Navagation????

tool fan · Mar 22, 2004

I am having a hard time understanding why everyone wants a nav system in their cars. 100 years ago people set out on horse back from New York and rode to San Fran using just the stars. 2000.00+ dollars for a Nav System or 2.50 for a map I think I would opt for the map and invest the 2.000.00 in something else...ie. exhaust, rims, mutual funds.
Not starting any fires here, just an honest question.
Tool [:o)]

kscarrol · Mar 23, 2004

I with you on this one tool fan. I passed on the NAV and given some of the compatability issues with other systems, I'm glad I did. I guess its a nice toy if the $2,000 is not a problem, but I couldn't justify it to myself.

Rudy · Mar 23, 2004

Obviously you have a choice and you made it. I will say that once you get nav, you can't go back. Sure, you can use paper maps and find your way from NY to San Fran, etc. but if you have nav, you will use it far more often than you think. I find myself using it all the time to get home even in my own city. I may be somewhere relatively unfamiliar and know one way to get home but I can simply bring up my home from the address book and let the computer either confirm the route that I know or teach me a newer, faster route. I'd never take the time to look at a paper map for that.

There are other benefits to having nav but again, if you don't perceive it as worth $2000, it's your choice.

kscarrol · Mar 23, 2004

obsolutely right Rudy, having never used one in any car, I don't appreciate the benefits, but then I don't take many longs trips. The real decision was based more on my driving patterns, and not the $2,000. The vast majority of my trips are local around New Orleans, or to Baton Rouge or Houston to visit relatives. If I spent a lot more time driving in unfamiliar areas or taking longer trips to towns I didn't know, it would certainly be of much more value. Didn't mean to imply that it was not worth the money, simply that it wasn't an option that I would get much use out of.

Rudy · Mar 23, 2004

The one thing I meant to imply was that it isn't about "long trips" or "unfamiliar areas". I think there is a false perception about "driving patterns" and navigation systems.

My example about using it to get home even in my own city was supposed to show that I use it on short trips in familiar areas. Obviously, familiar and short are relative terms. In other words, I use it much more than I thought I would and I've been using it since 2001 so it isn't just the novelty of the thing talking here.

Just the other day, for example, I found out at the last minute about the need for me to visit a funeral home less than 10 miles from my house on a very long and busy road. I looked at the address in the death notice of the newspaper, dialed it in, and the car took me there perfectly. Without nav, I would have had to do more research to figure out exactly where on this busy, familiar road it was or I would have tried to find it myself which would have taken my concentration away from driving on such a crazy road.

Just for the sake of argument, let's say while I was there, I realized I needed to find an ATM to get some cash to pay the babysitter. Nav can give you a listing of all ATMs near the current location. You can do the same for gas stations, restaurants, etc.

Again, I'm not suggesting I couldn't have found it without nav, I'm just showing that it isn't all about long trips or frequent travel. I personally don't take too many long trips either. As a matter of fact, it seems like every time I take a long trip, it's with my family and we drive my wife's (navless) Town & Country. The entire time I'm sitting there wishing it had navigation!

Sooner or later, you will own a car with navigation. Once you do, you'll probably wonder how you got around without it.

kscarrol · Mar 23, 2004

Well Rudy, I didn't mean to start anyt kind of debate about the usefulness of the NAV system, I simply gave my perspective as someone who had never used one. I don't doubt for a minute that you find it very useful on an almost daily basis. Again, just my perspective. But you have talked me into getting one with my next car, though with the check I wrote for this car, it may be 10 years before I get another one...

Rudy · Mar 23, 2004

That's cool.

I didn't mean to cause a debate either. Just wanted to point out some of the usefulness of nav that many people don't realize until after they've used them for some time.

It reminds me of a time when many years ago, I bought a fax machine for my dad and he couldn't figure out why he needed one or what he was going to use it for. Only a year or so later did he realize the usefulness of the machine. Try to take it away from him now and he'd most likely surrender a limb before giving it up!

