The Nav System is absolutely worth it. It's one of those things you can't imagine not having once you live with it.

I couldn't imagine trying to tack a 3rd party nav system onto the dash; there's a picture of one in the electronics subforum that looks absolutely horrendous. Compare this to the integrated factory system and it seems pretty clear to me.

Portable systems (of any sort) are OK, but not as good as having it always available, right up front. It may seem that the Nav System is something you may only need occassionally or for unusual circumstances, but once you have it you'll find it useful more than you think. And if you ever leave your home territory (which you'll probably want to do with your RX-8), it's fantastic.

SGC

 

From the info here and in the audio/electronics forum, I decided that I'll get an aftermarket nav.

I'm going to get the new iPaq 1945 ($299), an air vent holder for the PDA and one of the BlueTooth GPS packages -possibly, the one from Navman ($399). If I go with this setup, I can also take the GPS out with me when I'm on vacation or cycling b/c the bluetooth navs are extremely portable (the Navman even comes with an arm band to hold it!)

Note: there are many others and I still need to research them all before making a final decision. Thx Speed Racer for that info about "brighthand.com"!

 

I've been using a PDA-based NAV system in my car for the past few years and it's saved my life numerous times in terms of:

* Getting to customer meetings on-time
* Re-routing when I hit a traffic jam
* Keeping the wife happy when we get lost
* Just enjoying not having to think about which route to take
* Getting back to the car when I've left it somewhere in a field 3 miles away from a Robbie Williams concert in Knebworth

That said: Having to have special brackets and wiring is really ugly and spoils the look of the car.

So for me the answer is:

1) Buy the built-in sat nav for my new RX-8 so I don't spoil the looks and get the extra features (resteraunts etc)

2) Keep the PDA for the pop concerts and finding my way back to my beloved RX-8

 

The Nav is like Xenon lights. Once you've had it you never, ever go back. This is my first Nav and 3rd Xenon. The Nav is easliy the coolest feature of the car and always draws the biggest ooohs and ahhhs. I've lived in Austin most all of my life so, technically, i really don't need a Nav. But there have already been times when it was I it was so much more convenient to punch in an address of a location I was not familiar with. Trips to Houston, Dallas and SanAntonio will certainly be much less stressful.

Certainly if $2,000 puts a strain on your budget then it's absolutely not worth the cost. It's just a toy to most users and a convenience device for others. If you don't normally spend 2 grand on your toys then go without and save and invest wisely instead.

 

I have a $2500 laptop and mapping software, and an iPAQ with same. I considered getting a GPS device to attach to either, but can you imagine the mess it would make of the interior - power cables + invertor for the laptop with more wires for the GPS stuck under the front screen (or worse the rear screen) and then the mouse as I refuse to use the touchpad. How would I mount either laptop or iPAQ to keep them at eye-level and allow changes whilst driving without further uglifying the interior. And can you imagine leaving your laptop all hooked up and visible in a carpark when you pop into a shop to buy something? I would rather use paper maps...

I regard the NAV as a toy at the moment (200 miles so far), but a potentially very useful one. Already used it to look up phone numbers of nearby restaurants to make bookings etc. And the instant recalc is a great feature - much better than other NAV systems I have used. Certainly more fun/useful to me than a sunroof or Xenon lights. This is my 2nd vehicle with HIDs and probably my 8th with a sunroof - I would never buy a car again without those items either.

I agree with Tomster that if your budget can stretch to it then get the NAV option. If not then stick with paper maps unless you need that laptop/iPAQ for a lot of other things.

 

I picked up my son in an unfamiliar neighborhood recently and got lost in the maze of streets trying to find my way out. Call me a dummy for not being able to retrace my steps. Anyway, since my home is programmed as a "Saved Point." it took about three clicks to set a course for home. The system brought me quickly out of the tangle of deadends I was in till I got to familiar territory. Then a quick "Delete Route" so it didn't blab all the way back home. It was a terrific use of the the system.

