Thinking of buying a MCS for the wife and she really wants navigation. The price difference between a used car with or without NAV is pretty big (in my area- SoCal). Is it worth it? I've seen some Navigation units that are pretty unfriendly. What do you think? Worth the extra dough or not?

TIA,
Matt

 

I have one in my MCS and my mom has one in her MC. We'd do it again I love the local information for looking up a good place to eat while in unfamiliar territories. I only wish you could put in way-points (or does it?) I already have the Dragon trip mapped in my system four months ahead of time

 

I've got it, I like it a lot, and use it quite a bit, but won't be getting it in my next MINI. I can get a more flexible system on my PDA for much less money.

With your situation there are some other things to consider.

The MINI Nav in general is a pretty good system and pretty user friendly.

However depending on the car you're looking at will affect the system you'll be getting. Cars built before February 2003 have a CD based system installed. These cars were delived with map CD-ROMs that only cover regions of the country, you only got the CD for the region you lived in. So if you bought a MINI in California you only got the Pacific Southwest CD. Once you get outside of the coverage area the CD only has limited information about main roads only...

Cars built after February 2003 got a DVD based system, the DVD's used by this system have coverage for the entire nation.

You can get systems that are just as good for much less money than the MINI system if you're not insistent on a built in system. The new TomTom Navigator is supposed to be pretty good, but if the Magellan system is anything like the Hertz NeverLost system it's based on that would be my preference.

On the budget side I hear that there are several decent systems as well... Check the Navigation and Audio forum for more info...

 

I got it and love it. My wife borrows the car when she has to do a party at some location she is unsure of where it is.

Of course there are those that don't have it and prefer the aftermarket route. You can get cheaper. But at a cash outlay versus in the loan/lease. Thats moot if you pay cash for your mini.



Paul

 

you can always get it after....I got an indash head unit that has DVD and NAV...heh ehh...so now I can watch movies on my road trips...ok well I listen to movies...but now my navigator can watch movies!!!

 

Woohoo! That's good to hear. :smile:

Personally, I really like the MINI's nav system. Whether it is worth $1600-1700 is up to debate though.

 

I have an MCS 05 and I think the system is just ok. My wife has a Toyota Camry and her system is much better. The problem with the MCS nav is that it is not very intuitive. I can usually figure out how to do something but it is not easy. The pros of the system are that it is built-in. I looked at alot of add-on systems and they always look like they are added-on. Usually the add-on systems do not have good displays or sufficient sound volume. Another advantage is my system has a British woman's voice....."go to the roundabout on the left"....."enter the motorway on your right", if you are lost she is very friendly.

 

I have had BMW built in nav before (CD based) and have it on order for my Mini. Sure it may not be the uber fastest or most intuitive of all of them (the Japanese cars are always ahead in this arena) but it gets me there. Aside from addresses I enter, I also use it to look up locations (like restaurants, gas stations, etc) and often have the map on screen for reference. The location of it in the Mini is ideal, high enough to glance at easily, and once you learn the interface it becomes second nature.

I have looked into aftermarket and just cannot find a solution I like. Aftermarket built ins have screens that block other things, don't look integrated, and as for handheld/removable ones, well I don't want anything else I have to worry can be stolen easily or carried around. (And I wonder, if in an accident does the unit come off and become a projectile and knock you in the noggin?). On top of it all, the super cool, best aftermarket solutions are evern more expensive then the OEM anyhow.

Anyway, that's my .02 I have no sense of direction and frequently rely on nav so I've thought about it quite a bit.

 

Thanks for the info, guys... Is there an easy way to tell which month the car was manufactured in? VIN numbers, door plate, etc...

Also, which are the best in dash units available? and are they difficult to have intalled?

TIA,
Matt

 

I believe there's a plate on the drivers side door frame... Don't have the car here to check right now...

 

Personally, I do like to get lost...
Plus, I LOVE the big speedo in the middle of the dash.
I had a NAV in my SUV (I know, it's now gone, I have mended my ways) and I found that it was an oddity at most. Even on road trips I just tended to use a Map Quest map and use the NAV as more of a toy.
Keep the speedo, and get lost in your MINI...that's the joy of it all.
as the us Harley guys say...it's the JOURNEY not the destination

 

To each his own - in my circumstances I find nothing enjoyable in getting lost on my way to an appointment/engagement so nav is vital (printed directions never worked nearly as well for me: they are not adaptive if you need to detour, and it is really is not safe to consult them while driving IMHO).

Anyway, I understand about the journey and can still enjoy that sans nav when possible too

 

PS: I know the prices can be all over the place for used cars, but I found that when I was looking and I really compared cars with the same options/mileage they weren't too far apart, even cars in different parts of the country (esp when you consider what it costs to pick up a car from elsewhere.).

Anyways, best of luck in getting your wife a good car that she'll enjoy. Oh, and let me tell you, she will love it if you get seat heaters Even in Southern Cal it can get chilly enough at night to enjoy them, trust me

 

What In dash unit did you buy? I neverliked the idea of the pop up screen but I could live with it if it meant getting a better unit.

Thanks for the info guys - keep it coming.

matt

 

I find the Mini Nav System very subpar to ones I've scene and used.


Hard to navigate menu's with just a ****.
Canceling a destination still keeps the white line going towards were you were orignally going till the car is turned off.
No touch screen.
Very hard to locate stores/places in the area you located.
Address book isn't as friendly as it could be, either save the name of the location or the street #, but not both.
bunch more little annoying issues.

 

I use a map and my seat-of-the-pants compass. I don't mind getting lost in this car!