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How bad is the 2013 v Factory NAV system?

Discussion in 'Prius v Audio and Electronics' started by Paul Anderegg, Jul 24, 2013.

  1. Paul Anderegg

    Paul Anderegg Junior Member

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    I was at the dealer today trying to decide if I should get the factory navigation system in the v I may be getting soon. I threw the dealer a few test addresses......numbers and a street name with no city, but the street only exists in one location in the county, and an intersection with a city.

    It seemed like a huge PITA to enter anything into the damn thing.......each press of a letter seemed to be followed by about a 2 second delay before being allowed to type the next letter. At points, the screen would force a list of possible streets based on just a few letters, and this involved a very slow scroll down to find the right street.

    I currently use an old JVC 510 Nav system, and although it doesn't know a lot of streets, and gives piss poor directions, at least it will take letter and number inputs as fast as I can peck away at the touchscreen. Is this lag normal, and to be expected, or was there something wrong with the dealers car?

    Also........will the factory nav system allow input and address entry while in motion.....if there is no way to drive and access the system, and I am forced to park and spend several minutes tapping the screen, I will definitely get the base model and get a real workable aftermarket navigation unit. :)
     
  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    welcone to priuschat! can't speak for the v, and i don't know if the software is the same, but i have had 2 nav's and they are okay, not great. i always felt a $100. garmin was better in every way. it is nice having it built in tho. all the best!(y)
     
  3. ImeanGreen

    ImeanGreen Prius v Five BP Brigade #236

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    For the most part, it works fine for me. I guess the question you need to add is what comes with the package in the prius V with NAV - package 3. With NAV, you get entune , voice command, voice guidance through speakers auto mutes the CD, BT and FM. Not sure if package 2 comes with the dash lights being controlled by the dash light sensor. Meaning, with package 3 and up, when you turn your headlights on during daytime, the dash lights does not go into night mode - does not dim. Only dims when you go through tunnels or when it gets dark outside. You can also use Bing to search for the address and it will sync with the NAV system assuming that you have good cellphone/internet coverage. You cannot put entry with your NAV while in motion unless you override it by following this thread. Anyone interested in how to bypass the factory navigation speed lock? | PriusChat
     
  4. ems2158

    ems2158 Active Member

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    I've had a 2013 Prius v five since December 2012. I bought that package because I wanted the other odds and ends that came with it, the nav system was a low priority because it is so bad. The voice commands rarely work correctly. You can't enter an address manually while moving.
    I enter my destinations before I leave home and save them. You can enter a destination on the touch screen while in motion if it is stored in your favorites. I have found the Entune Bing app to be useful since it can find things through a smart phone/internet that you can't find in the nav database.

    Also, the maps were out of date when I bought the car. The updates are ridiculously expensive and you have to go to the dealer to get them updated. No way to simply update the maps over a PC like the Garmin maps.

    On a number of occasions when I was on the road, I resorted to my android phone to get directions on Google nav. Works much better than the Toyota nav system.
     
  5. mikefocke

    mikefocke Prius v Three 2012, Avalon 2011

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    Maps out of date and expensive to update. Yep. But for areas it knows about, not bad. Have prior GPS experience with Avalon and Tom-Tom. Each has pluses and minuses. I wish my navigator could enter destinations after I've driven off. I don't use the voice stuff except to use the bluetooth phone which I like.
     
  6. schinia

    schinia Member

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    the NAV in my 2009 venza wasn't that good but was head over heels the NAV in the prius. in short consumer reports said it was a horror. as far as i know all the toyotas have the same system. blutooth works like crap too !
     
  7. MarathonMarty

    MarathonMarty Prii 4-timer

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    Well I would have to disagree with that statement. The nav in my '13 v w/ATP is a dream. I've driven all over the western states and the nav hasn't led me wrong yet. And it actually understands my voice commands the vast majority of the time. I use Entunes via my iPad without problem and the bluetooth system works with my phone flawlessly. Now if we were talking about my previous '12 v Three I would agree with some of your statements. The nav wasn't quite as accurate some of the time (due to non current map data) and it did not understand my voice commands most of the time. The bluetooth worked just fine though. Having owned both vehicles I can definitely vouch for the fact that the ATP nav is definitely a cut above the lower version.
     
