Prius navigation system

[ohgreys]

On April 13 I put a deposit down on a 2006 silver pine mica #7 Prius with bisque interior. Last night I e-mailed my salesman to say that I had changed my mind and would take any interior color and any exterior color except black, driftwood, or magnetic gray. He called me today to see if I would bend on the nav system. I told him no but now, 15 minutes after hanging up the phone, I'm reconsidering.

As I see it, the advantage of having the factory nav system is that it has a bigger screen than other GPS systems and there are no extra wires/chargers to deal with. Plus, my husband is pretty excited about playing with it.

The disadvantages are that it increases the cost of the Prius a lot. Sure, there are a lot of other options that come with packages #7 and #8 but the only above-base options that interest me are the airbags, mp3 capability, and backup camera. I'll never use the 6 disc changer and I don't even know what universal tranceivers or HID even are. I'll be the main driver of the Prius and I just can't imagine myself using the nav system too much. My husband has both an Earthmate GPS system for his laptop and a PDA-based (Delorme?) system. I've never liked using the GPS because I would rather focus on the road than on a little screen to the right of the steering wheel.

So I guess I'm wondering if it's worth it to get the nav system. If you have it, do you use it a lot? What type of traveling do you use it for? How does it compare to other GPS systems you've used? If you don't have it, do you wish you did? Do you use another GPS/nav system? Can an aftermarket system be installed and viewed through the in-dash computer screen?

Thanks for any replies!

[Vincent]

Coming out of three Acura's with Navigation, the Toyota system is a big disappointment because most navigation and bluetooth functions can't be used while the 06 Prius is in motion. There's an override for the 04/05, which was removed from the 06.

Save your money and pass on the Navigation unit.

[ohgreys]

It can't be used while in motion? So I would need to have it set my route before I get going and then not change it unless I stopped the car? Hmmm. So that means that I couldn't be driving while my husband fiddled with it anyway. That's a pretty big point that I didn't know. Can you use the voice activation part of it while in motion?

I thought of another question: How much do the updates cost?

[hdrygas]

Is the Toyota the greatest Nav unit in the world... no... is it the worse... I guess not. If you are out of town or need to go to a place in town that you are unsure of will it get you there... yes it does. I would not have a car with out a Nav unit. I think that they will get better and better over time. I have used one other the Garmin iQue and I am not sure that it is better only different. The trouble is that data bases differ and they all need work at this point and are getting improved. I think that Toyota rips you off for Nav up dates at this point.

[qbee42]

We really like the NAV system. As others have pointed out, there are limitations about setting destinations when moving. Toyota restricted that to keep from getting sued when some dumb driver kills someone while talking on the cell phone and punching in an address for the NAV system. That said, it's not a big problem: set the destination before you get under way, or pull over and set it.

We like having the system integrated with the MFD, so you have a big screen and don't have to stick something else on the dash or run a bunch of cords all around.

I find it a great help when driving in unfamiliar cities. As an example, we wanted to stop at a grocery store when we were out of town. In the hotel parking lot, I punched up POI (Points Of Interest) and selected grocery stores nearest to the present location. A big list came up. We picked the nearest one and drove right to it, all the time with Jill reading off directions.

It's also a great help on the highway. You get ample warning about which lane to use and when to get ready for an exit. There is a steady stream of information about what you can find at upcoming exits. If I want to find my way home, I just hit the talk button and say "home"; that's all there is too it, and you don't have to stop to do that.

It's your call, but if you want a NAV system for your Prius, I'd get the built in system.

Tom

[aaf709]

When I was getting the Prius in 2005 I didn't want the NAV system as there was a $3000 difference between that and the next lower model. I figured I could get a third-party as they tend to be better, cheaper and portable.

That being said, I have the built-in as getting the lower model was next to impossible in So Cal. I'm happy with having the built-in NAV system (which came bundled with some other nifty options), but considering that my last NAV system was a 2002 Thomas Guide to San Diego, a 1992 Thomas Guide to Los Angeles and any Mapquest I could print, just about any GPS system is an improvement. Being a 2005, there's a workaround that allows me to enter destinations while in motion, so that helps. It gave me a route home from work that was better than the one I was using (which is embarassing as I've lived in the area for almost 50 years). It took me to a place in Anaheim better than Mapquest (no fooling, Mapquest had me go to a place almost a mile away and on another street). It has also told me to get off the correct road and turn on to a road that didn't exist (out in the boonies and that happened only once). It also listed a restaurant near our house that hasn't been there for years (really too bad, I loved eating there). It's screen that's up the most.