I use it all over San Diego, including finding new routes to familiar places which has opened my eyes a bit. The more you use it the more efficient you become (if you really try) at doing all kinds of things with very little data entry. I've found libraries I didn't know were there, restaurants, etc. all things I never expected to do with a nav system. It's much more than just plotting known addresses.

 

My other car is an Acura 3.2 TL with NAV and the NAV in the the RX-8 is slower then the TL - but the screen is bigger.

When you have NAV, you will love it and when you need it - it is there. I would recommend anyone to have at least one car with NAV.

I didn't get the NAV in my RX-8 because I am spoiled by the touch screen on my TL and could not get used to using the joystick.

 

One comment about the "wires" all over the place in the interior of the car.

With the set-up I'm considering, at the most there'd be two wires. That being said, more than likely there will be NO wires b/c I'd be using the iPAQ's internal battery and a BlueTooth GPS receiver with battery (most likely attached to the rear window or somewhere near the moonroof). The only time the wires would make an appearance would be if the batteries were close to being drained or I forgot to charge them the night before.

As for the mounting, yes, it might look out of place to some, but I like the look (as long as it's just the iPAQ). Also, I will have the ability to take my GPS system with me to other vehicles if I choose so. Plus, if I go camping, hiking, etc or just out around the town, my BT GPS will go with me to help me find my way.

Finally, with the iPAQ, I can use one of its most important features - something that the built in nav will never have: I can play games on it! An added plus in my book!

 

contrary to popular belief, this car is all about the goodies...the little extras...the nav is the crowning jewel & definately worth it to have the factory installed...i love mine & it outperforms my Garmin handheld time after time. My handheld constantly says "searching for satellite, recalculating" at just the critical moment (before a turn, etc) I have yet to have a problem with the 8's nav.

norats

 

I've posted comparisons before between handheld vs installed nav systems, but they've gotten buried in the posts. Here's a quick summary:

The installed system has two antennae; handheld has one. Having 2 gives an order of magnitude improvement in positional accuracy (approx 4 meters vice 40.)

The installed system is connected to your sound system so voice commands are amplified. Handhelds aren't, and most don't even have voice commands.

Installed system has the entire US and Canada loaded at all times. Handheld, not even a single US "region." You have to load the local maps for where you'll be driving. If you're taking a longer roadtrip, better bring a laptop computer so you can load other areas. What a pain.

The installed system has a gyro and is tied to wheel sensors, so it knows car speed and instantly detects turns. Handheld can only detect motion and changes in motion by comparing reported positions from the satellite which takes considerably longer. Response to changes in car motion is far from instantaneous with a handheld.

With the gyro, the installed system can afford to lose contact with the satellite (like in tunnels, or around high-rises); it'll keep tracking position with you none the wiser. With handheld, it needs continuous contact with satellite or becomes instantly worthless.

Installed is always with you, even if you didn't expect to need it on a particular trip. Handheld, you better remember to bring it.

Not a comparative feature, but someone said the Mazda system is slow compared to Lexus. Damn, that Lexus must be fast. I get most computed routes within 5 seconds. My wife's 2000 beemer, it takes over 30 seconds. I can only imagine how slow the handheld is with it's meager processing power.

In my mind, handhelds are ideal for hikers/outdoorsmen. Then the issues of tunnels, gyro's, loading maps, forgetting to bring it, sound systems, voice commands, etc. virtually disappear. But in a car, all these deficiencies are highlighted making it a very poor choice to the installed system.

 

Your installed system may be losing contact with the satellite just as much as the Garmin, but you don't know it because it keeps tracking your position with the gyro. It is seamless and totally invisible to you. Because of the gyro's accuracy, it doesn't have to recalculate when satellite comms are restored; it still knows where you are. The Garmin has no such capability, so recalc is necessary everytime it drops the satellite signal.