Navigation Package or not?

I agree there probably should be a separate subforum just for the Nav discussion since its not a specific Prius discussion. Its my understanding that a Nav system generation is the same used thru-out Toyota model lines.

Lexus I hear is a different story since they use improved models with HDD and better speech rec and text-to-speech S/W.

My 2 cents.

 

Okay, I need to get something cleared up, and excuse my ignorance. What exactly is 3D view? The only Navigation system i ever own is the one on the picture I post here, the Sprint Navigation on my Samsung Instinct. To be honest with you, it is quite good. It serves it purpose, its easy to use, and it updated every single day through the Sprint network. The type of view shown in the picture is what I have come to acknowledge as standard, and I guess I assumed that every single GPS is able to look like that, because well, a view from above is useful at times, but there aint nothing as useful as what the picture depicts below. Does this picture represent an example of 3D view? In other words, is that what you call 3D? If so, then, you guys are telling me the Toyota navigation is incapable of looking like that, something that a tiny little crappy phone can do? (Ive come to hate the instinct)

 

So there is no 3D view at all in the Prius?

 

Unfortunately, no. My previous car (BMW 545i) had birds eye view (they called it perspective view) and I liked it much better than the Prius nav.

 

Aghh! My crappy phone can do 3D NAv, I just dont get it. The only reason I am able to follow directions correctly in complex Freeway Intersections its because of the 3D mode. How in the world is everybody else using the NAV? I just dont think I could ever get used to 2D

 

sorry, accidental repost

 

Navigation wouldn't return to Map mode after a call. I had to pull over and restart the car to get it operational.

 

I think the 3D stuff is just gimmicky. How does 3D help one get to their destination. I mean is it going to show me where my 10th fl business meeting is at on the map.

I'm sure the new IPhone 3GS is going to have this feature with new apps.

 

For those who have their new Prius with Nav, can you tell me what version of the Map Data you have? Mine is Nav 08.1.

3D is like having a helicopter flying behind your car showing your car going down the road. It gives you a look ahead at where you are going. You also get to see the lanes in the road and detail such as rivers and other landmarks. We use them all the time when on vacation. We will take our Garmin with us when we travel. My wife can look up places to eat, see, shop, and stay the night plus they can tell you turn-by-turn how to get there.

They are really great traveling companions. In my airplane, it's the only way to fly. The Toyota Nav has good speech recognition, which is state of the art but what you see on screen is not. You hear that Toyota, I'm talking to you!!

Dan

 

You make it sound like the Toyota navigation doesnt tell how to get there turn by turn. Is this so? By the way, just making sure, the Toyota Nav DOES speak and it DOES say the name of the streets, right? Also, does reroute automatically if you go the wrong way? Again, my crappy phone does that so I hope it does, because very often I turn the wrong way downtown.
Another question. With the I POD interface, can you watch videos on your IPOD, or is it strictly audio? Also, when I first saw the NAv advertised at the Toyota website they called it "DVD navigation" so I assumed you would be able to play DVD movies...but so far it seems like that is not so. Can somebody shed some light on this?
Thanks

 

I agree and I like the clear voice of the gal doing the talking. The name of the street you are on shows at the bottom of the screen. There is a lot to like but the map could be made more attractive and interesting. As far as accuracy goes, it's dead on perfect. We are glad we bought it and I'm a big fan of Garman's products. I have a Nuvi and a Garmin 296 for the airplane. Someday we will update our Nav software and fall madly in love with all the improvements.

They throw in the back up camera to boot and a kicked up stereo that is VERY good!

Buy it!

Dan

 

I really like the integration as well. In other posts I've mentioned the potential danger of the units that adhere to the windshield with a suction cup. In the event of an accident those things can become pretty nasty projectiles.

Anyway... getting back to the NAV. I have an early 2004 model and the NAV to me works great. It calculates routes fast and I can use it on the fly because of the little hack which enables usage during vehicle movement. I'm not concerned about updates because they haven't built roads around here for forty years!! POI's? I just use my iPhone if I need to look up something.

 

we live in affluburbia. Half the crime reports in the local paper are garmin/etc gps portable units ripped off out of parked cars. I myself foolishly left a portable XM radio clipped to my vents and had it stolen. It was of no use to the perp as it was permanently disabled the next day. i have not seen any reports of an MFD being stolen, or of the DVD. That would take too much time, at least here in affluburbia.

i read an account in maine of a thief targeting gps units, selling them to pawn shops. He was busted because the cops went to the pawn shop and fired one up and pressed "home". Home matched the address of one of the victims, and the shop of course had records of who pawned it.

anyway, i prefer integrated for many reasons - this is one

 

Originally, I planned on buying my Prius IV with NAV.

I couldn't pull the switch on spending $1800 for the nav and a "better" stereo system.

I love my Garmin's...and if I want to upgrade to a newer version, I could spend around $150 to do so.

My Prius IV without NAV has bluetooth and a JBL stereo that rocks for me.

Personally, $1800 is too steep a price to pay.

 

Get a Garmin Nuvi. Your built in nav will be outdated a lot sooner than the Prius will.