Yup, our navi categorizes in too details that we can't simply select "shopping" then search for walmart, target etc. That's why 90% of time, we are in a wrong category(although common sense says we are right) and ended up nothing. However, if you take time you will eventually find the store/restaurant etc by names. Although it will take you like 10 min to do that.

 

What NAV interface? I use BMW concierge - push a button and make the operator do all the work for me.

 

For the most part, the NAV systems that are built in suck. I had a Garmin for years and loved it. When I decided to buy a new vehicle, I got the NAV option. It blows chunks. Have to be at a complete stop, the categories are all screwed up and just sub par compared to the Garmin, but much more expensive to get the option and update. I could buy a complete new system for what they want for the NAV update.

The only upside is that it doesn't sit on top of the dash and is harder to steal. I had my Garmin snatched in a smash and dash, but it was only another $165 to get another one. The window to the Avalanche was more than that.

Bottom line, most of them blow. It seems that the technology in most cars is way behind, why don't they do better?

J

 

I delayed the purchase of my car mainly to get the updated hard drive based nav.

I think its great! I've searched for all kinds of destinations on the fly and had pretty good luck. I also have HUD and having the nav integrated just plain rocks. The night view is pretty cool, as is the perspective view.

With the new nav I can also send destinations to it from google maps. I've used this a bunch and it is really sweet!

I've also used the bmw-routes capability to program in a large complex route and then loaded it into the nav via the usb.

The lexus that I test drove disabled almost all nav interface functions while driving. I found that to be a real hassle. It was great having my wife by able to enter or search for destinations while I was driving in Europe.

 

+1

my wife's lexus is 7 years old, and still blows the bmw away... lexus' is damn intuitive.

 

A few stories:

1) I got a '10 3 series as a loaner while a dealer was fixing the seat for the BMW recall, and i was quite impressed with the navigation system, how it was HD based as opposed to DVD based like in my '05 530, and includes the traffic thingy.

2) Best $2K i ever spent; I had a girlfriend, before I brought the '05 530 and a car that didn't have navigation, so i use to print out the old mapquest and have her read me the directions. She couldn't tell .1 miles from 1 mile, and we were travelling one night and she said next turn "1 mile ahead", and so i'm driving think that okay 1 mile is a ways ahead, but it never came, i never saw the intersection. So i asked her again to make sure and she said "Oh, I meant .1 miles" Pretty as she was I said, that's it next car I'm getting navigation!! And, it works fine!!

3) I don't see how James Bond gets around with out!!

 

I think the LCI's actually allow programming while driving.

As for Toyota/Lexus cars, you can usually just hack it via some odd commands and it'll allow NAV function while driving.

 

Do Pre-LCI's have a problem using it while driving? Mine works fine when the car is moving and mine is Pre-LCI

 

The OEM nav in BMW's was never a strong point, there's no doubt you can buy better for less and that some other manufacturers have better implementations BUT none of these aftermarket units are integrated with the other functions of the car (and it is the integration that makes up for some of the other shortfalls) and there's the aesthetic issue of sticking your Garmin or TomTom onto the screen of your BMW...

FWIW the new HD based BMW nav is much better than the DVD based legacy system, it's really very good. I also agree with the posts above re the Lexus' nav, it is indeed is one of the best in the business (particularly the HD based system).

 

its works ok... HUD really helps... if my car didnt have hud... it would suck