I'm looking to buy a new TL and one of the biggest price factors are whether it has a Navi or not. How good is it? And is it worth the extra money to buy one with a Navi?

 

It's good. It's not as good as the later navis (07 and up) due to the speed and other improvements made in later years. But overall the TL's navi is one of the best factory navs I've seen in any car.

That said, if you don't particularly care about having a nav screen built in (and the associated niceties that come with it), Garmin makes very good window-mounted navs that can be replaced with new technology for about the price of updating the nav DVD.

 

i personally think that the navi in my 07 tl-s is awesome. nice big screen, touch control integration for the radio and heat controls, its nice. only problem is that you need to buy the update discs from acura if you want the latest and greatest maps and such. thats where the smaller third-party navi units accel, most of them are updated right through thier satellite link. so it's six of one, half a dozen of the other. the acura navi is pretty, integrated, and accurate, but you have to buy the update discs if you want the latest maps and such. the smaller handheld units are cheaper, don't need updates and are just as accurate but are ugly little boxes that you need to suction cup to your window and run power cords to and from.

 

the nav in tl's are awesome....no complaints here....i just need to get an updated disc.....

 

Having the Navi gives you other options. I bought my 06 over several; others I looked at because I wanted the Navi. The system itself is pretty good, as long as you have a fairly recent disk (v3.50+). The biggest PITA is the OK button, but that can be hacked on the Orange disks.
You can purchase the NavTool (or similar) to add functionality to the unit---backup camera, DVD player, etc. Check out the Audio/Electronics section to see what others have done.

 

What? I don't think the climate control can be operated via the touchscreen?

 

^hacked versions can.

 

Even on an '05? LOL must look into this.

 

Umm...have you guys used other navs? I have an 07 TL-S and the nav is terrible. Once you actually get the destination in there it is ok I guess, but trying to find something is one of the most non-intuitive functions I have ever seen on a nav system.

I usually use google on my phone to find what I want then just plug the address into the car.

That being said, if you want nav it is a lot easier to buy it in the car already rather than install an aftermarket nav unit.

Or, if you don't mind it being stuck to the windshield or dash a simple Garmin Nuvi will be cheaper and blow the doors off the factory nav system.

 

Yes, the Acura systems are very easy to use. POI's on the 3.xx navi systems isn't the best in the world, like many here I get destinations that are 1000 miles away when the place is supposed to be within 50 miles. The 4.xx system is quite a bit better while retaining the ease of use that the 3.xx systems had. You want a complicated POI search, try using the Idrive System! You have to go though 4 different sub-menus and depending on the order you can either get a Windows CE search box or the I-drive system's own search guide which is hard to use. Either way it's pretty stupid.

 

It only works with Versions 3.30 and up.

Here is for version 3.30
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ht=hacked+navi

Here's is for Versions 3.40 and up.
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...ht=hacked+navi

 

Yup. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, Audi, GMC, Garmin, Tom Tom, Droid, Delorme (laptop), and Streets&trips.

Garmin and TomTom have better search functionality, but they tend to have slower animation, and Garmin charges you almost as much for a map update as they do for a new GPS. Droid excels in the refresh speed department, but it stumbles because it uses Google Maps which is fairly notorious for being inaccurate and sending you to the other side of town from where you want to be.

Of the navs I've used, DeLorme's is hands down the best, but you have to have a laptop with a GPS receiver, and then you have to either mount the laptop on a swing arm like the cops do, or remote mount it to an in-dash screen like I did.

And given the time, aggravation, and expense, not to mention wasting a $1,000 laptop doing nav duty in a vibrating car that will shorten its life, I'd much rather go with a factory nav. And of the factory navs, the TL's is pretty much the best I've used.

 

Yeah, iDrve and MB's is terrible. I like the Lexus/fujitsu system better than ours, except for the lock out of nav function while driving.

 

I'm not saying it isn't the best option, but it is FAR from a good nav system.

 

You really like Lexus's navi? I hate it!! My fiance has it.. it is the most un user friendly navigation I have ever used.. I have never used idrive or MB navis, but the lexus one compared to acuras is retarded.. For example, it is a pain just to get a listing of the streets you will need to turn.. it is hard to zoom in and out.. AND you have to stop moving to enter info in! The last one is the most annoying part of the whole Lexus navi. I installed a switch in my fiances 2009 is250 to try and get around the navi in motion lockout, but once the car realizes through satelite that it is moving, it will lock you out anyways.. gives only about a minute with the switch to enter in info.. Acura Navi > Lexus Navi IMO.. If I ever get a Lexus/Toyota, I will be installing an aftermarket Navi Headunit with bluetooth.

 

I might just be used to it because we used to sell he Eclipse units and they are the same. Like I said though, the lockout while moving sucks.