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Navigation GPS Systems

1753 messages, Last post on Dec 01, 2009 at 12:23 PM
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| Also Garmin http://www.garmin.com/ They have several that are very nice. | |
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I too am trying to decide between Garmin's Street PilotIII and the Magellan 500 but have not seen any comparisons on the net. I am very familiar with and like the GPS which Hertz uses. I understand these are Magellan 750-based systems which I think is the next model higher to the 500. Costco sells the Magellan for $899 and the Garmin for $699 so unless there are people who can share their experiences with both of them, I guess one way to go is try both of them using Costco's liberal return policy and return one. |
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| I did some further research on the Web and it seems that these two units are market positioned against each other. The recently released Roadmate 500 has gotten mostly rave reviews from 11 consumers posting at Amazon. Detailed specs and comparisons of the two units can be found at http://www.autonav2000.com. I am inclined to order and test the Roadmate first because of its superior graphics and display, better audio prompts (similar to the Hertz Neverlost system), and because it is WAAS enabled. WAAS allows the GPS sensor to pinpoint location to within 9 feet as opposed to the 30 feet accuracy in none WAAS enabled systems. Hope this helps others considering aftermarket NAV systems cheaper than the $2000 built-in NAVs offered as car options. | |
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I am the first person to think of this. One thing manufacturers should add to future built-in nav systems is a heads up display that can project, at the very least, information about the the next turn on to the windshield. I can have an arrow pointing which way to turn, the name of the street and the distance ahead (if not a complete mirror of all the info on the main screen). |
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A couple of good sites for info on portable GPS systems are: http://gpsexplorer.com and http://gpsinformation.net/ Both give reviews; gpsinformation gives links to several vendors. Mark |
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| Would anyone know how I can determine what makes/models offer Navigation Systems? Ideally, I'd like to find a tool that would allow me to check the options I want then provide a list of cars that offer those options. Thanks. | |
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I, for one don't know of any tool like that, and it sure would be useful. Edmunds.com could do it I bet. As far as navigation systems specifically, I think that virtually every maker has at least one model that has navigation as an option. Better to ask, I think, which is the better navigation system[s]. This seems to be the consensus from what I and JP Powers have picked up: Alpine, Xanavi and Denso are evidently the best brands. Alpine is used by Acura and probably Honda, and maybe some others. Xanavi, so far as I know, is used only in Nissan and Infinity. Denso is used in Lexus and probably Toyota, and maybe others. Some of the features that you might want to look for, they say, are: voice (will it give verbal directions, and can you give it voice commands?), the so-called bird's eye view together with (but only one at a time) the regular flat map view, touch-screen rather than joystick, and number of points of interest included in the system (which seem to range up to about 10 million for the best systems). Another thing is whether Navitech, who makes the actual maps for all systems I've heard, has finally mapped the smaller cities and towns in the U.S., not to mention Canada. There are updated DVDs that you can buy, about once a year I think, which reflect the additional mapping done if you're not satisfied with the DVD that comes with the car. Hope this helps. |
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I think you might find the answers to your questions at the following links: -which cars offers which NAV systems: http://www.autonav2000.com/Compare/OEM-sys-vendorlist.pdf -what features come with which NAV systems: http://www.autonav2000.com/Compare/Compare2.htm Good luck! |
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It is an incomplete list. Right away, I noticed it didn't even include the Honda Accord, so I wonder which other cars are also missing? Didn't realize the Infiniti I35 had a CD-based system. |
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I think the chart isn't updated but its the best one I've found on the net so far. Let me know you find a better one. I've seen and tested the 2004 Accord NAV. Its on par with the 2004 MDX NAV and should be considering its Honda top of the line sedan. Its got the same size screen, voice activation, 12 million POI, etc. Its improved from the 2003 Accord NAV. As to why Honda didn't put the same system on the their top of the line SUV, beats me except they make more money by including an older Alpine gps and old mapping/POI database. |
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