Is The NAV System Worth $1800???

If I were to buy a 2010, yes I would buy it with the NAV just to have the backup camera.

 

:doh:

 

I recently sold an '05 BMW 545i which had nav (and also cost $1,800). When I ran the numbers on edmunds.com, nadaguides.com, etc. before selling, the nav option was valued at between $600 and $850. So getting $600 - $850 on $1,800 after 4.5 years isn't that bad in my book.

 

Try using the voice control with the navigation. It works really well once you get used to it. Use the setup to turn off the annoying voice prompts.

 

If you push the voice button on the wheel a second time you can also bypass voice prompts.
Everything that comes with Nav makes it worthwhile. The new Nav has great features and I totally prefer it to any hand held I have seen in use. Resale value also holds up.

 

1. Most GPS thefts happen in a parked car at home, so they already may have your home address. People with a phone book may have your home address. People with the internet may have your home address. Go to the county web site, property tax division, and see if you can't identify the names of the people in the house three doors down from you.
2. Where i live the door between the garage and the house has a lock on it, so if the garage door is left open or if someone steals the opener, there is still a locked door to go through. With a deadbolt.
3. Having the built in nav is safer than having the portable, if the portable is left in the open in the car or if the thief thinks it is in the car.

 

That is why I programmed my GPS with a home address down the street from my house. If my car is stolen, they won't know exactly where I live.

 

Personally, a no for me. Waiting on using my iphone 3GS with either TomTom or Navigon. TomTom is slated for Aug. sometime. Navigon is $69 + free map updates. Approx. $100 for a good car kit.

 

I've always done the same thing--and far enough away so it's also out of the garage door opener range.

Interestingly, the Prius nav guide was the first one I've had that actually makes this recommendation.

 

Actually those are awful numbers! That meant that the NAV pushed the depreciation of your car even further! Not understanding? Do the math with the same car without NAV but with a portable Garmin. Does that make sense now?

 

Lighten up. No need to get condescending. Believe me, I fully understand--just not agreeing with you, so you have to take a confrontational stance.

The truth is, the car overall (big V8, 17 MPG) depreciated two-thirds in 4.5 years, so the nav didn't negatively affect overall depreciation.

Of course a car (with very rare exceptions)--and all options--will depreciate. My point was you're not spending $1,800 for nav--just like you're not spending $30K for a Prius V w/ nav. You get part of it (including nav) back when you sell the car. And in my case, it was $600 - $850 of the $1,800 price.

 

I'm just discussing our different points of view… I'm actually pretty tranquil doing so and having fun too; maybe you're not feeling the same? I do wonder what is going on there...

Anyway, fact is if you had a portable Garmin and a non-NAV BMW, you would have wasted a lot less money by just getting a Prius without NAV and transferring your Garmin from your BMW to your Prius... Don’t let me do the math for you… the numbers are frustrating! Don't forget to include the cost of updates for your factory NAV system... that is part of the depreciation too!!! Now, you potentially wasted a lot more money changing from a BMW NAV to a Toyota NAV because the later is remarkable for contracting the wrong companies to provide their NAVs! If someone tells me that likes factory NAVs for their convenience and integration with audio system, that’s fine, I guess the waste of money in that situation could be justified, but trying to justify a factory NAV on a primary financial basis is not a smart thing to do... sorry!!!

 

If someone is happy with the (vehicular) package they have then it is not a waste......

 

$1,800 would only be 'worth it' if I couldn't possibly get that same functionality another way and for less. As it is, I can. I have a Garmin that gives me pop up address book, bluetooth, integration through my car stereo system, and a whole host of other features. The only thing it doesn't have is the backup camera and guess what? I can get that after-market for a fraction of what Toyota charges. So I can have that $1,800 capability (plus even more capability on my Garmin that Toy doesn't have) for about $400.

No-brainer for me.

 

Well...I didn't do that...sorry!

 

I agree but I'm talking about the financial component only. No matter how happy you are with your NAV system, most of them are a waste of money compared to portables, period! But life is full of financial wastes and compromises that can be justifiable on a individual basis based upon different comfort levels and standards for quality.

 

Good! I guess I just got the wrong impression you were trying to do so...

 

the prius itself, let alone the nav, doesn't make strictly financial sense for most of us

i've had a portable nav and a portable xm (at the same time) - a tangle of wires and unpleasing attachments

i personally and strongly prefer the integrated built-ins, along with the big screen backup camera

plus for me i had to have the solar. so adding 3600 to what was already 27,500 ish was a no brainer

indyking - you are correct if you say there are less expensive alternatives to built-in navs. you are also correct if you say the less expensive portable gps's frequently outperform the built-ins. You are incorrect in stating positions that assume that money spent on built-ins is wasted money, as your posts seem to do, because you are applying indyking's own, unique calculus to other peoples' situations

 

Some of us do not want portables anymore and are looking forward to having the NAV right there and not saying "ooops, I left it at home."

I am also looking forward to having the integrated XM. I am so tired of carrying around my plug-n-play and having to dig it out of my purse.

On the NAV version of XM, does it have an artist seek? I am guessing not. This will make my husband happy if it does not have this feature because we do not have the same music tastes. I will kind of miss it though. I love knowing when Barenaked Ladies are on.