can I still get navigation for my car?

The best way would be to get a third-party NAV system. It would simply not be cost-effective to add an OEM NAV system (if it's even possible).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(aaf709 @ Jul 5 2007, 10:02 PM) [snapback]473778[/snapback]</div>

Make sure the unit has a SIRF III chip. Low end units don't. The SIRF III locks onto the sats faster and through more obstructions. Announcing the streets for the turns is also a plus in the city.

You will be able to find a good unit for the cost of Toyota's DVD upgrade.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jul 5 2007, 08:31 PM) [snapback]473809[/snapback]</div>

Without a doubt, you simply must get a Nuvi 660. Tuesday, I noted they were on sale for $699 at Best Buy. It has Blue Tooth and a traffic option, if not already built in. It will speak the actual street names to you, unlike the Pius system, and the maps are more up-to-date, as well as easier to update.

 

I agree, You should get a Garmin unit. Saty away from magellan. The garmin Nuvi series is perfect and I have the prius in car nav system but I'm still gonna buy a Garmin Nuvi to use in my other car and on vacations. I've used other GPS's for years and I find the Garmin interface to be the most accurate and easy to use. I also like the fact that you can take the unit home and plug it into your computer to update maps and backup your waypoints as well as share waypoints with friends which is just a few things you can't do with the in car system.
I amost feel i should have bought the 07 touring edition and a garmin nuvi instead of spending the extra money on the in car nav and slushy suspension on the standard 07 prius.

Take our advice... You won't regret it.

 

I absolutely agree with the advice already given. The Garmin Nuvi series is terrific and mounting it in a usable location is no problem (mine is under the storage bin sitting below the radio). 95% I depend on the audio for directions. For $450 I do have a portable and better Nav system than Toyota's. I've also added a bluetooth adaptor for my phone thru my dealer, which fits perfectly where the eyeglass holder was. My Mag grey '07 Touring was on the lot and had everything I thought I wanted ...like you, I didn't think a Nav system was necessary at the time of purchase. But I'm glad it worked out this way.

 

Although I don't have the Garmin nuvi 660, it's the one my friend has and the one I will be buying shortly for our '07 Prius Touring.... and YES, we DID get the package 5 with Toyota NAV and are very disappointed with it's performance when in "map view". I'm not saying that when you want to program it to navigate you from point "a'" to point "b'" it doesn't work, I am just saying that for the price of the NAV unit option it is certainly NOT giving us the "map display" we would get from the Garmin nuvi 660 or even what we used to "see" on our '03 Acura MDX NAVI we traded in for the Prius. Unfortunately we found this out TOO LATE.... after we purchased the vehicle with package 5.

For many Prius owners the stock Toyota NAV is okay, but perhaps they weren't "spoiled" by a top-of-the-line NAVI as we were. The biggest complaint with the Toyota NAV is that in map mode, and I mean just using it as a moving map while driving with no destination programmed into it, it does NOT show cross-street NAMES "at" the intersection of the street you are on. Many don't understand what I mean but an equal amount who have had better NAV's do understand full well.... heck, I just purchased a program by Microsoft for under $100 called Streets & Trips 2007 w/GPS sensor (SiRF III) and the names of the strees "move into logical view" as the map display moves. I gave examples of this in a forum post a while back....
http://priuschat.com/index.php?showtopic=34551&hl=
but whatever, just be GLAD you didn't get the Toyota NAV.... it certainly was a blessing in disguise !!

Only drawback that YOU will have to do is to remove the "aftermarket" NAV unit, cable and it's mount (usually suction cup?) from the dash, and lock these in the glove box when you leave the vehicle to go shopping or parking, etc. These "remote" NAV units are a target for thieves in not-so-good neighborhoods, especially New York City. And it's so crazy for the thieft because there is a "code" that YOU enter into the NAV to make it operate each time you start it up.... when stolen and code is not usually known (99.9% of the time) the NAV is totally useless to the thief !!
[attachmentid=9455]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NoMoShocks @ Jul 6 2007, 01:31 AM) [snapback]473857[/snapback]</div>

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Garmin-nüvi...roductDetail.do

If you already own a fairly up-to-date notebook (laptop) computer, and don't mind keeping it on the passenger's seat (or in their lap) then here is the link to the Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 with a very accurate SiRF III GPS locator included. Works great, even speaks to you when routing, just a bit "distracting" having to use the notebook (laptop) controls when driving or stopped at a street light:
http://www.microsoft.com/products/info/pro...25-99fc43a9c5c1

NOW, if you want a great 7" large screen (bigger than what would be in the Toyota Prius NAV) you can get:
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Garmin-Stre...roductDetail.do
[attachmentid=9456]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(busyrosy @ Jul 6 2007, 10:30 AM) [snapback]473965[/snapback]</div>

I also have the Garmin Nuvi 660. The screen display is really clear. I had originally had a few problems with its choices of how to get from here to there, but now I think it's a pretty good system. It also has an MP3 player and Bluetooth -- which are really nice on a long trip because each component automatically pauses for the other. ie, if you are playing music, when the nav system needs to tell you to turn or if a call comes in on your cell phone, the music pauses. I plug mine into the auxiliary adapter in the Prius center console.

