Does the new Navigation System leave you breathless too? I have it spec'ed out on my MCS, without any knowledge of the specifics. Yes, I wanted a navigation system that provides turn-by-turn directions with a friendly voice, and looks spectacular too. I know voice control dictates how loud you want the music, the temperature, but what other cool things does it do? What have nav systems in the past been like? Does it require a map DVD present at all times to run? Has anyone heard anything about this new nav having a lifetime subscription to Real Time Traffic Information? Any good or bad experiences to share? Thanks!

 

I'm also waiting for the new navigation system. I've used an older system on another car, and have really come to depend on it. I see that navigation is now a selectable item in the configurator; last time I tried, it said not available yet (and we get to see the price now, too: $2,100--ouch).

You're right. Details are pretty sketchy, but the real-time traffic information is intriguing. Anyone know who actually supplies that?

And, at least in my other system, yes, the DVD has to be in-car for the unit to work at all.

"I'm not lost; I'm just locationally challenged."

 

Two thousand one hundred dollars seems a bit much. I'd guess that BMW makes a KILLING on the markup on that setup. I don't like the idea of that level of electronic gadgetry being built into my dashboard, because in a year or less it's going to be superceded by a new model. Just read a review of the Garmin StreetPilot i3 today. It's $270-$299 RETAIL. The screen isn't as big as some, but it's color, 2-d and 3-d, voice and text based directions and covers the whole US, Canada and more with six million points of interest in the database, and has a strong reciever.. When it goes haywire or becomes outmoded, you won't have it built into your dashboard, you can just unplug it and buy something else. Or put it in the trunk if you don't want to look at it or tempt thieves. And meanwhile, that other $1800 you didn't spend buys you all kinds of performance goodies for your Mini. My two cents, free to you. Happy motoring.

 

I've had mine for a few months now. I should probably say, right up front, that I'm a nerd, big time, so my views my be a bit skewed or unusual.

It runs from a DVD. That's good -- and oh so very bad. I got my car in late 2006, and use the 2007 edition of the DVD. The new onramp near my house isn't on it -- that would be the onramp that was finished in early 2006.

It also does not learn. My little village has no one way in or out -- depending where you're going, there are about 6 ways out, all of which get used regularly because they're the fastest way to go. The Nav just doesn't understand that.

It loves main roads. To go to work, I go up my small street, then 4 or 5 blocks on another small street, and I'm out onto a main road. The Nav would have me go the exact opposite direction, about 8 times as far. Ditto for coming home -- always on main roads until the last possible moment, then only onto smaller roads when no other option exists.

And sometimes, it just blows it. I was going to a meeting in the Netherlands, and since there were no main roads to get there, it wanted me to take the most direct route -- through tiny Dutch streets / alleys, someof which were one way, and one of which was blocked. It is only as accurate as the data on the DVD.

And there's no updating. Other systems, like the Tom Tom I'm told, store their data not on DVD's but on hard drvies or other drives, so they can be updated. I'd love to see construction added, and traffic jams. That would be brilliant.

I do love the integration into the car, though, and having the driving gauges with the wheel.

Could it be done better? Yeah.

Could it be done cheaper? Yeah.

Is it stock / OEM? Yeah.

Will it help with resale? Who knows.

 

I've got the OEM in-dash navigator. Got it with my new 2006 S in Spring 2006. I like it a lot. I use the car for work in the states of CA, NV, OR, and WA. Sometimes it could provide better routes, but it always gets me there. My job would suffer and I'd be late to appointments without it. Before i received the auto, I was using a GPS system available on my Blackberry. This was not as good by a long shot. It was often wrong in the way that on-line map/directions are often wrong. It was slow to tell you what to do next. One advantadge it has over the in-dash DVD-based OEM system that you can preview all steps of the directoins. With the in-dash unit, you have to just go with it blindly.

 

Billie, FYI, if while navigating you select 'Information' and 'Route List', the OEM Nav will show you the list of roads/distances you'll be taking. See pg 34 of the Nav manual.

 

$2100 is normal for an OEM GPS and, in fact, its cheap.

All GPS are mostly DVD based, how else are you going to get the maps and there is only one company that sells those maps to everyone.

There are only two traffic services, XM and TMC (I think thats right). Id bet its TMC http://realtimetraffic.net/ since they are a BMW partner.

 

Assuming the SAT/NAV is DVD based and the DVD has to be loaded to work, does this mean I won't be able to listen to CD's while using the Navigation? I ask this because in the photos I've seen of the unit, the CD controller and loading slot shows DVD capability for loading CDs. Could someone clarify this for me please.

 

No. Totally different unit. Otherwise, that would be insane.

 

OK, that's reassuring, where is the slot for loading the SAT/NAV DVD?

 

I have no idea. Find someone who already has an 07 or just call MINIUSA and ask

 

OK, this question may be obvious, but are you choosing "fast route"? Or are you choosing "use main highways"? Because it seems to me that behavior sounds like it isn't using the "fast" route option.Well, there ARE updates - they come out in the form of new DVD discs, twice per year... at $200 each. Crazy expensive (they should have a much more reasonable subscription model), but the point is that there IS updating available. Even though only twice per year isn't much, it counts.

 

Don't know for sure, but in the R53 coupe, the Nav computer is under the passenger seat, and accessed from behind the seat. IIRC for some reason in the convertible it's under the driver's seat.

 

Thanks, maybe I'll search through MINI2 forums to see what the group across the pond says.

 

Chaulk it up to insane. I'd be shocked if there were two slots for discs. I have a Nav in my Jeep, only one slot. It doesn't bother me as I only listen to Sirius radio. I also have a Garmin Nuvi which is a lot better than the Dvd navigation. It's a lot faster and when you miss a turn you don't have to wait 30 seconds for it to recalculate the route. (about 5 seconds for the Garmin, which is a blessing when in heavy traffic).

However, I've never seen the new Nav in the Mini.

 

Talking out of my boot, even if there was a single slot, I would assume that the Nav DVD would remain in place, like those single slot multiple CD changers. No way that you'd have to choose between a CD and using the Nav.

 

Strange. In my Chrysler Pacifica (*big* brother to my awaited MINI), made by the same company as your Jeep, the nav DVD is definitely separate, in the back of the vehicle. The audio CD/DVD unit is in the dash, and yes, you can play an audio CD or DVD while using the nav system.

 

The new navigation system is in-dash, with a seperate dvd drive from the in-dash cd player, which also plays mp3, wma and a hand full of other formats. Yes there are two slots in the dash, though one is hiding in plain sight. There also is the option of an in-dash cd changer which can be installed at any time and is supposed have the previously mentioned ability to play multiple formats of compressed music files.

 

Yeah, we're the black sheep.

 

did I mention that real time traffic is included and automaticaly informs you of jams and suggests alternate routes. at no additional charge.

 

...for the first 3 or 4 years, anyway.

 

It's 4 years.

 

Actually, there are several companies that sell mapping data to the GPS manufacturers, who may subscribe to one or more of the companies' services.

There's Tiger, TeleAtlas (formerly Etak), NavTeq, and GDT, to name a few.

 

nice feature but it has its problems as you can imagine ... read in the NY Times how they cannot be "real time" just because of all the info that has to exchange hands between satellites, networks, etc ... before it reaches a car's nav.

there is a link to the article here but you now need a subscription to read it.
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstra...AB0994DE404482

 

If you seriously NEED perfect real time traffic, consider investment in a huey. If you want, you can glue a sign on your dash that says "Warning, congestion, get used to it. Welcome to New York." The difference will be negligable.