  8. MPGnutcase

    MPGnutcase Active Member

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    Nav in my 2012 Prius 4 is way better than the old factory nav in my 2010 Rav.
     
  9. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    I have to agree with all this, but I almost never have a need for a NAV system. I generally know where I'm going. ;) That said, I've been in a few pretty far outback spots around here and the NAV always had me on a road.
     
  10. Zephyr7

    Zephyr7 Member

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    Care the share the addresses you use?

    iirc U can buy a BMW or Ferrari they don't have speed lock implementation in their factory installed vehicles. The other makers all have speedlock implemented, they want us to use VR to access navi.
     
  11. pepe10

    pepe10 Junior Member

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    In another forum post I shared concerns about the in-dash information system in general on my 2013 Prius pkg iv and specifically the navigation system. Maps are very much out of date and the cost of a one time update of $170 is -unreasonable. We just tested the system on a 2000 mile drive while on vacation for the last two weeks. Turn by turn instructions were noticeably absent and one could drive right by a turn with no acknowledgement that a change in streets was on the agenda. I have a Garmin and ran the nav systems side by side to compare. The in-dash system made routing choices that were inefficient and wasted time as well. My Garmin has lifetime updates for a one time fee of $119. A new Garmin comes with lifetime updates and outperformed the in-dash system on every level. It is surprising that Toyota would sell an in-dash navigation that is so poor. Saying that, I understand that for some this system may serve their needs if expectations are low.

    I am disappointed with the iHeart radio app as it does not allow the co-pilot to access some preferred channels while moving. The weather app is awful and paints an unclear area of rainy weather that can only serve as a general alert to weather ahead. The weather app actually used radar that was not even in the local area. Looking for gas prices appears only to give local information and falls way short of the capabilities of the "Gas Buddy" app on my iPhone which enables me to plan stops well ahead at the best gas price with little deviation from my planned routing. Basically the in-dash information system is rudimentary at best and not really worth the price. I understand that GM has now adapted some vehicles to accept a plug in of the iPhone to take advantage of the apps on the phone such as navigation instead of an in-dash system. Google just bought "Waze" which is a navigation and traffic management system. Also a free app on the iPhone.

    We liked HD radio.

    However, we did like the pairing of the iPhones and voice commands worked well while making hands free calls. Our 2010 Prius had a much more complicated pairing.

    We love our Prius (this being our second one in 2.5 years) and only can express disappointment with the expensive in-dash information system that is supported by limited capabilities. I suppose it is a starting point but certainly one not well planned and developed.
     
  12. Zephyr7

    Zephyr7 Member

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  13. pepe10

    pepe10 Junior Member

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    According to Bloomberg: "iPhones Stuck to Windshields Threaten Dashboard Maps" by Keith Naughton on June 11, 2013. Tim Nixon, chief technology officer of General Motors Co. (GM)’s OnStar service has developed an app for the Chevy Spark. It is a map application at a cost of $50. It is still a beginning. It is only one application. Note that the worst app on the Prius is the map feature.

    Read more: http://priuschat.com/threads/in-dash-navigation-and-information-system.129352/#ixzz2bDhssq00
    Follow us: @PriusChat on Twitter | PriusChat on Facebook
     
  14. Zephyr7

    Zephyr7 Member

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    true, touching the phone to do searches while driving also violates the law.

    then again have u seen the review on BringGo map for the chevy spark app U were talking about? yes its only $50-60 for the application cheaper than indash, all indash are costly today. not in dash there are plenty of cheaper/free ones.
    BringGo USA & CAN Review - Software - CNET Reviews

    "The good:BringGo offers offline maps and navigation with traffic data. Google Places search allows the app to pull the most recent destinations from the Web. When connected to certain Chevrolet cars, the app can provide in-dash navigation.
    The bad: The BringGo interface can be confusing and poorly laid out. Importing addresses from Android 4.3's contacts did not work for me.
    The bottom line: BringGo navigation works well as inexpensive in-dash navigation for certain Chevrolet vehicles, but as a standalone navigation app, it's not a very good choice."
     
