CJP240
I started another thread because Zanary started meandering down a different path about tire pressure

 

I was asked to provide some comparison pics with the nav in my new Audi Q5 - this is a brand new "third generation" system, and might give a taste of what MINI could do in the future.
Basically, the Audi doesn't make any attempt to show every street name, it just picks a few (seemingly randomly picked) and shows them:


Same location, zoomed in:



Of course, it looks much better in 3D mode - a nice touch is that street names "in the distance" are shown in a smaller text size







I find this a very good system - but some might be unhappy that there's no way to control which street names are displayed (I've not found an option to turn them off/on either)

 

I think that says it all. If you really want a great, well designed navigation system, then get a $200 Garmin (or Tom Tom). If you want your Mini to look awesome inside, then pay the $2000 and get the Mini Nav. Yes, you will also get a few extras thrown in, but an additional $1800 for tire pressure is a bit much. Yes, it is built in and looks great, so that is probably worth, maybe $1000 - who knows? BUT, it is a NAVIGATION system and cost $2000, so, it is not unreasonable to EXPECT it to be top notch. If its not, then we SHOULD complain and let the poor software engineers know that their proprietary design sucks! It's really quite arrogant, actually.

 

Personally, my TomTom is rubbish compared with the Audi Q5 factory nav - I bought a ($500 at the time) top-of-the-line TomTom 920; it's text-to-speech is a foreign tongue half the time, it doesn't understand many junctions I drive (telling me to turn when I don't need to, or keeping quiet when I need to turn). It's display is much smaller, too; and it loses track of where I am in tunnels or in crowded cities like New York.

 

I don't see why people can't express their dissappointment (or their praise) regarding a particular feature of their MINI. If some people think the MINI nav is great or even worth the money then good for them. I have the nav in my 08 MCS and it is excellent for everything except navigation. The guidance is OK, but I've seen better from standalone units costing 15%-20% as much. I don't use the POI so I don't share Birdman's specific frustrations, but I share his feeling of being betrayed by BMW/MINI. I also share the OP's view that the map is pointless in non-guidance mode. Maybe Robin Casady never uses the nav except with guidance on, and that's OK for him. However, I often use the nav without the guidance. I know roughly where I'm going and I just need to be sure exactly when to turn etc. But the map is unreadable because the contrast is bad, the street names you are shown are almost never the ones you would be interested in, and the map is cluttered with junk like pointless street names, place names and geographical feature names, not to mention the you are here "bug" all of which obscure the most important information, which is where are the *$%# roads?

I love many things about my MINI and I'll be very tempted to get another one when my lease comes up, but it's frustrating to have to pay so much money for something which is so clearly inadequate at its primary function. If they really wanted to convince us that we're paying $2K for the integration, then maybe they ought to call it a car computer or something. Calling it a navigation system just makes you feel like a patsy for paying for it.

 

Yep, the mini nav is garbage. I knew that when I ordered it and only got it because the stock speedo was so disgustingly tacky that I was either going to get the nav or another car.

On one hand the mini nav is embarassingly bad. On the other, I have zero sympathy for anyone who feels they were ripped off. Everyone had the chance to play with it or research before they bought the car. It is obvious to anyone who spent 5 minutes looking that the mini system is not on par with other nav systems.

 

To be fair, the Nav option also gives you a far better interface for iPod, USB, Bluetooth, Park Distance and other things. There are even optional computer settings that can only be set with the Nav (not even the dealer can set on a non-Nav). Increasingly across the car industry, the decision whether to get Nav will involve more than just navigation.

 

That is going to happen - it happens in many Internet forums... you just have to politely ask to come back on topic... and if it becomes a chronic problem, report the thread, and perhaps we will move those sidetrack posts out into a separate thread instead. There's no need to start a second, identical thread though - if everyone here did that whenever a thread went off-topic, this place would be a total mess! Of course they can. I wasn't saying that people can't express their opinion (positive or negative). The point was that ranting on endlessly, repeating the same thing over and over (as Birdman has done for over a year and a half now), and pulling out "conspiracy theory" accusations against anyone who disagrees... is counterproductive and quite honestly starts to border on harrassment.

