ERicincal

I have loved the new 04 TL since it was released, and I am now wondering if I should take the plunge. I am looking at Carsdirect.com and I am noticing that there is about a $3000 dollar diffference for the 6 speed and the 6 speed with Nav.

I love the nav system and always told myself that I wanted one in my next car, but I am having a hard time to justify the extra $3000.

Here is what I figure it can do

1. standard Nav features (directions, stores, etc)
2. voice recognition.
3. ability to see diganostic things?

anything else? does anyone regret not getting the Nav system? or did anyone with the Nav system wish they saved the money and thinks that the Nav system, while it sounded good at the time, really isnt worth the extra 3K?


thanks!

JoganJani

I think it's extra $2000 and not $3000 and it's worth the every peny.

ERicincal

Well.. the option itself is only $2000 bucks.. but the non Navi can be had for about 1500 less than MSRP.. so it works out to be over $3000 difference.. thats about $50 dollars more a month..

denmoses

absolutely. (Granted i dont have a 04, but have regretted not getting it on the 00TL probably 2-3 weeks after getting the car.

moreace

All how u negotiate
I got nav for 1900 msrp, which beats your 1500 off non nav
wouldn't have it any other way

jackabyte

See if this thread helps you make up your mind...

http://www.acura-tl.com/forums/showt...threadid=67873

digital_b

if you are considering seriously the non nav then you shouldnt even be asking because of the price. the nav and voice control and the look of the dash are worth every penny over the ridiculous dash look of the non nav. and using the nav is excellent and well done. if you dont ever need to use a nav then the answer is simple. I will not even consider a car without nav.

JoganJani

Well! In that case if you wait awhile, Navs will also be discounted. If you browse through the forum you'll find people have bought Nav $1500-$2000 below MSRP.

caball88

get the Nav, its worth every penny. with all the extra features it gives you its not just a navigation system. especially if you are getting the 6MT, i only have 2 hands and its very helpful to be able to change radio settings and climate settings with voice command.

04tlnbppar

I drop Navi, and no regret.
1. I got this great car right away, no wait time.
2. Being my family vehicle, distraction is my major concern. I know TL Navi works great, but no matter how easy to use with the Navi, you would still have to interact with the system.
3. The chances I will use Navi are rare because my TL is used for daily commute and carrying my children, not for travel. Thus, chances to be in unknown or unfamiliar area are rare.

Without those concerns, I will definitely choose Navi. But no matter which way you would go, w or w/o Navi, I guarantee you will be a happy TL owner.

coop1018

04TL I am with you, no regret at all not getting navi. I have the 6 speed with the 18's and love it. I had no wait time, just jumped in and I am lovin it. The nav would have just got me involved in an accident from loooking at the screen.

dcarlinf1

Nope. Nav is only worth about 1k to me. That's why I didn't get it. I'd prefer having the nav but not at that price. You can get an aftermarket nav for a lot less than 3k.

moreace

3k is a BS number

u others who would get in an accident please don't even bring a cell phone in the car. Don't even change the HVAC setting because you must be incompetant behind the wheel. Set it beofre you leave and the voice tells you where to turn. Don't look at it, put it on the radio screen. You people who use that as an excuse have issues. Those who say price (not 3k difference), and that it would not hold use to the because they know the areas where they drive; that is valid. Varies from person to person.

Lore

I don't know if the features and functionality of the navigation unit itself is worth its premium (2k or 3k depending on how you see the situation) but I do think that over 4 or 5 years of car ownership, the navigation unit will prove useful.

I live really close to SF but I don't know the city at all. I always just use the navigation to get me around -- saves me SO MUCH TIME and I don't ever have to worry about following a sheet of paper from Yahoo or Mapquest (which, more often than not, is incorrect in some way or another).

Of course, for the oft-traveled routes, I never use the Navi. But it's nice to see what streets are around that area and the "wow" factor is always there (for your guests).

