has anyone bought or know of a good deal on the latest maps?? My local dealer(in El Paso,Tx) is offering them @$185 thru Acura in Orem,Ut.

 

Where the DVD drive for the Navi? I thought it was HD based so if anything it would have to be updated via USB?

 

Does that update include a firmware upgrade for the car functions as well?

 

It's in your trunk.

 

Nevermind what I said. I was thinking about the 09 TSX.

 

Any fee to update any portion of the Nav system should be considered robbery! As long as other GPS devices update their maps daily and for free, they could take a flying leap!

 

 

If they are the same type of updates available for the 3G TL, expect to pay about $185. The prices and availability are here on the Acura Navi website.

Typically they mostly include POI updates and some road updates for the un-verified areas. I bought one update for the '06 TL as the original didn't have the streets in my neighborhood.

 

The portable Garmins all charge money for map upgrades. Tom Tom does it for free.

With prices of the portables dropping it almost cheaper to just get a new unit with new maps!

 

I think this is because Tom Tom owns Tele Atlas, so they can control the price of maps. Unfortunately there's basically an electronic mapping monopoly going on.

 

I think to update you put the DVD update into your disk drive, it reads it and updates it on the HDD.

My question is this - can you share copies, or buy one original and update with a burned copy?

 

I don't think you can do that. If I remember correctly, with the portable Garmins, when you activate a new map, it registers the map's "serial number" so that if you take that CD and try it on another unit, it knows that someone has already used it. I don't know the exact specifics.

I suspect the car GPS does the same thing.

 

I have a 2006 TL Nav and only bought the update last year so went 3 years before updating. Even then the updates weren't all that obvious I live in a fast growing area and there were some new local streets that had been added. I travel throughout the U.S. from Ohio to Florida at least once a year and even the old DVD was quite accurate. I would not spend the money to update each year. Give it 2 or 3 years before doing an update if money is the issue. BTW the last update fixed the change of DST for my model.

 

I agree with Don1. do it every 2 or 3 years. most updates will not be really important to everyone.

 

Not to mention what's the point in updating if they never updated in YOUR metropoltian area.....

 

I'm not sure who supplies the maps as I don't have a Tech but if it's Navteq, who supplies to Garmin, you can go to their site to see if they have added new roads or modified any existing ones. It's a little tricky to equate their up to date online version with what will be in the DVD you buy but it can be done. That's what the Garmin users do.

 

Yes it's Navteq that provides the maps.

 

seriously.......
Honda should think about providing the map update for free..... as i know Mercedes provides update for free......and they said they wanna be the 1st-tier manufacturer....

 

Were is the HD system stored? Was wondering were to get to the feed that is going to the display without having to rip it all apart.

Thanks,
Jason

 

Yeah but it's actually not free it's just built into the vehicle price. If you want to get an overpriced Mercedes then sure it's "free" for you.

 

Correct. Navteq wants their money, no matter where it comes from.

 

has anyone tried burning a copy of the DVD from Acura??

 

The HD system is in the trunk!

 

The hard drive is in the center console, you can even hear it spinning up and down in there if you listen closely.