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Any comments on the Navigation

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by drash, Mar 8, 2010.

  1. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    Never had one built in a car, but I carry an old hand held Garmin with me on the road almost 1st gen one (think circa 2002). I guess what I'm looking for are actual usage comments like is it easy to use, etc. My wife will be getting a 2010 with it as part of the Solar package. My wife was getting reviews from other sites like either it was adequate or they hated it. If you hate it, is there a specific reason over say a new Garmin. Are the Maps easy to read because of the big screen? Thanks in advance.
     
    #1 drash, Mar 8, 2010
  2. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    #2 Boo, Mar 8, 2010
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  3. liskipper

    liskipper Member

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    There are a lot of comments in other threads. I'll reiterate mine: IT SUCKS! You re much better off with a decent (under $300) portable unit. This will also cost less then two "updates" from Toyota, and it will work much better and have a reasonable bluetooth interface to your cell phone.
     
    #3 liskipper, Mar 8, 2010
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Likes:

    • Large high-res screen (allows for dual screen capability which is the major advantage over PND)
    • larger POI database (compared to my 1GB TomTom)
    • Text-To-Speech (my 2006 TomTom doesn't have TTS)
    • Icons show brand name rather than generic restaurant or gas station icons
    • Can be controlled by voice-activation
    • Shows traffic information
    • Integrates a backup camera to a large screen
    • Quite a detailed map, I must say, esp for a country that lacks in in-car navigation mapping data (for some reason)
    • It's always with me in case I didn't bring my PND and need to check something, call somewhere or navigate to a place

    Dislikes:

    • A steeper learning curve than my TomTom
    • Some options/settings are buried or are a little difficult to find
    • Can't navigate to a city centre. Must pick an address or intersection
    • POI search limited to closest 3 when searching via voice-command (i.e. on-the-go)
    • Expensive updates (even without lifetime updates, TT maps can cost as low as Cdn$50)
    • Speed limits are user-set rather than incorporated into the mapping data (e.g. not all "main roads" have the same speed limit so ETA is a very rough estimate)
    • Expensive factory option (although mine's bundle in the Tech Pack in Canada, the only package that gets factory nav)
     
    #4 Tideland Prius, Mar 9, 2010
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  5. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    Yeah I did a lot of that and a lot was disjointed. The people that hated it, seemed to be the same few people over and over again. We're not angling for it separately because it comes in a package in a IV (my wife wants the heated seats) and I just wanted some feedback on bad points of the operation and of course good. Again thanks for the links.
     
    #5 drash, Mar 9, 2010
  6. drash

    drash Senior Member

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    Wow. Excellent post. I asked you delivered. Your negatives seems to match my old Garmin as well and the positives are more than my Garmin as well. Thanks.
     
    #6 drash, Mar 9, 2010
  7. jdcollins5

    jdcollins5 Senior Member

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    I had not planned to get the Nav on my III but found the car that I wanted with everything plus the Nav. Now that I have it and I have learned the pros and cons on how to use it, I have begun to really like it. It has taken me where I wanted to go every time without fail. I particularly like it being integrated in to the car without having to mount an external piece of hardware.

    Hope this helps.
     
    #7 jdcollins5, Mar 9, 2010
  8. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    #8 Boo, Mar 9, 2010
  9. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    Rather than retype the same information, my Gen II experience with Nav exactly parallels Tideland's.

    I like the built-in Nav system. I use it a lot. I also own three Garmin portable systems and one large Garmin chartplotter for our boat. The Garmin systems are great, but I never use them with our Prius. The factory Nav is just as good, although different. The main problem is that it is expensive. If money is your top priority, skip the factory Nav. If you can afford a little luxury, I like the integration of the factory system.

    Tom
     
    #9 qbee42, Mar 9, 2010
  10. Boo

    Boo Boola Boola Member

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    This is only a tangential comment on the Navigation.

    I love the Back-Up Camera. Unfortunately in the 2010 you have to get the Navigation in order to get the Back-Up Camera.
     