My next car will have a GPS system, whether it's built-in or not is still up in the air. Oh, and the cost of an update is about $256. And though you can't get one later on that displays on the MFD, you can get one (like the Pioneer) that's built-in, rather than sitting on the dash.

Bottom line, it's up to you as you (and your husband) will be the ones that will be using it, not us. Some have said the more options the better value for resale, but don't let that be a deciding factor.

[LaniLobes]

I would definately give "nav systems" a huge thumbs up - but I agree that the one in the Prius is disappointing compared to the others I have used.

I would recommend getting a portable Tom Tom or Navman and using that.

I find the current factory one to be disapointing from a user friendlyness perspective and from a route selection perspective.

Hope this helps.

Lani

[Jeff Beaver]

I have a GPS (Garmin Quest) that pre-dates my '06 Prius pkg 6. It works fine on the Prius dash (bean bag mount), and for under $400 it probably does as well or better for me than the Prius NAV -- with which I admittedly have no experience.

Here are what I see as the pros and cons of my setup:

Pro
1. From some of the complaints I've read here, Garmin's map coverage of North America may be superior to whatever Toyota is using.
2. The Quest is portable, and has an internal battery, allowing me to program it at my desk, without having to do it in the car.
3. The portability factor allows me to take it with me to use in a rental, friend's car, boat, motorcycle, or bicycle. I can theoretically also use it for geocaching or hiking, in or out of a city, but in the case of the Quest, that usefulness may be limited.

Con
1. The screen of the Toyota unit is much larger, and the audio is undoubtely superior, although for a variety of reasons I don't think that's a big deal.
2. The Toyota unit requires nothing to set up, and is always going to be there, so for a realtor or person that uses the car in their business. I think the constant use factor would make it a worthwhile investment.

As for how I use it, I don't actually use it that much. Vacations, weekend trips, new restaurants, meeting someone at an unfamiliar location -- that sort of thing. When I do use it, which might be 3 - 4 times a month, it does come in real handy, and I love the thing.

Do I think the Toyota GPS is worth $2,000? Not to me, but for someone like a realtor, I think it would be great. Just my 2 cents.

[ohgreys]

I decided to e-mail my salesman to tell him that I would take package #3, #4, #5, #6, or #7. So I might get the nav system and I might not. I feel better about this and am happy that it makes it easier for the dealer to get my car. If we don't end up with the nav system, I might look into getting a different built in system down the road.

Thanks for all of the input!

[Kross]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ohgreys @ May 12 2006, 09:44 AM) [snapback]254046[/snapback]</div>

I decided to e-mail my salesman to tell him that I would take package #3, #4, #5, #6, or #7. So I might get the nav system and I might not. I feel better about this and am happy that it makes it easier for the dealer to get my car. If we don't end up with the nav system, I might look into getting a different built in system down the road.

Thanks for all of the input!
[/b]

I am sure it has been mentioned earlier in this thread before, but I figured I'd add it towards the end for what it's worth:

1) HID headlights: Trust me, once you drive a car with them, you will NOT want to go back to the regular halogen ones. I think they are clear and crisp and show a much better view at night. Not to mention, they look great!

2) The 6-CD disc changer in package #7 plays MP3 CDs as well...so really, if you have it you can fill it with 6 CDs with approx 120 MP3 songs on each and you don't even need to attach an MP3 player to the AUX. Plus, with the MP3 CDs you can control the playback with your steering wheel where as the AUX is merely a headphone jack sort of thing.


3) Navigation system: My fiance' has a Garmin c330 in her car and we love it, but it does not even come close to the feature-rich nav system in the Prius. True, it has its ups and downs, the biggest one bieng that you cant fiddle with it when the car is in motion, BUT there are ways around that. For example: you can navigate by voice and/or set Quick Access routes. If you have your work, or your house, or any other location set as a Quick Access, all you have to say is: "Quick Access 5" or whatever number you have it set as, and the Nav will guide you there. Also, you can look for things around you while driving. For example, you can say "ATMs" and the system will show you icons on the map screen of ATMs around you. The same goes for almost anything you can think of...you just have to know the commands and what to ask for.

Personally I think that the nav system is awesome and I would not have bought the Prius without it.

Just my $0.02.

I hope you get a call from your salesperson soon! Nav or no nav, a Prius is an incredible car and you'll love it!