Randall_TL

I bought my TL in February without navi because I didn't think it was worth the $2,000. But after playing with it in someone else's TL, I realize I made a mistake. How much will it cost to add it on now, or is it too late?
P.S. Body moldings are the $#!+

madaley

:lol1: sucks to be you

04tlnbppar

I believe it's impossible and will be costy (if possible) to add factory Navi according to earlier threads. Trade in your None-Navi and get a Navi. Otherwise, enjoy your TL. Or, wait for the 4th gen TL 4 years later and get it with Navi (may be it will be a standard equipment at that time ). Don't look back, but look forward

Randall_TL

That's very disappointing news

04TLBLack

aftermarket that is it buddy sorry

SpecialFX

Sorry to hear that. I originally had a deposit on a non-nav car myself. The dealer had both nav and non-nav in the color combo I wanted on the the lot. I didn't want to pay $2400 for a $2000 option, so we passed. When I got home and read more posts on the nav system functionality I felt like I had made a mistake. Called back the next day and changed my order. Unfortuanately, they banged me for a $100 more than the price we had agreed to when I was there.
:banghead: :bigun2:

So it ended up costing me $2500 more. Still, at $33,300 it was less than I had gotten at other dealerships and it was in stock, no waiting

I pick it up this afternoon.

roadman

Do not feel bad, you would never have got it for $2,000, so consider yourself NOT-price gouged. People are happy to pay a 20% bounty for NAVI, enjoy the 270hp

Stewie

What was it about the navi that made you feel like you missed out?

soljc

Same story here. Bought in late Feb. and found that the NAV would have cost me an additional $2500, so said forget it and got no-nav. Now, I kinda wish I paid the extra cash. Not one of life's bigger issues though, the car is still fantastic without nav.

daven8844x

Navi is a waste in the TL except for about 3 reasons:

1. You just moved to a new city
2. You are a consultant or a salesperson who goes to multiple client sites
3. You want something to show off to your friends.


If you are not 1 or 2 and are secure enough to get past 3, why get it? So it can tell you how to get to work or your favorite bar? It totally ruins the TL driving experience. That annoying voice interrupting your stereo every 2 minutes to tell you to turn. I am so glad I didn't get it.

VTEC=happiness

I used to think like you, but once you get into an Acura (in my case it was a TSX) and play with it for a while, it is a really cool gadget. Also, it is not only for directions. It improves the look of the interior and improves the look of that little display that the non-nav cars use to show the time. Beyond that, it allows you to use voice commands to activate most of the various functions within the car- from radio to a/c. Lastly, it will improve the resale value of the car. Even though I am leasing, I never keep a car until the end of the term, so if I had picked up a nav car, my car would retain its value a little more when I need to sell it or trade it up for something new. I'm in the same boat with the guy that started the thread, sucks I didn't get it, but my car is still great

Jss1

Navi is worth it for:

1. Voice controlled everything, no fumbling with buttons and switches.
2. Hands free cellphone a great safety issue and super database.
3. Travelling anywhere and finding locations, gas stations, atm's, local sights, restaurants, parking lots, hotels, bypassing detours, etc.

Worth evey cent.

bradjs

regarding #2... the hands free cellphone feature is included in the non-navi

Jss1

Thats' good as it should be standard. I wondered why there were two completely different voice systems.

Stewie

I agree its cool but not $2200 worth of cool (at least to me its not).

I don't like the way it controls everything in the car. So if you have a computer glitch your radio, heat, AC, fan & God knows what else doesn't work anymore either. Yikes.

Yes it improves the look of the car a lot but not worth $2200.

It actually hurts resale value. The residual for the navi models is 2% less than non-navi models.

jonro

There are 3 kinds of TL owners:

People who bought the navi and are glad they did
People who did not buy the navi and are glad they did not
People who did not buy the navi and wish they did

I have never seen a post from someone who bought the navi and regretted it. This has nearly become a political issue. I, personally, love it. Even when I know where I'm going (most of the time), I find it useful. For example, I like to see advance notice of a big bend in the highway. Not earthshaking, but I like it. For Randall, I empathize with your predicament. At least there are some excellent aftermarket navi systems that you can install in your TL. It may not be integrated as well as the built-in navi, but at least you can take it with you when you change cars. Check out some of those systems. I believe they all cost less than $2,000, some considerably less.

daven8844x

Exactly, it's a cool gadget to play with. I admit I do like the display by the clock, but the screen isn't all that. Also, can you honestly say that when you are alone in the car that you tell the Navi system to switch to XM, or turn up your climate control temp? You have to wait for the system to recognize your voice command is over, process it, and then take appropriate action when you could have hit one other button yourself. I must say however, that it is good to have the voice commands for the radio and stuff with the Navi because the Navi display makes these things very hard to use. However, without Navi, the radio and climate control systems couldn't be easier. I don't "fumble" around the buttons, especially if I use the steering wheel controls. Although I wish there was a way to change discs with the steering wheel controls.