Enjoy your car! Mine is on the boat as we speak heading this way!!

kscarrol · Mar 23, 2004

Sweet! I know you're excited to know your car is getting close, I only got mine 3 weeks ago, so I can remember that anticipation. Let us know your impression of the SMG. I've never driven one but have seen some widely differing opinions of it.

snowsedan04 · Mar 23, 2004

My donkey came with a paper map. My BMW is in the GPS zone and there are no regrets. Every time I see a 3-series cockpit without that beautiful screen I thank myself for making the right choice.

kscarrol · Mar 23, 2004

Yeah, I guess I'm stuck with my donkey and paper for now. Guess until you actually use it, you don't really no how useful it is.

tool fan · Mar 23, 2004

yeah....but

I guess it comes with all things, you need to practice and become proficient with such toys to appreciate them. I test drove (for 3 days) a 530i with nav and found it to be very annoying and distracting. Once again because I did not know how to use it. Driving in Germany is an adventure in and of itself and I found the few seconds that my eyes left the road to read the screen was quite dangerous especially in the city (Wiesbaden is a nightmare to drive in, more one way streets than people). So I opted to go without the nav. Human nature dictates that we will make excuses as why something kicks our bootys....my excuse is DONKEYS and MAPS just make more sense to me right now.

Rudy · Mar 24, 2004

Again, with my current car, you can rely on the voice prompts and not have to look at the screen much.

With my new car, the HUD should help the problem of taking your eyes off the road.

I couldn't imagine driving in a place like Germany without some sort of electronic aid.

tool fan · Mar 24, 2004

You got me laughing......you have no idea....see germany used to have trabi's and VW bugs all over the roads and before that they had horses and such so the streets are just not wide enough to accomadate the bigger vehicles like my 530i. Two bigger vehicles trying to drive past eachother on these roads is usually met with an impass and a pissed off German when you cut him off in a vehicle that has NATO licence plates. I LOVE GERMANY (except driving in the bigger cities)
Peace
tool [:o)]

earthless · Mar 24, 2004

I had a 2001 Acura TL with the Nav and absolutely loved it!

I now have a 528i and sorely miss it. What options do I have to get one installed in my old 528i?

Rudy · Mar 24, 2004

I seem to remember BMW offering an add-on nav unit that used an external display mounted no some sort of stalk mounted to something like the seat rail or under the dash.

A dealer should be able to confirm or deny this.

Your other options would be some 3rd party (aftermarket) product from someone like Garmin, etc.

pargolf · Mar 24, 2004

My '04 545i is the 3 car I have had with NAV. My wife had a Lexus RX300 and now Acura MDX with NAV. I find the NAV is one of the best time saving I have ever used. I am not an accountant, but I bet it will save me more than the $1,800 I paid for it over the next few years.

Rudy · Mar 24, 2004

pargolf gets it!!

Talk2USoon · Mar 24, 2004

tool fan said:

<<<<<<

It's kinda of like understanding why some people HAVE to have a PDA (personal data assistant). You just never *knew* you needed it, til you realized all that it could do
for you.
It's prolly the only time *I'm* going to hear a voice tell me "YOU have ARRIVED!"
(yea, so it's a computer generated voice. Still sweet

tool fan · Mar 25, 2004

OK, I am now convinced that my frau's next car (I say 3seriesBMW, she says C Class Benz) will have the navagation in it. That way if I don't like it, SHE is stuck with it. HAHAHA
She would probly need it more than me any way, I am a old soldier and old habits (paper maps) are hard to kill. But I will try........I promise
Peace
tool [:o)]

black beast · Mar 25, 2004

I do allot of travel and unfortunatly most of it is in rental cars.
I have built in Nav systems in all my personal cars that work from ok to great, but they don't do me much good when I am on the road.
I purchased a voice activated navigation system that is portable (roaddognav.com)and must say it is the best $2k that I have ever spent. For those that don't have one in there car and would like to add one this is the ticket.....no screen, no buttons...just talk to it and it talks to you. Just my .02

Navagation????

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