Prius Navigation System- It sucks.

[efusco]

I've got mixed feelings on this. For the most part I'm with Charles...maybe I'm easily impressed, but every time I've used the NAV it's gotten me 'in the neighborhood'. I had one time it took me a full 1.5 miles past a restraunt I was looking for, but it was a rural area, weird road, and if I hadn't been so focused on the stupid map screen I'd have seen the [large] restraunt as I drove past it while not paying attention outside!

Every other time it's gotten me within visual range of my intended destination. There are a few roads it doesn't show and I'd imagine that'll piss me off a bit one day. But I understand how amazing it is to have so much data on one little disk already.

Perhaps with these new generation computer disks that hold 50+MB of data we'll be able to start listing every individual house's exact GPS coordinates along with every other possible destination and the world will be a happy place. As it is I'm impressed that they have as much info on one little disk as they do.

I do agree that it is complete BS that they charge $300 for an update disk. They have to make the disks anyway. It costs only pennies to actually burn a new one, and at $300 a pop for the upgrades they must not sell hardly any.

If they sold them for $49.95 each many of us would upgrade yearly, they'd make $45+ on each disk sold, they'd sell thousands of them and surely make more money than they currently do selling at $300 each....I'm no business expert, but it seems dang simple to me. I think most people would be willing to pay that much for a licensed copy than to illegally burn one. But at $300 the temptation to pirate is pretty great, esp. since there's virtually no way to get caught unless Denso sends agents to your house with warrants to search your NAV computer.

Doesn't make it the right thing to do, but it makes it safe and easy and cheap.

[GeoffM]

... and if I hadn't been so focused on the stupid map screen I'd have seen the [large] restraunt as I drove past it while not paying attention outside!

Been there, done that! You really have to remember not to surrender your common sense and innate sense of direction just because you have a nav system. I've kicked myslef more than once for trusting the nav system more than my own instincts.

Geoff

[tag]

.....there's virtually no way to get caught unless Denso sends agents to your house with warrants to search your NAV computer.

I dunno. If it becomes so widespread that Denso starts carping to Toyota about it, look out when you take your car in for any kind of service.......checking for a pirated DVD could wind up being standard procedure at Toyota dealers.

[Frank Hudon]

just a thought, any other company using the Denso system? might be able to get a copy that works from some other company cheaper than Toyota. Can't believer that a lot of the info isn't in ROM memory in the nav computer. How about a Nissan Murano with nav, their big users of Denso.

[BobA]

Don't you all still fight indians in Arizona????? Charlie if you know where you live then why do you need the lady in the BOX to tell you how to get home.... use the NAV for other things... or just have fun with it... you can also MARK your house and work the problem out that way... I really think the call to Toyota was not worth the dime.... JUST ME!!!!

Bob Andersen

[macreative]

My navigation system cannot find its way to bring me to my own home. To test it I programmed it for my home address. Now this may seem like an excercise in futility since I know where I live and how to get there. Then I ran a test. Could it bring me to my home?

The Nav screen led me to King street just South of my home and directs me go East [so far so good]. When I get one block away from my home it directs me to turn right onto Clay Street, [totally wrong] .

My home is one block further down King street and in order to get to my home I must drive one block further East and then make a left turn onto Elm street.

For grins I followed the directions given to me by the lady in the box. It eventually ran me around in circles. It could not bring me to my destination.

I registered a complaint with Toyota, both the dealer and the Toyota USA, when I noticed this problem in May 2004. At that time I was given a complaint number by Toyota USA and told that a new Nav. CD would be ready in November. Well, it is now November and the local dealer is unaware of any update to the inefficient, inaccurate and confused Nav. system which came installed in the car.

Those of us who purchased Package 9 paid lots of extra money for an accurate Nav. system. The dealer has admitted that the Nav. system is flawed. I will contact Toyota again this week and see what they plan to do to make things right.

The inaccuracies built into the system are intolerable and there is no way I will pay one penny to Toyota to fix a problem endemic to their Nav. system.

I know that an accurate Nav system is very important to some Pri drivers. Physicians on a house call, delivery persons, etc. and they need accuracy.

I will keep everyone posted about the resolution of this problem.

Perhaps the threat of a class action lawsuit will move them to fix this problem pronto.

Arizona Charlie

A Class action lawsuit to threaten the worlds 2nd largest automotive manufacturer. C'mon, that's just stupid. I wouldn't get your panties in a ruffle.

I have version 4.23 in my 2005 and it hasn't gotten me lost yet, I use it every single day.

Why on earth would Toyota listen to a Prius owner threatening a lawsuit, when the manual warns that you should perform a "reality check" before depending on the system. You sound like you belong in California where everyone is sue happy

Why wouldn't you just be glad that the Prius is a fantastic car rather than dwell on electronic setbacks, which are well documented and caveat' in the manual ?

[roger]

Well, mine takes me to right outside any address I choose. it seems accurate to about 6 feet, as when I get to the middle of an intersection, the tip of the triangle is dead in the middle of that road. and when I'm about 6 houses away from an address, it always tells me "your destination is ahead on the right/left hand side. and then when I get there, "you have arrived at your destination. The route guidance has now finished"

Don't have one complaint.

[rmm20]

Nav system to me is wonderful. But then I have used Garmin for
years, and know what to expect in a Nav system. They are
not perfect and they make mistakes.

But they are pretty darn good.

Being able to push a button and tell current street address is worth
the price of admission, all by itself.

Robert

[macreative]

Well, mine takes me to right outside any address I choose. it seems accurate to about 6 feet, as when I get to the middle of an intersection, the tip of the triangle is dead in the middle of that road. and when I'm about 6 houses away from an address, it always tells me "your destination is ahead on the right/left hand side. and then when I get there, "you have arrived at your destination. The route guidance has now finished"

Don't have one complaint.

Amen! I love the system. Do you also have an '05? I have no complaints with this car! Very satisifed

[roger]

yes.. made in September