All this being said, to each his own. I respect y'alls opinions. Navi is not for me and I am trying to show the person who didn't get the Navi why they should or should not regret it.

daven8844x

I made my argument against #1 earlier. #2 is available in all TLs (otherwise I would've gotten Navi, definitely. This is the collest feature). #3, to each his own again. I enjoy the old fashioned way of travelling, gas stations are easily marked (at least on highways), ATMs are everywhere, bypassing detours, is this really available? How can the DVD that's released once a year be totally up to date on this? I will admit, parking lots are useful if you are in a downtown area you are not familiar with, but again it all comes back to how much you travel. If a lot, Navi is definitely worth. If not a lot, I wouldn't necessarily regret it.

daven8844x

I would say there are 3 types of owners as well:

People who buy for luxury and comfort and cool gadgets
People who buy for a great driving experience
People who buy for all these reasons

I guess it depends on what group you fall into and how deeply you fall in those groups. I think we all are #3, but I am, for example, way more #2 than #1 (which is why I have the 6-spd). What I have is more than enough to satisfy my driving experience and after test-driving the Navi for an hour, I was sick of it by the time I took it back to the dealer. I went into the dealership ready to buy with Navi. I ditched it and never looked back.

mr_superlove

If you were extremely savvy could you not buy the parts here and install it? Or have someone else do it.

Here it's more than twice as expensive as just buying it with the car.

http://www.acuraautomotiveparts.org/

boltjames

The primary reason to pay for the navi is the butt-ugly gaping wound it leaves in the middle of the dash without it.

Do a Google search for "JFK Autopsy Photos" to see what it looks like without the factory nav installed.

SilverJ

Dont feel bad man. The TL Navi is way cool and I would have gotten it if there was a 6speed manual available with one that wasnt selling for close to msrp...(turnersville had none for months and they offered me 1500 less on my trade in )---so would it have been worth 4-4500 for me? NO...
If you want a nav unit there are a number of aftermarket options that are VERY good and in some cases better than the TL navi. They also mount quite nicely right in front of the clock. Check out
www.tomtom.com for the go unit or www.magellangps.com for the roadmate

the tomtom unit will be able to sense traffic jams ahead and reroute you! how bout that for a cool gadget!! All of this for under 1000 dollars...
The map layout on the tomtom is much cooler than the acura navi as well...3d is very cool..
also these are coming out as well..
http://www.dottocomu.com/b/archives/001252.html

http://www.mobilemag.com/content/100/104/C2364/
so bottom line is dont feel bad..there are very cool options out and coming out that are very good alternatives and also give you the advantage of moving from one car to another...
Not to mention you have the best car money can buy for under 35,000 !

Dutchml

I had a Garmin Street Pilot III for my old car. It, too, is a wonderful little gadget. Got it on E-Bay for about 700 bucks. If you really want Nav, go ahead and get one of these. It sits on a "bean bag" mount on top of your dashboard and does everything the standard Acura Nav does, but the screen is smaller.

the_wonder_boy

hahah ic even though i have 03 TL i couldnt live without my NAvi it help me to get places because iam in to real estate and like for now on every single car we buy will have the navi
heheh

OmegaTL

Randall, don't feel bad at all. Afteramarket is your friend. Sure you might give up on or two integrated features, but some very cool stuff is out and with time the aftermarket will only get better. Just look around at the options and take your time.

I personally think that the non-Navi TL dash looks pretty good. I prefer it with the Navi, so I ordered that. HOWEVER, I wouldn't have gotten the Navi at any price. The price difference out here in the middle of nowhere was only $2,000. Also, for the non-navi version with 6MT and the color I wanted would have taken twice as long for my to get for the price that I wanted to pay.

No worries, just take the TL out for a weekend blast through some familiar back roads. 270 HP, LSD, decent suspension; that's more important then Navi. And at that speed you shouldn't be looking at the Navi screen anyhow .

caball88

the navi is a great addition to the car. it's just for people who do not know their way around or who commute to new locations alot. it provides locations of places you did not know existed(i.e gas stations, atm's restaraunts). it gives you the ability to re-route yourself if their is traffic on your normal route. i don't know how many of you know all the shortcuts, but i have discovered quite a few lately. the comfort of knowing you won't ever be circling around looking for an address. and from what i have witnessed on this board people are happy with it. i have not seen a post where someone says they wasted their money on the navi. but i have seen posts like this where someone regrets not getting one.

jdriver

Personally, I think it detracts from the interior. In fact, that was the main reason I didn't choose the navi. If it had a pop-up display that concealed itself when not in use I probably would have gotten it.