All points of view are welcome. Civility is key, though.

 

OK , I'm new to all this !!!! Sorry

 

Welcome to NAM!

 

Yes, if you make yourself aware of your surroundings while driving, you would have known the name of the street you were on at all times. Apparently you need a computer to tell you something you can read on a sign.

 

Anyone who is familiar with the older BMW nav systems they had perspective view also that could be enabled holding down the menu key for 8 seconds. They didn't display road names either. I don't see a problem in it other than the color not being able to be changed. BMW systems have never really been that intuitive.

 

I only wish the roads had signs. Even if they do, they are usually behind a tree so you can't see them until you are past the point of no return. People trying to figure out where they are without nav systems is a good way to cause accidents.

 

I see a bad trend in all gps units, aftermarket and OEM. They are offering less and less options and configuarability. I guess they got a lot of complaints that units were too complicated.

Instead of dumbing down these units, they need to make them with a simple default mode, and one option choice called "advanced features" where they can hide the numerous choices that many of us would like to see.

 

What is the deal with you guys continueing to state: "You should have checked the option before purchasing it...".

See, THAT, is the EXACT problem with the Mini Nav. I DID check the option. I DID read the advertising, I DID read the brochures on it. I DID read the manual (downloaded it before buying the car) prior..... And they all CLEARLY state, "Our little Mini car, has a Navigation system with over 6 Million POI's in it, all searchable....". Well great I said, perfect, I'm buying it then!! I get my car, and guess what? I can' search the POI database in anyway reasonable for mankind.

And lastly, the purpose of the ranting and raving is NOT to get my car fixed, that is a long gone issue. I'm onto 3 new cars, none of which are Mini's mainly because of this issue, becuase other than this, I love my Mini! The ranting and raving is a FOREWARNING, for nmew prospective buyers.

I only wish somebody had ranted and raved, PRIOR to me buying one. Cause I would not have.

 

Hey Birdman-

Remember the above post? And in case you hadn't noticed, NO ONE had said anything on this thread since mid-July until you brought it up again today.

And no, I don't work for MINI or BMW.

 

Birdman you're absolutely right , I NEVER would have bought this if I read your post first.

 

So if you knew, going in, that the street you were currently driving on wasn't going to be prominently displayed on your screen, that would've been enough for you to say "no way!"?

 

and it has navigation. Now I feel I made a mistake and will regret having to look at it. I wasn't looking for one with navigation, the car I liked, just happened to have it. Is it really that bad?

 

No.

 

rhafe,

It's not that it isn't nice to look at. If anything I think it is nicer to look at than the giant speedo. It's that for something that costs as much as it does, a lot of people wish it was as nice to use as, for example, a portable Garmin that costs a tiny fraction as much. If your car also has bluetooth and USB then the Nav might be worth having just to work with MP3s and your phone. Either way, getting your car used you don't feel the same sting since you didn't explicitly pay for an expensive option. Enjoy your new MCS.

 

One of the reasons I went for it. Really didn't like the look of the giant speedo. To me it seemed like a choice between early Star Trek (NAV), and a Mickey Mouse cartoon (speedo). I prefer Star Trek. There are Mickey Mouse fans...

Having used both, I think using the NAV is much nicer.

Making car settings is also better on the NAV, and it has a nice trip computer with mpg, time, distance, etc. Leave the display up while traveling and watch your progress.

Is it the best it can be, no, but neither is the Garmin I've borrowed.

 

Do you have the mini nav? It's total garbage...i had a dodge nitro, which was the crappiest car i've ever owned, but the my gig unit (nav) was the best i've ever had.

I didn't even bother testing out the mini nav before buying it (yeah, i know, i only have myself to blame), but just figured since the rest of the car was so solid that the nav would be, as well, and it S-U-X sucks.

On a scale of 1-10 i give it a 1.25, and that's only because it gets rid of the hideous spedo in the minis without it.