I also like its integration with the rest of the interior trim. Looks really nice. Again, I can't really put a firm number on it, but if I had to make the decision again I'd probably still buy it.

caball88

i did not pay an additional 3K for the Nav, it was just about 2K more for the nav version compared to the non-nav. the aftermarket nav's do not offer the extended features that the stock one gives you. If you are getting an aftermarket dvd nav it will cost more than 1k. the alpine dvd based navigation is 1600 bucks with no lcd screen. if you add the price of a screen its gonna be about 2k. even if you get a good deal for the unit and pay for the system and screen for 1500. you will still have to either install it yourself or pay. plus the alpine dvd nav has 2 dvd's, one for east coast and the other for west. it does not cover the continental US coas to coast. the acura one is dual later dvd so it only needs one disc. i mean think about it if you plan on paying 2K for an aftermarket one, why not just get the factory one????? plus its an 8inch lcd vs 6.5-7 aftermarket, plus everything is covered under acura warranty. the aftermarket has a 1 year warranty. i don't understand why anyone would even consider going an alternate route.

rynpamn21

i got the garmin streetpilot 2610...works really good, w/ voice navigation, touch screen, points of interest etc. basically same as an in-dash nav minus other bling-bling. got it for 950 bucks w/ the 4 year protection plan from best buy. i would've gotten the nav except i already had the gps for more than a month before i got my TL.another cool thing about the garmin is i can take it anywhere i go. if i want to use my truck, i just take it a long with me. it just plugs into the cig lighter and its ready to go. it even has this nice non-slip base that can basically go on any dash. i've used it more than once in my friends cars when we go out of town or to places that we really don't know during the weekends. anyway, back to the topic. it's true that the nav in the TL is really nice, but there are a lot of factors to consider before actually getting it with the car i.e. price, waiting time(hard to find some combos w/ nav esp the 6MT), the 'need' for it etc.....





my .02

soljc

I found the price difference to be around $2500, and supply of Nav units was tight (would have had to wait), so I went with a non-nav. If $$ was no object and I could afford to wait, I'd have certainly got a Nav.

caball88

how much data can that garmin thing hold?? it says it uses compact flash memory.

rynpamn21

i have los angeles, san francisco, san diego and nevada ...yep it uses a 128mb cf card.




oh yeah..it also comes with a remote so my screen stays clean

TLGator

I got $800 off MSRP on a Navi, and could have gotten $1200 off on a non-Navi (in this part of the country those are still good deals unfortunately).

So the Navi cost me $2400. Is it worth it?

No one can answer that question for you. Each person's way of valuing stuff like that is unique.

Is a dinner for two worth $50? $75? $100? $200? Depends on the restaurant, the meal, the company, the occasion, the ambience, etc. But no matter what, the food itself is surely not worth that much.

So it's a question of what counts to you.

Since I leased, the $2400 wasn't really $2400. I'm only paying for a (large) portion of that cost. It worked out to about $50/month on the payment, or a little less than $2/day.

Foe me that is at the upper limit of what I would spend on the Navi. For someone else it's way too much. And other people have made it clear they'd have paid lots more.

So you can't really ask others about the worth of such a thing. Look, you're buying a luxury car in the first place. Right there you're not really making an economically sound decision. The TL is like the $200 dinner; everyone knows it's a lot of money, but sometimes you just gotta go for it.

gannet

Not for me.

dunno465

I didn't get the nav and i dont regret it at all. No wait.. i DID get the nav. Woohoo!

That cute little streetpilot looks about as integrated as the aftermarket compass my grandpa use to have in all of his buicks!

caball88

TLGator:
Good point about the cost of the Nav. If you are looking to buy a TL you know you are not in nickel and dime car market. but hey like you said to some people its worth it. In this case i actually think the extra 2K is a bargain because i installed an aftermarket setup in my last car and it was well over 2K without all these nice added features.

johnb34

Why did I get the Nav?

Well, besides the HFL, the really cool map system (the best on the market), etc., as others note, the dash without the nav is God awful ugly.

Now, is it worth it? Uugh, I hate this question:

Is a TL worth the price difference from an Accord? Who the hell knows. To a TL owner, yes, to an Accord owner, no.

Is a TL worth the price difference from a TSX? Who the hell knows. To a TL owner, yes, to a TSX owner, no.

Is a 5 series worth....to a BMW person, yes, to a TL...no.