When off it's this big black (and ugly, IMHO) square, when on it dominates the interior.

It sure is nice to have a choice.

jdriver

Great safety issue? It's down-right suicidal to talk on a regular cell phone when driving, so they give you an option to make it marginally safer (not _safe_, just _safer_) and you call it a safety issue? If you're worried about safety you shouldn't be talking on the phone in the car at all.

Besides, the hands-free stuff works without the navi.

SilverJ

its not suicidall to talk on a cellphone while driving...not if its hands free...I applaud acura for having this feature in the car. However any 100 dollar phone with hands free dialing already has it...Unfortunatley the nations largest and best cell phone provider (Verizon) doesnt have a bluetooth phone...ghey!

Jss1

Its the same as talking to someone in the car sitting beside you so I think it is a safety issue compared with almost everyone else who uses a regular cellphone. You don't even have to look at anything but the road with the hands free. Ever see someone driving and looking at their phone and dialing? Thats suicidal imo.

Steveb

That's because it's human nature to try and rationalize a $2000 plus purchase when it's just used as a toy. Seems to me people on here are adamant about Navi because they are trying so hard to justify the cost. I'm not talking about those people who have a legitimate use for Navi.

rets

You got to tell us who your dealer is... Thanks.

rynpamn21

yeah just go aftermarket and get the 4th gen TL with navi...i have been using my garmin streetpilot 2610 for almost a year now and i love it...very accurate...works as good or even better(in some aspects) than the in-dash navi..plus it's portable. go to www.garmin.com

rets

In where I live, I think Navi is giving us the great helps besides those three categories/reasons.

In this big city, you are never able to remember everywhere and you'll be glad to see Navi provides the clues how to go.

In our neighbor big cities, Boston, Philly, Baltimore, and D.C. or tri-states areas, Navi just helps you enjoy more with less map reading, Navi could help you drive farther comfortably as well.

Maybe we're lucky, most of places around us are well-mapped by Navi.

It's hard to use the simple word to categorize who likes Navi and who doesn't.

jtruman

Excuse me?! Extremely unfair to accuse other people that they don't know what they want.

Would it be fair to generalize people like you to have "sour grape" mentality because you "wish" you had gotten the Navi?

jtruman

Agreed.

In my case, I use it more often than I originally thought. Never again to bother with verbal direction from friends or print out the map on mapquest. Just give me an address!

Another creative way to think about this, time equals money.

Say if you spend 10 minutes everytime you have to look up a map to restaurant / friend's house / weekend getaway, and you do this every 2 weeks, that means 26 times a year = 260 minutes a year.

Say you get lost once in a while (as much as we hate to admit it, but honestly, at least 2 or 3 times a year?) and each time you get lost, you spend an extra 20 minutes. So, let's say 60 minutes a year.

Total = 320 minutes or 5.3 hours. I think this is a conservative estimate for me (or most of the TL owners with Navi, I think?) That's 5 hours I could be spending doing something else.

Assume average TL buyer is in their 30's or 40's with annual income of 80,000, that breaks down to about $40 / hour. So, given you can save 5 hours a year using your navi, that's ~$215/year, or over a 5 year period $1075.




$$ associated with time spent typing this up on my lunch break... humm...

jtruman

ha ha, just a fun exercise.

Of course if you are a cashier at micky-D, that equation would change significantly. Then again, minimum wage probably does not equal TL driver.

I better stop before "Steveb" accuse me of just trying to rationalize my poor judgement.

SlntSam

It was a choice between a manual tranny or Navi for me cuz there's no dynamic+navi option in Canada.

I went for 6spd.

Let It Ride

Correct me if I am wrong.....

I am debating this very issue for my final decision on the TL.
Here in the Bay Area, the TL w/ Nav. is going pretty much at sticker.
Ok thats around 35k+.

The non-nav. has some bargaining power and could go from anywheres of 30K+ to 31K+, if your good.

Now comes my question:
Isnt the Navigation REALLY costing 4-5k more than the 2k that it states as an option?

Trying to justify getting a Navi.........

Thanks, future TL owner!

zeezz

when i want to change CDs, i like to say "cd play disc X" instead of looking down for the CD buttons and then pressing them. i think that is the feature that i use the most for the voice recognition. however, in relation to your statement, i was under the impression that most of the controls for AC and radio and the such were in the same places for both navi and non?

please correct me if i'm wrong