Navigation Package or not?

Many others here, if you make a detailed search to find out, are disapointed with the quality of the nav system. Issues reported so far is less of accuracy, inadequate voice prompts, poor screen resolution, slow processing, among others. The fact is that many people also reported that the overall quality is better than the previous generation, so it all depends what your standards of quality and taste are.

 

I got the nav package for a few reasons:
--nav (not leading edge, but perfectly fine for the limited amount I use it)
--the large screen allows for much easier navigation of audio, such as folders/files on CDs, and--come September--the USB / iPod adapter
--back up camera (the rear view is very restricted through the rear windows)
--voice recognition (can select CD, FM, phone, etc.)

BTW--I don't know how an integrated nav system is attractive to thieves. They'd have to rip apart the dash to get it, and the resale market is pretty limited.

 

After a couple of weeks of use, I highly recommend getting the NAV. Very accurate and up to date, at least in the Seattle/Tacoma area. The backup camera is awesome and is something I have grown to love in my Honda CR-V (saved me from hitting a child). All in all, I believe the NAV package is money very well spent. :welcome:

 

Probably was an aftermarket integrated Nav like one of the Pioneer sound systems with nav.

On the other hand, the $265 map DVD in the Prius is priced higher than many portable navs and I read here that someone had their Prius broken into and the the DVD disc stolen.

 

Get the navigation!! I was pleasantly surprised when i used it for the first time. Look out for my review on my blog coming soon.

 

By the way, the cost of the nav is not limited to the absurd charge of 1,8k. Map updates cost on average over 100 bucks yearly! I paid $100 for lifetime updates in my Garmin, with up to 4 updates per year. Also if you have an iPhone 3g or 3gs, soon you can have access to what is supposed to be the best navigator ever, featuring Tomtom!

 

That's because on this message board, as on most, the minority that have issues rant on about it, but the majority that are satisfied never bother to post.

The integrated NAV is a great feature. Yes, it is pricey, but the "always there" factor and the convenience of not having to deal with mounts and cords is well worth it to me.

The OP said he heard of an integrated NAV getting stolen - the chances of that are much less than a smash and grab of a Garmin.

 

Why would anyone even consider yearly updates? For each update probably about 99.99999% of the data is the same. The only things that change are the new construction that has occurred in the last 2-3 years and even those are slow to appear in updates.

 

We have the Toyota NAV in my wife's 2007 Camry Hybrid so I am very familiar with it's capability, it does not have the backup camera function. It is very nice when we're going somewhere we haven't been before, but that's not all that often (once or twice a month or so).

I have a $250 Garmin NAV in my car.

The $1800 NAV system is slick, but no where near worth it IMO. You can buy one heck of a top of the line Garmin NAV (or another brand) for use when needed and put it away when not in use (so it won't be stolen). It's not like you need NAV for most driving when you're local anyway unless you travel for a living.

I have read about concerns with glare and update costs here for the Toyota NAV.

Easy decision to me. YMMV.

 

I went back and forth on this one as well. Finally decided to order without and them immediately second guessed myself for the 10 days it took to get my car. However now that I have it, I think it was a pretty good choice.

I had the nav/backup camera on my 08 and loved the camera but never used the nav. I didn't think it was worth spending $1800 for a backup camera. I am going to add an aftermarket one. I'll post in the modification forums when it is complete. If the camera I ordered is poor I may put it in my wifes van and order another one so might be a couple weeks.

G

 

I like the convenience of the built in system. The cost seems high initially, but overall between the JBL and NAV setup adding the XM tuner , the backup camera and future iPod connectivity, there is a lot built into the total price besides just the navigation. Also, I really like the large screen. My portable Nav is difficult for me to see sometimes. The other concern I had was the steep windshiled and possibly just how far away the Nav would be. The only option to that would be the dash mount set up so I'd have to buy some accessories from Garmin for that.

In my TCH I thought the Nav was worth its price for just the energy screens. I guess though with the Prius the screens are standard in the MID. I likes them on the Nav since it was much brighter and easy to read. But you did have to decide on what screen to watch and toggle back and forth. Just which the Prius MID would have easier to read monitoring.

 

My PKGIII has the JBL and XM tuner with bluetooth and no nav.... not sure about future iPod.

G

 

I consider navigation essential equipment. Yes, you can get a stand alone and save money, but I think the built-in looks great and I really love the backup camera.

 

How about: because without the yearly update in my factory built-in navigator in my Odyssey, my house is located 3 miles away... how about that? I just use my Garmin in my Odyssey, it's frustrating, but cwhat an I do? It's much better and waaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper! ... and Hondas typically have factory navigators better than Toyota...

 

Because there are road changes even in areas without much new housing development and because the point of interest database gets really out of date really fast. A huge amounts of businesses, stores and restaurants open and close in a year. Some roads may have changed to one-way, some freeway ramps may have changed, maybe a new bridge opens that changes the best routes across town drastically.
The once a year DVDs may have much of the data already more than a year old only on the first day of release, so if you use it for a year and then skip a year or two of updates, the data will be outrageously out of date.

 

No.
The JBL, XM tuner and bluetooth are already built into the radios on any Prius you can get nav on.
The $1800 cost doesn't include those things since the car would have had those anyway. You just get the nav and backup camera and an expensive updating process of $265 DVDs and a mandatory ongoing subscription to XM radio if you want to subscribe to the traffic service.
You may only get a few hundred back at resale when the car is still pretty new. When the car is old, it may be a turn off to future buyers because the nav system technology on the car will be so antiquated and buyers won't want to deal with out of warranty repairs on it.

 

All true. However I drove 67,000 miles without updating my TCH Nav. 99% of people that simply use this along the interstate when travelling will never need an update. I'm sure though in large surburban areas that are growing that some update will be necessary at times (not necessarily every year)

No option will bring much more than 50% of it's retail, but it may make your car more marketable which in turn allows the dealer to value your trade more. I wouldn't own a TCH without the Nav for the energy screens but the Prius is soemwhat different. I ordered the NAV in my V but could have easily lived without it. Originally "build your own" did not show my area as one that could order a V without it. The latest update allows you to unselect that choice. If I had it to do over I probably would have went all out for the AT package.

 

Some options (such as automatic transmission and air conditioning on vehicles that don't have it standard) are basically worth it because the car is so difficult to sell without them. However Nav is one of the worse items for resale when it comes to the percentage of the the original cost is retained at resale. The added resale for nav is so poor that every lease I've seen has a different (worse) percentage of retained value used to calculate lease payments when the car has factory nav.

You should only buy the nav if you believe you will get your moneys worth out of it during the period you own the car because you like it so much better than a portable unit or you just want it as a toy and don't care about the cost. It cannot be justified by better resale value.