Tom2

Anyone read the in-car navigation system review in Popular Science (Jan '03 issue)?

They compared navi systems from Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, Jaguar, BMW and Mercedes Benz. They also threw in a Garmin Street Pilot III for the sake of comparison.

The Lexus system got top honors, with the fastest calculation speed, touch screen and a large screen. The Jaguar system was not far behind- it had no touch screen, but had voice control. It also calculated slower than the Lexus system. Both Lexus and Jaguar used Denso systems.

The Acura and Infiniti systems were next. The dogged the Acura system for giving illogical routes and being stubborn about recalculating when driven off the calculated path. They said the Infiniti system was slower than the Acura system.

At the bottom was the BMW and Mercedes systems. They had nothing positive to say about either of those systems.

Interestingly, the Garmin Street Pilot performed very well compared to the in-car systems. They said it's mapping was flawless, and it's speed was mid-pack. But the 4 inch screen is too small.

Out of all the systems, Popular Science considered all the systems to be "smart" about mapping, except the Acura, BMW and Mercedes.

moomaster_99

They should have at least used the newest and latest itineration of our Navi, the one found in the Accord. C'mon Toyota just added touch screen and the Jag one is probably brand new as well. We are at least a 5 year old system....4 year old in terms of speed (Hard drive to DVD).

NOVAwhiteTypeS

infiniti also isn't touch screen

LiLMaN

I heard the Acura was one of the best Nav systems out there actually. They said it beat out the Mercedes thats for sure.. and was rated really high for accuracy. Don't know it seems to work fine for me..

Tom2

The Acura system was in a TL, which as you know does not use the "new" system. I doubt they could have used the new Honda/Acura system since it was the Jan '03 issue (the test was probably months earlier).

Toyota/Lexus has had touch screen for years now.

Overall, I think the Acura system did fairly well, especially considering it's age. But I agree that the route calculation is sometimes wacky. It seems most other systems outperform it in that regard.

I wonder how the newer generation of Honda's Navi system would have performed- It's definitely faster (Honda says 3 to 4 times faster), but I wonder if it's "smarter" about it's route calculations???

Tom2

Yeah, in 2001, it was probably the best system available. And it's still better than the Mercedes system, even today. No doubt about that.....

But it looks like Lexus and Jaguar have surpassed it.

mr. big

my BMW navi sucks...the database is not like ours...its very limited, and hard to use....as far as accuracy, the CL is more precise, but i love the voice on the bimmer.

Speed_Racer

It's definitely faster at recalcs. Not sure what "smarter" means in it's route calculations, but when you specify a destination it will show you the various ways on screen in different colors (Direct, Easy, Minimize freeways, etc. ) I have the luxury of comparing the old to the new since I still have the old version in my CL. I have noticed that the new version seems to take routes I would take when testing to destinations I'm already familiar with as opposed to the old version sometimes taking out of the way routes.

soopa

totally fair and on point

the new Lexus navi is the best.

Acura is next..

Then Infiniti..

Then the rest.


However. I haven't had much experience with the NEW H/A navi and this magazine didn't test the new one either.

I'd imagine it has yet again surpassed the Lexus system.


Oh, also, all Acura's typically get the same or basically the same navi.

Lexus's don't. The Navi in the IS300 sucks. The one in the ES doesn't have many features.

The one in the GS/SC/LS/etc... OWN.


Regardless... as of date printed I'd have to agree with this article. They should have tested the new Honda navi tho.

Oh well... maybe theyll update it when Acura gets the new navi shortly?

soopa

and yes Tom your right. Recalculation is wacky...

As to be expected from the FIRST DVD based system.

Hopefully now theyve worked the bugs out.

zeroday

My buddy's 99 tl has the touch screen navi and it's always covered in fingerprints...looked pretty bad...do the newer CL's have this problem? I didnt have Navi on mine.

CO-CL-S

I'll stick with my StreetPilot III. Hook it upto a laptop and you're in..

Beelzebub

Yea I have my laptop with it's 15.4 inch screen and the pcmcia gps and map software and it reconfigures in seconds when I take a wrong turn and I can pick the voice.

ThoroDredCLS

Not true. Mine is... I35 and QX4 are touch screen.

Scooter

Chod and i got lost in my own town with his navi

soopa

Not unless your REALLLY greasy


The 99TL had a different screen... it was scratched ridiculously easy and extremely hard to clean.

The 2000+ cars don't suffer from those problems.

1SICKLEX

Lexus has had touch screen NAV since 1998. The NAV was seriously updated in 2001 in all models. In every comparison I've read, their NAV is the best since it's introduction. The new RX 330 now incorporates the rearview reverse screen ala the Q45.

The TL is not that hard to use, IMO, but the screen is too small to me. BMW and BEnz systems are a maze to figure out.

When I test drove the Q45, the saleslady could not figure out how to work the NAV.

Davediego

really?? thats not fair i use a microfiber cloth every now and then to get mine clean

mrdeeno

the mdx beat the rx330 to it.

Tom2

I had always thought that the Navi systems were the same (or nearly the same) between different models of the same manufacturer.

I know that the MDX had a "bread crumb" feature on the older generation navi (CL and TL did not have "bread crumb"), but other than that, I'm pretty sure the systems were identicle.

I'm also pretty sure that the new generation H/A navi will be the same in the Accord/MDX/next TL etc...

It's surprising that Lexus and Infiniti have different navis for different models.

Tom2

Oh, and for the sake of comparison, the cars that were used in the navi test were:

Acura TL
Infiniti G35
BMW X5
Jaguar X-Type
Mercedes Benz CL55
Lexus GS430

peiqinglong

Yea I agree with what some people are saying about the navi recalulation...isn't the Acura navi, Alpine's no? My friend has the Alpine navi and damn...that shit recalulates quick like a mofo! Definitely nothing like the Acura navi.

soopa

Tom.

Lexus is most guilty of not supplying the same Nav to all its models.

I was once told by a salesmen that they use it as incentive to buy the next car up


For instance, the LS/SC have DVD movie playback built in... the others dont. Or at least didnt. Havent check on Lexus models in awhile... :whocares:



Regardless... Lexus WAS on top. From everything I've seen the new Honda nav is once again the leader of the pack.

Well have to see how it works its way into Acuras.


peiging: the Alpine software is updated alot more frequently then the Acura stuff. Alpine HAS to stay competitive in the nav market. Where as Acura only needs to have a NAV... being the best or not being the best ultimately has little effect on the sale of the car.