Thanks, Marinesci! Another mystery solved.

 

Well I have Nav in both my BMW 740il and my Mini S, so here are my comments. First, the BMW CD does not...I repeat....DOES NOT...have to be replaced every year. I guess if you're obsessive about getting every little street change up-to-date, then you might want to opt for a new CD, but is it necessary, not one bit.

Second, the BMW Nav is slow but my beemer is 2 years old. The Mini S nav system is a lot faster, so my guess is that the newer systems are faster than the older ones. Just like computers that are using newer, faster chips.

Finally, think of Nav as an option the way our grand dads thought of air conditioning as an option. Sure you don't really need it, blah, blah, blah...but once you have it you wonder how you ever lived without it. And today, air conditioning comes standard, just as nav will once people become used to it.

There.

 

I can't believe all these negative comments about the NAV!!! However, I DO notice that most of them are coming from people who DON'T have it. I have it, and I wouldnt give it up for the world. Not only is it waycrazysexycool to have it there in the dashboard, but a talking MINI is just the best! And as far as peformance, I have absolutely zero complaints. It runs superfast for me, I dont know what you guys are talking about. If I miss the turn, it recalculates the route literally within seconds. Just about the only complaint I could see having about this system is that its so good that you grow too dependent on it, and therefore never actually learn the routes yourself. I just let the MINI take me there, so if I'm in our Honda I find myself having to use those primitive things called maps. My parents recently moved into a new house, and I've been there a few times, but still dont know how to get there. Good thing the MINI does!

 

Does anyone worry about their MINI getting broken into and having the Nav system stolen? Or would it be too big of job for a thief to get, with the CD being under the seat and all?

I've thought about making a little cover that conceals the screen when the car is parked. My hubby used to have an old crummy Datsun with an awesome sound system. He made a panel with a fake AM/FM radio facade and it looked real. Of course, the one time he forgot to stick it in place the car was broken into and bye-bye stereo! :???:

 

I certainly wouldn't consider myself an authority on either matter - theft, or the NAV system.

...but I wouldn't think that the cd drive would be that valuable without the other components - namely the monitor, and GPS reciever/transmitter.

I could easily be wrong, however.

 

I am getting the Garmin Streetpilot III Deluxe, which comes with all the maps for the US for about $900-1000.

It is a great option for those of us who do not have the onboard system, and it will talk to you no matter what car you put it in


_________________
~Yucca Patrol~

"Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement."

 

The one thing about the Mini Nav system that no one has mentioned yet is that it is very easy to use. The entire interface is that one twisting **** thingy.

Another thing about integrated Nav systems versus portable ones is the antenna positioning. I have one of those Magellan Springboard GPS units for my Visor and it works poorly. The main reason being that the antenna had a hard time picking up the GPS signals. You had to have the unit placed under an open window or sunroof. The best position was right under the front windshield, but this sometimes made it hard to read the screen. GPS signals do not travel well through metal. In an integrated system, the antenna is on the roof of the car all the time with all the wires hidden. So getting a 3 or 4 satellite lock is very easy.

The Mini Nav system is CD based. The CD's are produced by a company called NavTech. You can buy maps for other parts of the US. Each map is $125. Btw, if anyone is interested, I have an extra Map 5 (Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, etc.). I would be willing to trade this for a Map 1 (California, Nevada).

I don't believe theft is a problem with integrated Nav systems. The system is just too hard to remove. The map reader is located under the passenger seat. The screen is in the dash and the antenna is on the roof. I'm not sure where the main Nav computer is. But it is definitely not a break your window and rip-out unit kind of crime.

One more advantage to getting the Nav system: you get the cool shark fin antenna on your roof instead of the standard long thin antenna. The radio antenna is moved to the right rear window.

One caveat to the Mini Nav system. The Nav system has a problem under cold conditions. I had this verified by my service dealer who verified it with Mini USA. The problem occurs when you leave car out when it's very cold. The Nav system does not activate. The LCD display seems to be on because I can see the backlight, but nothing appears in the display. Strangely enough, the speed-limit indicator works because the system beeps when you reach the preset speed. Mini USA is aware of the problem, but they don't have a solution yet. That's according to my service dealer anyway. Through trial and error, I've determined the temperature required to produce this effect is somewhere below 38 degrees Fahrenheit. If it's 38, 39 or 40 (according to the Mini outside temp gauge) the system turns on fine. When it drops below 38, the system doesn't come on. Hopefully, Mini USA will figure out a fix to this problem soon.

Another disadvantage to getting the Nav system is that it makes it very hard to change the factory radio. This is because the Nav system plays is audio instructions through the radio. If you change the radio, you lose the Nav audio. If you searc the MCO Audio forums, some people have reported doing this because they don't mind losing the audio, but I think it's pretty important.

Hope this helps everyone,

Roundy

 

Hi Roundy,

Nice post! Thanks for getting all this info together and nailing down the temperature at which the nav doesn't like to work. Glad I have a heated garage! :smile:

 

In the interest of rounding out roundy's report of the temperature: My NAV system started and functioned fine in single digit temperatures (approx 9 degrees F). The only thing was that the monitor seemed to be a little dim (like when your headlights are on) until the car warmed up a little.

Not saying that there isn't issue - especially if MINI has acknowledged it - but not everyone may have the same experience as roundy (or as me).