Is it worth is such an individual question.

To those with...yes.

To those w/o...no.

Who is right? Me...I mean, both.

Heh.

rynpamn21

LOL..i didn't know those compasses your grandpa had in his buicks were 950 bucks...and that they had touch screen, a Remote, voice navigation, that they can help you look for different POINTS OF INTERESTS like restaurants and classify them by cuisine, that they could keep track of your miles even the time your car is moving and when its stopped, that they can give you your estimated time of arrival, distance to your next turn, distance to the place where your going, switch to night mode when the sun is down, change the voice to british english, to american english to spanish, to italian to..... tell you what street is coming up next, keep an address book...hmmm whatg else....thats all i can think of right now...but if they are able to do all of these things...damn PLEASE tell me where i can get one....i would absolutely LOVE to have them.....

rynpamn21

good point cabball....

daven8844x

I don't have Navi and I don't regret not getting it. While $2000 may or may not be worth it, I was in the same boat as you. I wanted a 6spd and I wanted to deal with a car on the lot to get the best possible price so it would've been a lot more. I just love the driving experience (which is why I love the 6spd) and I've driven a Navi and quite honestly, I thought it was a pain. How many times would I use it? Living in St. Louis all my life, probably never. I could see it being useful if I was out of town, but discovering things on my own is all part of the fun, I think. I really had my heart set on getting it before I drove the car because being a software engineer and somewhat inventive myself I love gadgets, but I soon noticed that the distraction takes too much away from the driving experience. Also it makes the radio a bitch to use. I find I already have enough good features and distractions without it (I love XM!!), getting it may get me into an accident. If I had to do it again, I still wouldn't get it. It's cool to show off, but would get on my nerves otherwise. What am I going to do, have it tell me how to get to work everyday? That is 80% of my driving.

I guess it depends on what kind of person you are. If you're a perfectionist who leaves for appointments with plenty of time to spare, who drives the speed limit taking the route that's the least amount of miles you would probably like it. If you're more into driving for pleasure and taking long cuts because the road is windier (scenic routes) and enjoy the feel of the road beneath you, then you won't miss it.

caball88

Change the voice to a british accent???? How???? Please do tell.

gstais

Ericincal,

I have an '04 TL without the Navi, and I don't regret it one bit. From a practical standpoint, I simply cannot justify the additional cost for the Navi, given that I rarely have a need for the GPS function. I had the Navi in my '01 TL, and although it was really cool for the first few months, after a while, the novelty wore off, and I was $2000 out of pocket. I can honestly say that I probably only used it only 2 or 3 times in a year. The rest of the time I was treated to those pretty street maps (the same ones over and over as I commuted to and from work)!

Don't get me wrong, I agree with others in this thread, that the Navi is an awesome addition to the vehicle, and provides a lot of additional functionality (besides the GPS), but it simply gets down to whether or not from a practical standpoint, the Navi will meet your needs and wants. If so, then the additional $2K is worth it.

In terms of resale, I am not buying the argument that '04 TL's with the Navi will fetch a significant increment in the used car market over the non-Navi version. If you consider how quickly this technology is advancing, I would estimate that in 3-5 years, this may well be the 21st century version of an 8-Track Tape player.

Lastly, to those who have stated that the non-Navi dash is ugly, you should take another look. It is very functional, easy to read and use, and is the best looking configuration of any vehicle on the market today. In fact I think it complements the interior very well. Also, if you tale a closer look, you will see that the TL's dash was not designed around the Navi, like the previous generation TL.

Bottom line - it is a personal decision. Don't let anyone persuade you to spend an extra $2K just so you can say you have a TL with the Navi. It's your decision, and your money!

Good luck,

rynpamn21

there is an option in the garmin streetpilot 2610 that allows you to change the sound of the womans voice. i personally like the british english. there is slight twang in the womans voice...for example instead of pronouncing route as "root" it says it as "rawt"...like what i said, it has the same features as the in dash navi, minus the extra bling like calendar, playing the radio thru the screen, voice commands etc...but it gets the job done...i don't think that those old compasses in buicks can do that

dunno465

no but they look just as cool mounted up on the dash!