I forked out for a dashboard (beanbag) mount because the shape of the Prius windshield makes it too awkward to mount on the windshield with the suction cup (and I was concerned about how well it would hold) and I didn't want to stick the mounting disc that came with the unit permanently to my dashboard. The beanbag works really well and when you stop the car you can easily grab the whole ensemble and stick it out of sight in your center console.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(busyrosy @ Jul 6 2007, 10:30 AM) [snapback]473965[/snapback]</div>

PHAROS makes the GPS "receiver" for Microsoft. Pharos uses the highly sensitive SiRF III that the "best" GPS units use. Just for the Hell of it, I loaded MS Streets & Trips on my Dell desktop INSIDE our residence, the GPS receiver locked onto 9 sats., and this is inside a house. It normally is used with my Wife's Dell Latitude D820 notebook (laptop) when we go driving special places. The USB cable, adapter and GPS receiver that comes with Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 (which is 10 times more sensitive than the one that came with MS S & T 2006) looks like this:
[attachmentid=9460]

If you wanted to (which I never tried yet) you can get a PCMCIA "adapter" from Pharos (Microsoft's GPS hardware provider) to eliminate the 3 foot long cable and plug the GPS device directly into your notebook (laptop) that looks like this:
http://mstreets.pharosgps.com/pxt23.htm
[attachmentid=9459]
Product Features
Compatible with Microsoft Streets and Trips with GPS Locator and Microsoft AutoRoute with GPS Locator
For use in Laptop PC, Tablet PC, and Windows Mobile devices that have a CF or PCMCIA card slot
CF extension cable included for added flexibility
Portable and flexible design

Kit Contents
CompactFlash adapter
CompactFlash extension cable
PCMCIA card adapter

Here is a quick example (screen shot) of what a piece of San Francisco looks like on the Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007, taken off my desktop:
[attachmentid=9461]
Please notice the "street names detail" and they actually "move" so that they are ALWAYS in screen view....
something the OEM Toyota NAV does not do well at all :angry:

By the way.... I purchased MY Microsoft Streets & Trips 2007 w/GPS Locator BRAND NEW SEALED BOX on eBay for under $50, but it is risky (eBay) as many are scamming, putting some 2006 (older, bigger) GPS receivers in with the 2007 software and calling it 2007. To be safe, buy from a reputable software distributor or local electronics/computer store (CompUSA, Best Buy, Circuit City, Staples. etc.) it should be around $99 plus tax.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(busyrosy @ Jul 6 2007, 10:30 AM) [snapback]473965[/snapback]</div>

Consider yourself lucky to not have the factory Nav.
Garmin is the best, and any of the current Street Pilot series and Nuvi's are the way to go. Simplest to use, most comprehinsive POI database and superior maps and guidance. We've got a Garmin in our minivan, and I got factory Nav in the Prius. Wish I hadn't opted for Toyota nav, because it is truely lacking and frustrating to use effectively. I agree with the post about Toyota nav's lack of side-street names not being within view when driving, just monitoring the map. That cuts down on the convenience of such a map system tremendously, when looking for a local but unfamiliar road that you know is there but want reaction time to turn into when you get there. Garmin makes that easy and possible. Furthermore, the last two locations I wanted to go to were not in the Toyota Nav, but were in the Garmin. It takes many un-intuitive button pushes to get the Toyota Nav routing to a destination, and far-far less with Garmin.

That being said, I would stay away from the Lap-top choice. Imagaine the combursome and annoying process of set-up in the passenger seat, the power cords, the addition of an A/C inverter, boot up time, and tedious interface. Imagine having to look all the way over and down into the passenger seat to read and interpret the screen. That's a wreck waiting to happen. And the first semi-panic stop you make, the whole set-up is laying mangled in the floorboard. Who wants a hot laptop on their lap when riding shotgun with you ? Just because it talks won't eliminate the need to look at the screen and interpret distances to turns etc . As for walking around with it, I sure can't imagine cradeling a lap-top around in my arms for the foot-trek I just ventured out on. And 1.5 hours later the whole contraption is dead. They work great but not all conveniant or portable. And of course, this is JMHO

You can mount the Garmin above the MFD, or to-the-left of the MFD, around that A/C vent area. Nice ease to reach and see location. Just unsnap it from the base and put it in you console or glove box when you're parked. Or take it with you (Nuvi).

 

While I agree that a program running on a laptop is nicer (larger screen, faster computer, easier to connect to), installing a laptop in a car is not an easy thing to do. You should support the lid/screen, as well as the laptop base. This involves large (some would call ugly) structures. It's also difficult to operate a laptop while driving. Especially with Windows!

