Navigation system missing Alaska

[zijlstra]

I just bought a new 2007 Prius with package 5 up here in Anchorage, AK. As most of you know, it comes with the navigation system installed. My question is: why isn't Alaska (or Hawai) covered by the installed software? Are there upgrades available? Who makes the software for the Toyota navigation system? I saw one post that mentioned Navtec, but Toyota isn't listed as on of the manufacturers for their factory-installed systems. Plus, Navtec software actually DOES cover Alaska.

Any suggestion on how to 'update' my currently useless navigation system?

[Bill Merchant]

I bet when you press the Map button, the screen just goes white...

Seriously, I'm sorry the nav doesn't cover Alaska. That's a good thing to complain about to Toyota's Customer Satisfaction phone line (number in the manual and other paperwork).

The nav system is made by Denso for Toyota. It uses data from Navtec, InfoUSA, and a bunch of other providers (see all the copyright notices in the nav manual). It is always out of date, down here where maps exist. The 6.1 DVD was finalized for production in early 2005. Not a big deal in some areas, but in fast growing areas a lot of roads can be built in that time. Also, map updates seem spotty. Some members have noted that there are streets missing that have been on the ground for five years.

There are still lots of useful features, even without a map. It may feel like salt in a wound, but here's an online tutorial.

I wonder, can you still set memory points without a map reference? It uses lat-long to track them.

They didn't attach Alaska to Canada, did they?

[spihcyobb]

yeah i tried lookin back on my home back in anchorage to see the total distance and route if i was to go from las vegas to anchorage....

but man... u cant get lost in anchorage ahahaha. i was thinking of driving this back up but man... this car would not survive the winter so i think im going to keep this car here in vegas. u should definately talk to the dealership about getting rid of the navigation and getting ur money back

chipsuno

[Bill Merchant]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(spihcyobb @ Mar 30 2007, 04:19 AM) [snapback]414770[/snapback]</div>

i was thinking of driving this back up but man... this car would not survive the winter so i think im going to keep this car here in vegas. u should definately talk to the dealership about getting rid of the navigation and getting ur money back

chipsuno[/b]

Hi chipsuno, welcome to PriusChat. There are several members in Alaska and the Prius does just fine there.

[zijlstra]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alaskaprius @ Mar 30 2007, 01:59 AM) [snapback]414732[/snapback]</div>

I just bought a new 2007 Prius with package 5 up here in Anchorage, AK. As most of you know, it comes with the navigation system installed. My question is: why isn't Alaska (or Hawai) covered by the installed software? Are there upgrades available? Who makes the software for the Toyota navigation system? I saw one post that mentioned Navtec, but Toyota isn't listed as on of the manufacturers for their factory-installed systems. Plus, Navtec software actually DOES cover Alaska.

Any suggestion on how to 'update' my currently useless navigation system?
[/b]

Thanks for the replies. I contacted Toyota, but all they said is that they'll take note of it for the future. It sucks that every $100 handheld GPS can be uploaded with AK mapping software, while a $2500 navigation system aparently misses this option. Thumbs down for Toyota on this one

[jrfaris]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alaskaprius @ Mar 30 2007, 09:42 PM) [snapback]415364[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the replies. I contacted Toyota, but all they said is that they'll take note of it for the future. It sucks that every $100 handheld GPS can be uploaded with AK mapping software, while a $2500 navigation system aparently misses this option. Thumbs down for Toyota on this one
[/b]

I'm kind of surprised they are even selling nav equiped vehicles in an area the system doesn't cover. I guess there is a chance you might drive to an area in Canada where there is coverage. I believe Hawaii is in the same situation. I don't know what packages are available there but I thought that Nav wasn't available.

[Bill Lumbergh]

A friend of mine in San Antonio has nav in his 4Runner and it doesn't have AK maps, either.

Lack of AK maps was one of the factors that pushed me all the way down to a Package 1. In fact, I'm *really* surprised the local stealership even bothered ordering a nav-equipped car. The price and wait made it worthwhile for me to buy out of state as well.

The salesman didn't tell you it was a correctable problem, did he/she?

[zijlstra]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Boxster...WRX...Prius? @ Apr 1 2007, 01:20 AM) [snapback]415853[/snapback]</div>

A friend of mine in San Antonio has nav in his 4Runner and it doesn't have AK maps, either.

Lack of AK maps was one of the factors that pushed me all the way down to a Package 1. In fact, I'm *really* surprised the local stealership even bothered ordering a nav-equipped car. The price and wait made it worthwhile for me to buy out of state as well.

The salesman didn't tell you it was a correctable problem, did he/she?
[/b]

No, they explained that it wasn't working up here before we bought it (The sales-guy first said that we could buy an additional disk for Alaska, but he retracted from that later). But they also said that NO other vehicle manufacturer has a navigation system that works in Alaska - which is apparently incorrect, since there is a LONG list of manufacturers that Navtec (which covers AK) supplies. We decided to buy the package 5 anyhow since we are probably going to move to Canada sometime in the future. Plus, I really liked to have the the HID lights and the CD-changer (not that those would be worth the additional cost, but still...

I asked why they even bothered selling vehicles with navigation system (they have quite a few of those) since those are useless up here, and the way they explained it, is that they don't have a choice what Toyota delivers to them. Supposedly they simply get assigned a certain number of vehicles to sell. There must be some truth in this since they have a large number of Yarises (we looked at those originally), but ALL of them only as base models. I doubt a dealership would order ONLY base-models, that'd be pretty stupid. Especially considering that Alaska is traditionally 'truck-country' and to drive a teeny little car like the Yaris without side-curtain-airbags is pretty suicidal.

Obviously we could have ordered specific model of the Prius or Yaris, but we were told that it would take around 6-12 weeks before it would arrive and we simply didn't have the time to wait that long, since we had already sold our Tacoma.

Overall, I'm not too unhappy with the dealership. They lowered the sales-price by $1000.00 after we told them that we were seriously looking at other vehicles and also dropped the extended warranty by an additional $1000.00. So, I feel that we got an 'okay' deal from them, but who knows how much margin they got.

I do think it's stupid though that Toyota doesn't think it's necessary to have more 'modern' mapping software in their vehicles. I mean seriously, virtually every cheapo Garmin car/handheld GPS covers Alaska. Toyota is definitely running behind their competitors on this one.

[Tom_06]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(alaskaprius @ Apr 2 2007, 03:38 AM) [snapback]416330[/snapback]</div>

.... But they also said that NO other vehicle manufacturer has a navigation system that works in Alaska - which is apparently incorrect, since there is a LONG list of manufacturers that Navtec (which covers AK) supplies. ....
[/b]

I had a 2001 Audi with a NAV system with data from Navtec. I wouldn't believe that they cover Alaska unless I saw it with my own eyes.

With the Audi, you could buy the upgrades directly from Navtec. I was going to Prince Edwards Island in Canada and ordered the disc for Eastern Canada from them (they were on CD's back then). I was assured PEI was covered. I called twice - as I heard online it wasn't. No problem they said, it's covered. Needless to say, it wasn't. Neither was any of the roads coming or going. Their Canadian coverage consisted of two or three of the largest cities but not even any of the largest roads between. That single CD was $180. When I sold the car and got the Prius last year, the latest upgrade (2004) still had almost no Canada.

- Tom