, you end up just sitting in traffic for an hour or so until the accident or whatever is cleared.

Now, if you had the Nav system, you would simply click the Detour Button and choose a 1, 5, or 10 mile detour. The Nav system would then direct you to get off the highway at that exit that is just in front of you, and will then take you down a couple of side streets, bypassing the accident, and then get you on the highway and on your way.

 

Not to start a whole new set of responses (this is just something for you to check), but everyone complaining about roads being absent should make sure they are using version 5.1. If you are not, your problem may have been fixed already.

Now that's not to say roads won't be absent. Obviously some always will be, no matter who's software you buy. My v5.1 is missing a road they just put in last year. So far that is the only one I've noticed is missing. I'd love to have it (it's a main road), but I understand why it isn't there. Luckily, it doesn't impact me, as I don't travel in that area. Well, I did once, that's how I noticed, when the bread box tried to make me drive places they had re-routed.

Also, always be sure you have your region selected, and are zoomed into the 700 ft scale before thinking roads aren't there.

 

Moderators,

Why is this thread still in the Prius and Hybrid News Forum?

The other non news discussion started by the originator of this topic has been moved.

 

The navigation system, when fully up-dated and in proper operating order, is the most useful tool (hi-tech wise) that I found in a car. I go to two to three different homes, 6 days a week. The system is very accurate and sort of gives you a quickest (hence least expensive) route. So it is not a matter of money for me. I am sure others will feel the same way. The system is reliable and easy to use. I would be foolish not to get this system if it is offered.

 

Hi there,

I'm at the same point, making a decision on which Prius model to buy.

My $.02 -- if you're thinking about resale value, then definitely get the Navigation System. It's getting more and more popular, and increasingly, even the lower-end model cars are going to offer it. If you're interested in selling your Prius 3-5 years from now, it'd be valued more if it had a Navigation System.

Cheers,
marlinspike.

 

FWIW

When I bought my present vehicle (Acura MDX) I went back and forth on whether to get NAV or not. I ultimately bit the bullet and got it since I thought I may kick myself if I did not. I have no regrets about it and will definitely be getting NAV with my Prius.

I may not use it often but everytime I do, I am very happy to have it. Even just using it to look at what the name of the street I am on is useful to me.

 

I have mine zoomed into 300ft.

Locally, the problem exists on every paper map and software I've looked at. Many roads are missing, or have been moved, or have been covered by new construction. Yet, the 2005 maps still don't reflect these changes -- many over 5 years old and much, much older.

I'm suggesting to people who don't live in large metro areas to check out other maps before deciding to get the nav option, if they want it mainly for their local area. I'm in one of those many areas that's not considered "covered" by the map DVD.

Maybe the problem here is just a problem here. I guess it's always possible that this is the only county in the whole U.S. that hasn't been updated in 20 years.

I'm currently working on new maps for my employer, using Delorme Street Atlas, and printing large versions for wall-mounting. It was supposed to be a three-month project, but I'm now at over 12 months and counting. That's because we agreed -- with all the inaccuracies -- that I needed to drive every road to verify and update the maps. I've found hundreds of roads that need updating. And I'm still not finished.

 

Our purchase was flexible in the other (downward) direction, due mostly to the color that spouse (primary driver) wanted. Therefore we dispensed not only with the NAV but also with side air bags. The car the 2005 Prius replaced at end of March was a 1992 VW Golf 4-door with over 140,000 miles on it (driven into the ground), which we gave away. By being flexible, we drove the car out the same day, paying cash (wrote checks), including extended warranty 7 years, Virginia near D.C. We spent only two days at dealers: one afternoon of test driving near first of January, 2005, and then the day of the purchase. In between I was scrambling to come up with the full amount to pay as well as using email and the web to find out what that final amount would be. Spouse is very happy. Silver.

 

I have nav in my 2004 RX330, and we ordered it on our '06 Prius. I wouldn't buy another car without it. It's not perfect, but most of the time it's right on. I use it when I'm somewhere unfamiliar and I need to get to the freeway to go home. I use it when I need to figure out the fastest route somewhere. I love the "time to destination" feature. I love the detour feature, which I use fairly often.

We originally got the nav in the RX because my job required me to be on the road a lot, to places I hadn't been before. It was extraordinarily helpful. I don't have to drive around a lot anymore, but I still love the nav.

Did I mention I love my navigation?

 

the Navigator definitely worth the price.

Althought I don't like the map portion where it just point north, so when you are heading south, and you are making a right turn, the screen show you are making a left.

 

We have the NAV system on our 2004 Prius. We bought the top 2004 package, partly to get side air bags, partly because I wanted bluetooth phone tiein. NAV was not on our required list.

After 1 1/2 years: the NAV is cute, and pretty good at helping if you do drive out of your familiar area a lot. I have gotten very tired of having to re-accept the agreement that gets put up on the screen EVERY DAMN TIME you start out (to cover Toyota's liability nice person). We're buying a 2006 in Hawaii soon, and they don't offer the NAV at all there (who would need it, and apparently the mapping there is not as good), and I sure won't miss the agreement. I hope there isn't some other one! How annoying!

The bluetooth phone system is not so great. The audio is mushier than using your phone directly, or even with its built-in speakerphone system. People I call have told me that it affects the quality of the call. So I quit using it. It's possible the problem lies with the Bluetooth audio quality, not Toyota (it may not be possible for better). I have no idea if it has gotten better.

The side airbags are important to us. Unfortunately, 2004s do not allow turning off the passenger side airbag (for kids). The 2006 has a sensor that takes care of that--nice! We also LOVE the SmartKey keyless access (just wish we could get an accessory that would let it unlock our house and computer), and the rear view mirror mounted garage door/gate openers; and the 6 CD changer (now with MP3 capabilities--I can make 6 discs with 100+ songs on each) and the clever dash miniplug input so you can plug your Ipod in. Yeah!

Would we like to be able to buy premium (more comfortable) front seats at an upcharge? Definitely. But they are really pretty good as they come. They are not at all uncomfortable, it's just that, if you've driven top end cars, you are aware that they can be even better. As is, I like them better than Mercedes seats. But people have their own preferences. Maybe someday there will be someone offering aftermarket replacements. Of course, they would be heavier, affecting gas mileage, and great seats are quite expensive. So maybe Toyota made a good compromise.

The Vehicle Stability Control option MAY have saved our lives. At 70MPH on the freeway, an aggressive driver veered over several lanes into the diamond lane cutting us off, and I had to stomp on the brake hard, turn, and avoid him. I went down maybe 20MPH in less than a second, it seemed like, and the car did it flawlessly with no skid, no instability, no rollover. Now, maybe the ABS brakes alone would have done the job--it's hard to know for sure. But it's nice to have all the help you can get sometimes.

The Prius is absolutely superior. We considered Honda's hybrids, and they don't come close in features/value IMHO. That's why we're buying our second one.

I recommend the 7 year extended warranty and prepaid service packages. We got ours the online discounted way, and it's worked out just fine at half the price. Some local dealers (like in Hawaii) however won't accept them, apparently.

Good luck getting the color and package you want--we had to accept a different color than our first choice after waiting 4 months and losing patience.

 

You can easily change the orientation of the NAV map, so that your direction of travel is is the same as the screen orientation, by touching the compass icon at the top left of the map.

 

Yes, it's worth it. We got one in our '05 Volvo XC90 and now I'll never get a car without it.