I am in the final stages of justifying purchase of a Garmin Nuvi 650. As my car has bluetooth already, I'm not sure what purpose the 660 having it would serve. In my case, the bluetooth is used with my cell phone. If there's something I'm missing here, please advise, but I'm pretty sure a 660 would interfere with my Prius bluetooth.

As for mounting the Garmin, I propose to put it on the silver panel just above the "on/off" button, using a Garmin mounting disk and the supplied double sided tape disk. The silver panel can be pulled out, so I can cut the corner off it where it meets the MFD panel and the main dash black panel. I plan to route the cord there, so it doesn't run down the front of the dash.

Comments are welcome.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(9G-man @ Jul 6 2007, 11:38 AM) [snapback]474006[/snapback]</div>

In OUR situation we currently do not have the $700+ for a Garmin 660 and will not settle for lesser, cheaper models. We already have a notebook (laptop) and the $50 spent on the Microsoft S & T 2007 w/GPS was a good investment for what we can afford NOW. The notebook screen is large, 15" whereas the Garmin 660 is only 4.3" and I must continually put my reading-only glasses on-and-off while driving, again OUR particular situation, not the majority. When I ride (passenger) with my Wife (driver) I have no problem navigating with her 15" display notebook on my lap and voice output directions coming from the MS Streets & Trips 2007, but once again, it is just OUR situation and not the norm.
For a "map" the OEM Toyota NAV is almost useless for side roads, the notebook set-up works perfect for us, and like I said the street names "move" with the map as you are driving, NOT stationary and off screen like the Toyota NAV.
We blame ourselves, NOT the salesperson, for NOT looking into the lacking features of the Toyota NAV and assuming that it was as good as the one we had in the Acura.... in other words we thought ALL NAV's were created equal...... huh, what a big letdown !!
If we had it to do over we would have ordered a package 4 and purchased a Garmin 7500
[attachmentid=9465]

 

Another vote for the Garmin nuvi 660 .

The nuvi 660 my second portable nav (first one was a Lowrance iWay 550), and simply the best you can get (I did a *lot* of research).

My wife's Prius has the built-in Toyota nav, and it's painfully inferior to the nuvi (apart from the larger screen).

BTW: I got mine on sale at Costco for $499 (tho' I think that sale is finished )

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 6 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]474013[/snapback]</div>

My Prius doesn't have Bluetooth, but from what I know from using my Bluetooth headset, you can only receive your phone through one Bluetooth device at a time. If your Prius Bluetooth is on, for example, then the Garmin Bluetooth will not be enabled, so there's no problem with interference. I like having the Bluetooth on the Garmin when I am using the nav system because that way, as I mentioned before, if a call comes in the other functions will be automatically paused -- so you're not listening to the phone ringing, the music playing, and the navigation guy telling you to turn all at the same time.

I've heard of problems with the disc mount -- that the disc sometimes becomes detached from the sticky backing -- leaving the sticky thing on the car but no disc. I would definitely recommend paying for the beanbag dashboard mount because you can move it around to where you want it, hide the whole assembly when your car is parked, and use it in another car.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 6 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]474013[/snapback]</div>

No doubt about it, it can be unsafe and annoying, but in our situation (pilot/co-pilot) where I an the navigator with the Dell D820 sitting on MY lap, it is okay. Driving "alone" with a notebook is an entirely other circumstance.... one must frequently pull over or be quick at stop lights to manipulate the touchpad or fingerpointer in the notebook (laptop).

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 6 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]474013[/snapback]</div>

I believe it certainly will (660) and the 650 is a great price (and getting limited supply now that 670 is out).

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(David Beale @ Jul 6 2007, 11:47 AM) [snapback]474013[/snapback]</div>

I heard the Garmin "beanbag mount" works well atop the dash too. REMEMBER.... you are going to want to REMOVE the GPS device, cable, mounts, etc. to prevent someone breaking your window, trying to steal it !!

 

I have a lot of experience re Garmin units. I have a GPS III+, a Streetpilot III, and a CF Que, used in a Toshiba PDA. The Streetpilot III has the disk system and the beanbag. The CF Que also came with a disk mount and beanbag. At the press of the lever it comes out, leaving the disk only on the dash. I find the beanbag mount will slide around, and I had to use velcrotape to hold them in place. There are two types of double sided tape supplied with the Garmin, a "temporary" disk, and a "permanent" disk. My experience has been if you clean the spot well, the tape will stay. It can be removed if you want to without damage to the dash (the anti-Prius, my previous 2001 Pathfinder had a lot of it on the dash which I removed, leaving no marks).

I think if there is no other function for the bluetooth other than cell hands free, as it's in the car already, I'll stick to the 650 and save myself the $100 extra for the 660. I can get the Nuvi 650 for $600 Can. from a store in Alberta.