  15. Stan911

    Stan911 New Member

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    I purchased a 2014 TACOMA with the entune system. It uses navtek maps (as do almost ALL GPS nav units) and has no DVD that I am aware of. I believe that the maps are at least 3 years old, judging by the erroneous navigation instructions that the unit has given when driven on roads that were re-routed during construction. I have made numerous complaints to Toyota, I was told that I have the "latest version" I am among the many that find it quite sad that a $120 dash top Garmin outperforms the $1200 entune system. As someone who has a great deal of respect for the ergonomics and mechanical engineering excellence that I have come to expect from Toyota, I am extremely disappointed in this severely hobbled NAV system. It is truly offensive that Toyota would distribute a system with maps so out of date and then expect to be paid to update them and correct an installed error. It is also sad that in the customer support phone call that I received, I was asked if the dealer "Fully explained" the entune system when I picked up the vehicle. The instruction manual for my entune is almost 1000 pages, fully explaining it would take tens, if not hundreds, of hours. The expectation that it would or could be "fully explained" when you pick up the vehicle suggests a rather poor understanding of the question being asked, or a disconnect with reality.
     
    ftl likes this.
  16. Zephyr7

    Zephyr7 Member

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    The 2014 Tacoma actually has a different system, it is newly launch.
    Go to Nav and check Maps version. U should get a year.
    if U go HERE - City and Country Maps - Driving Directions - Satellite Views - Routes and have problem locating a street then log a complain to navteq.
    As for poor Nav performance, do complain to Toyota. I believe they using the same supplier for 11CY premium system.
     
  17. Stevevee

    Stevevee Active Member

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    I've used the standard Nav that came with my V Three. Worked great. So much easier having it in the dash. Aside from all the techno stuff I don't have, I wish they could do something as simple as providing better outlets for the back seat. The Cig plug is way back on the right side cargo area, not even remotely handy. The other alternative is to run a cable from the front.
     
  18. John Hall

    John Hall New Member

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    I've sworn at the Nav system many many times. It's nearly unusable. It as asked me to turn down one way streets the wrong way and often wants me to go in sorts of crazy directions.
    The maps and software are much worse than the 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid I traded in. I lament the loss of the NAV system in that car very deeply and after a year trying to adapt, I feel no different.
    Still the build in NAV is very convenient. I hate the built in NAV system with a passion and will probably eventually use a portable dash unit... but the back up camera and knowing I have a GPS in the car at all times I guess was worth the money, and the speaker phone / bluetooth has worked well with iOS (iPAD), Samsung S3, Samsug S5, and HTC EVO 4G LTE. We've used bluetooth for both phone and as an audio source.
    The hardware is solid, I just keep hoping to find a magic DVD that will replace the software on the NAV system. NOT an expensive upgrade but something that will totally replace the crap on there. Getting lost, just once, because of a crap NAV system can lead to dangerous circumstances. I'm curious what OS and software underlies entune. I want to replace it very badly. I think cars should have nav systems built to standards that allow owners to replace the software, allowing aftermarket vendors to compete with the OEMs. This would at least drive down the ridiculous prices of the map/software upgrades.
     
  19. Air_Boss

    Air_Boss Senior Member

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    Other than not offering a choice of routings (a la Google Maps), I find it no better or worse than a Garmin.

    I haven't experienced any of the misroutings referred to above.
     
  20. Stevevee

    Stevevee Active Member

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    I haven't experienced those issues either. I've had "some" less than perfect experiences on trips with a Tom Tom, Google Maps, Garmin, pretty much all have their occasional hiccups. Could be errors, possibly out of date map, or as is more typical, each Nav system has an area that they're just not perfect in. Since owning this car, I've used the in dash Nav to go on many trips where I've never been before, typically navigating to a specific street address in various states.