My questions won't be about how to update the unit or find the maps, I've seen many posts about those. Mine will be more basic than that. I can't find one with the Navigation within 100 miles of me to demo the unit and have a few questions about it.

I have the MyGig/uConnect unit in my Jeep from Harmon Beckman. The built in navagation is pretty feature rich allowing me to use my address book from my cellphone, having a touchscreen display, and offering many POI's as well as Sirius traffic updates. All but the traffic updates work great as the Sirius seems to be about 30 min out of date most days.

So I'm wondering a few things about the Mini's Nav system which will help me determine if it's a feature I should be looking for on a used Mini.

1.) Is it touchscreen?

I've tried to find information on this online and can't seem to find it anywhere. Is the unit touchscreen or does it use some clunky joystick controlled thing?

2.) Does it do a 2/3rds view?

Does it give a 2/3rds view or what's been called a "birds eye" view, or are the maps all flat? I find this view most useful as I want to know what's ahead of me, not behind me.

3.) Any known mechanical issues with it?

Does the unit have a tendency to fail? I've heard it uses a CD/DVD not a hard drive and I worry about the motor burning out.

Thank you for he information in advance!

 

1. No - there is a **** at the bottom of the the screen for inputs
2. Yes. In MINI parlance it's 'Perspective'. In that mode, however, you don't see most street names.
3. No. It's a fairly robust unit. There are reported failures, but not widely reported.

IMO - If you're used to a feature rich touch screen, prepare to be disappointed. POIs are a PIA.
The MINI nav does a fine job of getting you to a desired address, but the POI feature is compartmentalized to the point that finding some POIs is impossible.
I love having built in nav - no wires, no pulling it out at every stop, but the GUI for POI leaves much to be desired.

 

I'll admit, my reasons for wanting the Nav unit are pretty silly. I want a speedometer on the column where it belongs and want to use that space for a screen. I'd wondered about the possibility of simply buying a speedometer, fitting it in place, and seeing if the center gauge bezel is available without the screen and fit my own.

Has anyone attempted such a thing?

 

As far as having a speedometer on the steering column, the lower part of the tach has an LED display that can display a digital speedometer. Actually this is a feature that is available only with a center speedo, not with the Nav configuration.

Removing the factory Nav screen and using that space for your own purposes should be possible, but I would only do that on a car that has Nav already installed. Changing the gauge configuration can get expensive and complicated because of gauge electronics being coded to the VIN and recoding the computer for the new configuration. Some people with center speedo have tried to simply replace the tach with the Nav style tach/speedo dual gauge, and had problems getting everything to work correctly (warning lights, odometer, etc).

 

Simply get a mini with the guage package if you want the speedo above the wheel...then you get fully functiong guages, and sppedo/tach above the steering wheel....
some of the best "live" gps aftermarkets units will always have uptodate maps and traffic...and can be updated, swapped out ecerytime a better product comes along if you desire....it does take some work to do a good install and hide the wires....

 

Agreed. I got the Chrono Kit to get some real gauges and get the speedometer over the column, and went with a Garmin Nuvi for GPS duties.

I don't know that I'd do the same with the later MINIs, though. In the R56 and later models, the navigation system is tied into a lot of the car's systems and its screen is used for a lot more than just displaying the GPS map.

Besides, I don't think that MINI ever came out with the equivalent of the Chrono Kit for the later cars, so that would make the decision that much easier for me.

 

Well, not really that simple because cars with the chrono pack are quite rare. If the OP had trouble finding a MINI with Nav for sale within 100 miles, it would be even much harder to find one with Chrono pack.

 

True on some points....but some folks don't even know the chrono pack exists....the the op will never know if they don't look....it is just one option....
the main issue with gen1 nags are they, like most 10 year old gps's are that the features are a bit dated....still useful, but an android phone with a free or $5 app does more with current maps....traffic....etc.
a car will last a decade or more, but electronics can seem ancient after only 5 years...
granted the gen2 muddies the waters a bit with a high level of intergration, similar to the ford sync system...but the op is interested in a gen 1...
and I have s chrono, but have often wished for the canter speedo with aftermarket guages.....

 

After reflecting on the topic I think I've decided to focus on trying to find a Cooper S/JCW with the Chrono pack instead of the Nav based one. While I'm sure the Nav works fine it will feel antiquated with it's joystick based input compared to the MyGig with it's touch screen, traffic nav via Sirius, and HD based unit.

I think what I shall do is finally break down and buy a Tom Tom or other such device. While I prefer something intergrated as it tends to be less noticable and theft prone limiting my selection of vehicles due to one feature I'm not 100% thrilled about seems foolish.

Thanks to everyone for their input and a special thanks to ZippyNH for cluing me into the fact that the chrono pack even exits. While I can tell you everything you might want to know about the NA Mazda Miata I know virtually nothing about Mini's... YET.

But I'm learning.