We were driving one yesterday and playing around with the nav and also looking in a non-nav whilst trying to decide whether to order nav or no-nav. Some Qs:

1) What's the Disp Mode button on the radio do? We didn't have any CDs/DVD-As (DADs seems a whole lot easier to say) but in the no-nav vehicle we couldn't see this button do anything.

2) Can the nav unit be set to annunciate upcoming waypoints? (e.g., nav-george or nav-jane saying "left turn one quarter mile".) Having to watch the screen to have any chance of catching the guidance seems like a pain and a safety issue.

3) Once the nav display is set to off, does it stay off the next time you start the car?

4) When you do something that turns the screen back on (I hit the "audio" button on the nav controls) does it ever decide you are done and go back to sleep? What else turns the display back on?

5) Seems obvious, but I was wondering, does the nav use GPS time fixes to set the clock and all you have to do is tell the nav time zone? (I recall seeing time zone on the setup menus.) Since it knows where you are, why do you even have to tell it time zone?

We ordered an Anthracite/Quartz AT Nav for TBD delivery (hopefully January, but no confirmed build). We saw VINs in the 13,000s on the lot. Ultimately we ordered the nav as much as anything because of the great gaping "you should have ordered the nav" they leave behind in the non-nav. We shopped Accord EX V6 and TSX (among others) and would likely not have ordered the nav in either of those just because they do a much better job of filling up that great gaping space and not making it look nearly so obvious that something else is supposed to go there.

 

While I do not have direct experience with the third generation unit found on the current TLs, here is the answer for the first gens.

Yes, the GPS announces upcoming turns. On expressways, "Tina" gives you 2 mile, 1 mile, and imminent turn warnings. On secondary streets, she begins at one mile. You can always press the voice button to get a current position.

The time is manually set. It is, however, highly accurate and only needs changing for DST. Why? My guess is that was beyond design scope of software.

rw

 

LGG is incorrect on #5. The NAVI cars can auto set the time based on satellite. It automatically adjusts when you drive across time zones, too.

#3 - my experience is that the NAVI will always do its normal start up with the car turning on. If you do not accept the OK, then it turns off.

#4 - yes, once you select audio or map, the display turns on and will then stay on until you turn off the car.

 

I have it set to km. At 800 km it tells you the next turn (or just say voice for an update), at 400 km the screen splits and an arrow with the street appears with a countdown bar on the left from 300 meters to zero. It aslo says slight right, right at the fork, etc etc.

The clock sets itself automatically for navi models and has auto time zone and I believe auto daylight savings. Lots more too.

 

Also if you are in the middle of a route and you shut the car off, it picks up where it left off when you start it again. I have used the detour function many times and the avoid specific streets more times than I ever thought I would. It works flawlessly.

 

I too tried the detour function -- if by detour you mean purposely avoiding the turn it told you to make -- during my test drive. I drove around the area by the dealership for a good 10 minutes ignoring each and every turn it told me to make but it was still able to readjust and tell me how to get to the dealership.

 

1) What's the Disp Mode button on the radio do? We didn't have any CDs/DVD-As (DADs seems a whole lot easier to say) but in the no-nav vehicle we couldn't see this button do anything.



This is for use with XM radio. It enables one to to toggle from channel name, channel number, category, artist name and music title. On navigation models it's the "Mode" icon.

 

Actually if you are in the middle of a route and you hit menu it brings up a secondary menu where you can hit a detour button where it calculates a completely different route. you can also avoid toll roads, pick a street in the route to avoid, minimize turns, and highways. I haven't had to change my routes much as the system knows most of my shortcuts and usually takes me through the side streets if it is faster. Love it.