prius GPS navigation sucks

[qbee42]

Not finding an address is usually the result of inputting too much information. Just as with a google search, you want to start general and get more specific only if the results are too broad. Unfortunately, the order of the address fields in the Toyota NAV system encourages people to enter from the specific to the general, which is backward from what you normally want to do. Try skipping to the second screen and entering the state, then city. Pop back to the first screen and do the street, then number. When you enter the street, don't use any qualifiers, such as N, North, St, Street, Circle or any of that stuff. The system will pop up a list and you can select the correct street from that. If you input "West Anystreet Blvd" and the database has it as "W Anystreet Blvd", you aren't going to find it. Stay general and pick from the list.

Of course it's also possible that an address is not in the database. Different GPS venders use different databases, and they are not all equal.

Tom

[ctbering]

Originally Posted by Vincent

How about a passenger being able to use the Prius Navi system when the car is moving; thank you Toyota lawyers!

My sentiments exactly. Why are we able to change radio stations or adjust the climate control when the car is in motion or program a radio station? A simple message warning drivers to use the Navigation system when the car is stopped would suffice....Toyota dropped the ball on choosing the Navigation system and then rendering it useless when the car is moving. Terry

hack your Toyota Prius GPS Navigation System -- NaviGadget

[boulder_bum]

Originally Posted by Joekc

Umm . . . the Garmin knows the time of the sunrise/sunsest for every day of the year at your location and automatically adjusts itself for day/night based on that. Let's see Toyota do that . . .

But having it tied to the headlights is a superior approach. On gloomy days where it feels dark before sunset, or in similar situations the Prius wins.

[onree]

Originally Posted by boulder_bum

But having it tied to the headlights is a superior approach. On gloomy days where it feels dark before sunset, or in similar situations the Prius wins.

... but not if you like to leave your headlights on all the time (pseudo-DRL).

[priusisourfamilygashog]

Originally Posted by Rotorhead

My first indication that all was not well with the Prius GPS was when I tried to put in my home address and got the "No such address on this street" message. It wouldn't have been a problem is it was a new house on a new street. I live in a building that is over 110 years old so seems like it should be on the map.
Mike

had the same problem when I first tried ours. put in number and street and it would list all towns that had that sreet, except my town. However if I entered the City in there, it would locate the address. If you live in a small town, that might be what is happening.

[boulder_bum]

Originally Posted by onree

... but not if you like to leave your headlights on all the time (pseudo-DRL).

1. Don't do that.
2. Even if you do that, the Prius GPS will have the daytime colors even with headlights if your instrumentation brightness dial is turned all the way up.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by Joekc

Umm . . . the Garmin knows the time of the sunrise/sunsest for every day of the year at your location and automatically adjusts itself for day/night based on that. Let's see Toyota do that . . .

Actually, Toyota does beat that - in some parts of the world, like Canada. Here, we don't get HID headlights, but rather Auto headlights instead. The auto headlights are driven off a light sensor, so they come on whenever necessary.

... and when the headlights come on the Nav system switches to night mode. So, in effect, this is better than knowing the expected sunrise/sunsets, as it even applies to driving through a medium to long tunnel.

Interestingly, even if you turn the headlights on manually during the day, the auto day/night for Nav will still stay in Day mode. Very smart.

[Joekc]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Interestingly, even if you turn the headlights on manually during the day, the auto day/night for Nav will still stay in Day mode. Very smart.

Only in Canada, though. Today I was driving in the rain and by law had to turn on my headlights. It was still fairly bright outside, so when the headlights went on the map screen went virtually black. Of course I can use the thumbwheel to turn the dash lights up, but I shouldn't have to. I wish I could live in Canada.

[Sarge]

Originally Posted by Joekc

Only in Canada, though. Today I was driving in the rain and by law had to turn on my headlights. It was still fairly bright outside, so when the headlights went on the map screen went virtually black. Of course I can use the thumbwheel to turn the dash lights up, but I shouldn't have to. I wish I could live in Canada.

Yeah, it is only on Canadian Prius (and perhaps other areas of the world with the same configuration). I have grown quite accustomed to the Auto headlights, I am not sure I would trade them for the HID's, at least with the additional cost factored in. Furthermore, I like that the light sensor is actually two separate stages; as dusk approaches, first the headlights come on, then maybe 20 or 30 minutes later as it gets darker the Nav switches to night mode. Vice versa at dawn. So, it is not just on or off, there is a middle ground level out lighting where headlights are on, yet the screen is still in day mode.

Along the same lines, the Auto lights are not so responsive that they flicker on or off on a whim, such as driving though shadows or underpasses. You have to drive (or be stopped) in a dark tunnel for ~ 10 seconds or so before the headlights react. Again, some thought clearly went into this design.

The end result is the only time I ever touch the headlight switch is to compensate for inclement weather.

Anyway... getting back on the Nav topic, from a Canadian perspective, I wonder why the text to speech pronounces all the US Interstates by their number, yet in Canada, everything is a generic "freeway". Why wasn't it programmed to say "highway xxx", as it does with Interstates? For that matter, as demonstrated by the "Address" command, it clearly has a Text-to-Speech engine to read streets and city names, why don't they add the feature to announce turns by name like many aftermarket units? Seems the programming is already there, just execute the routines..........

Just some thoughts, not complaints. I am actually quite satisfied with the functionality of my Nav. It's all a matter of what you are used to.

[Joekc]

Originally Posted by Sarge

Anyway... getting back on the Nav topic, from a Canadian perspective, I wonder why the text to speech pronounces all the US Interstates by their number, yet in Canada, everything is a generic "freeway". Why wasn't it programmed to say "highway xxx", as it does with Interstates?

I think the irony is you really don't need the name of the Interstate highway called out. Signs are plastered everywhere. What you need is the name of a street you are turning on, especially at night or when the street is poorly marked. So the NAV system speaks where you are when you don't need to know it and can't tell you where you are when you need it.