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Sedans Toyota Avalon Toyota Avalon Navigation System
349 messages, Last post on Nov 09, 2009 at 4:13 AM
You are in the Toyota Avalon Forum. Your Hosts are pat & karens
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Replying to: amauhry (Jun 25, 2008 1:33 pm) No reply is necessary, you just don't get it. 
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Toyota is to be blamed for not providing an in-depth, comprehensive manual on the capabilities of the navigation system. Case in point: One major complaint about the system is its “apparent” inability to calculate an efficient route. The fact is you don’t need to accept the route (or any of the other “3rd Route options) the system gives you. You can force the system to take the route that you want (the system has tool for this). You can even see the entire route, street by street turn, at your own pace before putting the car in motion. This gives you time to examine the route for consistency (efficiency). If you don’t like what you see, drop it; take another one. You can save multiple routes along with all your preferences well in advance of your trip(s). This way when the trip day comes, you just jump in the car; your route(s) will be there waiting for you. With this I’m also implying that the system has the capability of saving multiple destinations from one single location in one step. For example, if you want to go from point A to point B, then C followed by D and ending in E, you can put all those destinations (along with routes) while you’re at point A. And, of course, you can re-order the priorities of these destinations at will. You can insert any stop, overnight stay, etc. into your route without changing the original route. And in case you make an “unprogrammed” deviation from your route, the system will still get you to your destination using your remaining road preferences. And this is just the tip of the iceberg. But, of course, most of this stuff is not in the manual. I found this out by playing with the system and making my own notes. This is way I said this system is a two-way communication; the user’s reaction counts a lot here. I understand people fustration about this but that does not necessarily mean I need to be fustrated as well. My view is that, as is the GPS on the Avalon should not be intended for mass market because it seems to be experimental even though it is not. Amaury '08 Limited
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Replying to: amauhry (Jun 26, 2008 7:09 am) I have a tremendous level of patience if there is a reason to be so. However, if this GPS is experimental, I don't appreciate being used as a Guinea Pig. 
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Another feature offered by this system is to find your way using the lat & long coordinates. With this info, even if there is no road data available the system will guide you to the road closet to your coordinate point (latitude and longitude). The system always provides you with the lat & long along any path you take on the map. When in route overview, the user have the option to either see the entire route by itself on the map, or a listing of the street turns involved, or both. This way the opportunity is given to explore your route before "lift-off". My findings are not a matter of patience. Being stuck with a $2K gadget that at first seemed to be a waste was not an option for me. Amaury '08 Limited
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Replying to: amauhry (Jun 26, 2008 9:19 am) In summary, the system is an inferior, difficult, overpriced, inconvenient and outrageous offering by Toyota.
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Every point on earth has a latitude and longitude “address”, including your own house. This is how vessels can find spots on the ocean and missiles can find their targets on earth (sort of). While your car is parked in your garage, activate your Nav system: Hit “Destination” button. Choose the “By Emergency” option. Bingo! The screen provided by this option (latter) includes the Latitude and longitude of your garage. Now, you can find that spot once again in your system either by the common method of street by name or by the not so common method (among us civilians) of Cartesian way of Lat and Long. How can your find your spot in the middle of Interstate 95 or Route 66 or Coyote land? Not by street name my friend. Lat & Long is way more reliable. Amaury ’08 Limited
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Replying to: amauhry (Jun 26, 2008 1:32 pm) This junk sucks! |
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Replying to: amauhry (Jun 26, 2008 7:09 am) Here are the results: Avalon contains navigation information for secondary roads/highways only in metropolitan areas. It worked fine in and around Tampa, but could not navigate anywhere near my house in central Florida. The system had most of the road locations and names right...it just would not use the information for navigation. (Nuvi had no problems anywhere along the route.) Avalon contains limited data for points of interest. It could not find a well-known seafood restaurant (Landry's Seafood) within 2 miles of my hotel. It could not find movie theaters anywhere in Tampa. (Nuvi found both and navigated us to them nicely.) I compared all of this to Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 that I use at home. It could navigate all of the roads in the routes and found all points of interest. I dare say the version that was available eight years ago could do so. Avalon's navigation system is at least 10 year old technology. Jordanfl '08 Limited with difficient navigation |
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I am in the market for a portable GPS system and I have my eye on the brand new Garmin Nuvi 880. In addition to text-to-speech, it has voice recognition, traffic monitoring and blue tooth. Reviewers are saying this is the best portable GPS system on the market right now but it is pricey at $999 compared to the $349 Magellan Maestro 4250 that does essentially the same thing with AAA Tour book included. My wife has OnStar in her automobile and I just love the way everything is so integrated especially when the stereo is muted so you can hear the directions loud and clear on your car speakers rather than on the built-in speakers on the GPS units. Hands-free phone, XM radio, MP3 and OnStar turn-by-turn directions all work together so seamlessly. I know it is perhaps difficult to find a portable GPS that works with your stereo but I am not sure if the Garmin 880 or any other system can do that. So my question is: Are there any voice interface accessories, other than the FM transmitter, that can be used to integrate the sound system with the GPS?
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Replying to: bwia (Jun 29, 2008 2:14 pm) Any portable GPS like TomTom, Nuvi and the likes are not perfect either. If you want to see these devices fail miserably, try to find your way out of the Sumner Tunnel or Callahan Tunnel in Boston City, MA, (especially if you are heading to Logan International) assuming you don’t know your way around. All of these tiny devices go dead under the Lincoln and Holland tunnels in New York City as well; a weak point where the Avalon’s system excels. Again my point is, nothing is perfect. Many complaints about the Avalon’s GPS and I fully understand why. To me it is almost perfect because I understand it, and it has never failed me so far. Almost perfect because I did notice a glitch (no wonder Toyota honored my complaint to my full satisfaction). Amaury '08 Limited
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