hello
First post - go gentle on me...

Great forum - have enjoyed lurking for quite some time so here's the deal I found my perfect 07 550 with everything I want sport,L7, contour seats (low mileage, right price) etc etc...only problem is no nav - how this car got so well euqipped but no nav is beyond me - trying to decide if this is a deal breaker...I don't use my existing nav all that often but nice to know its there - that said I carry a droid X on verizon and have full navigation via google maps and co-pilot off my phone - the latter uses onboard maps loaded on the phone so even with loss of network it will not cut out on you / is this a deal breaker in your mind

so that's my dilema...your thoughts?

 

I'm sure your Android is more accurate and informative than the nav in the 07. Nice to see on the big screen though. I wouldn't let it kill the deal.

 

having no nav is one thing, but my main gripe is if you have no nav, you get the small screen, which looks dumb.

 

thanks we have an 08 suburban as our kid hauler and in routine testing (droid vs the chevy navigation) the droid has kicked the chevys butt - when we get close (if we are on google)it starts to give us street view pics etc...and it is quite detailed - chevy nav is the same as the escalade with touch screen interface etc...I think i'll be OK without it in the BMW but again looking for everyones opinions on the matter

 

IMHO, no biggie if the car doesn't have the navi. As you mentioned you have your Droid to point you in the right direction. I do have a navi in my 5er, but I don't use it. I rely on the Tom-Tom.

Good luck with your decision.

 

i like my nav simply because it has the red light cameras on it...helpful in a large city. saved me from spending $500 on an escort passport with the same feature as an alternative. also re-routing your destination because of current traffic conditions is pretty sweet. i use it a lot more than i thought i would, but on the whole it was completely circumstantial i ended up with nav. i would have been fine without it, or at least i would before i got it, if that makes sense. the iphone/android nav is pretty simple, faster, and you don't have to talk to it like a 3 year old for it to understand you.

 

If the car has all the other options that you're looking for and the price is right, it may not be a bad idea to purchase it; otherwise if you shop around some more you may just find a similar car with navigation. You never know.

 

I never use the NAV in my 2007 550. I don't even use the view on the second screen as I set it to trip computer. Maybe its just me, but I feel that the NAV is slow and not user friendly. Have you used the BMW navigation system? You might want to try it out sometime and see if it's something you would even use.

Also, you said right mileage/right price. Is it a screaming deal, or just a good price? If it's a screaming deal then it's a no brainer. If it's really just a fair deal, you might want to hold off a bit. The 2007s have already taken a considerable depreciation hit, but who knows, as the F10s become more prevalent, maybe they slide a little more.

 

I like the big screen that comes with the nav, but if I was given the choice I'd probably pass and use that money elsewhere on the car. My sense of direction is pretty good though.

 

Remember: you get a BMW for the performance, not for the gagets/electronics. If you're happy with everything else on the car, e.g., conditions, mileage, color combo, price, etc. You should go for it. I bet you will not find an identical car like that with navi for the same price. Stop debating and start driving.. before someone else takes it.