    #10 Boo, Mar 9, 2010
  11. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    +1
     
    #11 qbee42, Mar 9, 2010
  12. jayvee

    jayvee Member

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    Echo the likes and dislikes above, except for the POI database, which I think is a bit weak. Plus a couple of other significant dislikes:

    - USB, MP3 CD, and iPod and Bluetooth audio control, navigation (folders. etc) and usability is absolutely horrible, even with the lockout defeated (see "Navigation Input Override" thread)
    - FM reception is the worst of any car stereo I have EVER owned - and that's saying something. This problem is common and widely documented. FM just simply sucks on this unit.
    - No HD Radio capability

    If I was doing it over again, I would pass on the factory nav, and buy a GOOD aftermarket unit such as Pioneer, etc. for much less money. May lack a few features, but I think I'd be happier overall. I would be VERY hard pressed to ever buy a factory nav again, on any car.
     
    #12 jayvee, Mar 9, 2010
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Keep in mind when reading all the posts. Most of those that hate it, hate it because their PND works better. We're humans. Normally, we adapt but sometimes, we can be stubborn. The first thing we learn tends to be the way we do it for the rest of our lives.

    So if we learn how to use a PND first, that's usually how we expect all other systems to work (after all, I bought it because I like it).


    Ditto the complains about VENT (I never had a car with a VENT setting so that's why it never bothered me), the cruise control (some cars use buttons on a wheel, others have stalks positioned elsewhere. Someone that's used to another system for 20 years will find the Toyota one annoying for example).


    That's not to say the factory nav doesn't have its flaws. I'm just saying that we have to use the pros and cons to our advantage rather than just focus on the negatives and dismiss it.

    Lastly, everyone has their own limit/threshold. Some people have had navs for years because they were perfectly ok with the slower CD-based systems and poorer graphics. I didn't purchase my first nav until 2006 when TomTom came out with the first slim PND (all others looked like mini CRT TVs with a large, umm, backside). So my criteria was size/shape + ease of use.
     
    #13 Tideland Prius, Mar 9, 2010
  14. AussieDave

    AussieDave New Member

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    The factory one in Aus is adequate. I must admit I also have my TomTom XL mounted in the car and use one or the other depending on circumstances.

    On a recent long trip I noticed that where the factory maps were out of date often the TomTom was also out of date even though they are supposedly different map sets.
    The Tom Tom at least has the traffic radio feature, the factory has the acceleratomer and speed connection so it does a pretty good job of indicating position in tunnels etc.
    I am waiting for the Garmin Nuvi unit with OBD connection to come on the market and I will replace the TomTom, relegating it to my wifes car.

    David
     
    #14 AussieDave, Mar 9, 2010
  15. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    The NAV lady in my 2010 is as retarded as Borat's brother "Bee-lo".

    The only trip it worked well on was from Cinnaminson to Monmouth Beach when I got the VentureShield film applied.

    From Cinnaminson NJ to Hightstown NJ it wants to send me through PA.

    Yesterday at the doctor's office I wanted to take I-295 north but don't know my way through the residential development to get to a traffic light so I can turn left for the ramp.

    The office is within sight of the I-295 interchange on 70 but on the wrong side of the road. It wants to put me on the NJ Turnpike to Hightstown.

    I proceed through the development & follow its directions to--King's Highway--the long way. At that point I just head in the general direction of home & take my usual route to the office.

    It didn't perform any better on 3 in Secaucus or in directing me to the Lincoln Tunnel in NYC.
     
    #15 JimN, Mar 9, 2010
  16. dogllama

    dogllama New Member

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    Besides the way it handles MP3s and such, (which is absolutely horribly)my biggest problem with the Nav is that it doesn't give enough detail about what streets you are looking at.

    Sometimes I don't feel like, or need a destination, I just need to know what streets are around me. If I open up my Nav it gives a very low-res version of only some of the streets, and if you are on a side street you have to zoom in, which only sometimes gives you the information you need. But at such a zoomed level you have to zoom out again to see anything that's not immediately next to you.

    Therefore I don't use it. I use my iPhone which is low-res and half the size, but shows me every single street at a great perspective right away.

    What I do use it for is Radio, and although the reception sucks, it's pretty easy to navigate through and the touch screen is useful.
     
    #16 dogllama, Mar 9, 2010
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