Thanks for the input. Should I get the NAV? The rep could not demo it well so it didn't look good on my test drive. Compared to Acura which was nice. == Karen

 

Depends:
Do you plan on going on long trips? Do you get lost easily? Can you read a map? Do you own a map? Do you think it's worth the money? Will you use it?

For me the answer was no nav...I have several maps and never travel without plotting my route.

 

If you will be usng it, Yes...

 

I would use it if it is easy to use and doesn't require stopping to mess with it. I am in sales and run around trying to find businesses so it may help a little. Could help with road trips.

 

In that case I'd say you need a better demonstration of the system before you can descide if it's useable. Sounds like it might be a nice addition to your car though.

 

I'd say if you're contantly trying to find addresses you've never been to before or don't have good directions to, you could definitely use the nav. But I also agree with MTCD01- get a better demo, which might require a more knowledgeable salesperson, before you make the decision.

 

i looked for a car without it, why would i ever need it i thought. well i got and i love it. kinda like my cell phone- didnt want one now am addicted. saves a lot of trouble!!

james

 

2K is a lot of $$$ to spend on something you don't know if you want. Rent a car with NAV for a weekend as see if it does what you want. Will it make your life easier? Is it just the bling bling like when cars would talk to tell you 'your fuel is low - your door is ajar - headlights are on' etc. that makes you concider one? Do you have a need to have ALL the options? Keep in mind there are good NAV's out there that are stand alone units you can update online (instead of $200 a pop for the DVD) and can move from car to car for around $500. Are you addicted to gizmos that beep, flash, and talk to you?

 

I like the idea of a paper map that doesn't need power, DVD reader, LCD screen; or a GPS signal and you can take it with you without the car. Maybe an interesting toy, but $2000 is nuts.

Also there is something to be said for getting lost once in a while...

 

Well, I'll tell you this much.... I got my 8 today and it has the NAV. Sheesh I got lost, took a wrong turn instead of paying attention to the NAV screen. Drove like 3 miles before I realized, the NAV kept recalculating my route, telling me where to turn to get to my destination. Followed it and had no problems! I also plot my route beforehand for any long trips but the NAV is a nice gadget to have. Does everyone need it, no. Now I'll have peace of mind on trips, that if I get lost I can find my way.

 

it has bailed me out a lot. I bought my 8 when I had moved to a new city and didn't know my way around. Works like a charm. And simplyblue, you do know that the nav system has voice, right? It will tell you when to turn, etc. You said you weren't paying attention to the screen...so it got me wondering.

 

Buy a map! :D

 

i didnt buy one, dont really travel to unknown places. But NAV is cool. So if you travel, get it.

 

I can understand why the NAV may be helpful to some people. However, I feel there is a disturbing trend towards too much distracting stuff in cars these days. If you access it when parked then fine. However, I would imagine playing with it while driving would be dangerous, along with talking on cell phones, eating lunch, drinking coffee, etc. Driving is a complex task which should be done with total concentration and both hands on the wheel.

 

I never thought I'd use it. Like Ophitoxaemia, I looked for a car without it, but there was a perfect Sports Package blue RX-8 at a dealer - only it had the NAV system. So, I ended up with it. And guess what - I use it more than I thought I would. Even just around town to find places I've never been to before.

Tell you what - this I'm sure of. If I'd found the car I wanted without the NAV, I'm quite positive I'd never have missed it. But now that I have it, I'm happy I've got it.

 

yes on the NAV- Works well, easy to use, once you get the hang of it!

 

Curiosity: Where did they place the controls for the NAV system? Is the display easy to read/use while driving?

 

I've never been in a situation where a map wouldn't suffice, but I like playing with GPSs. Rather then spend $2k on the RX8's NAV package, I bought a Garmin GPSMAP60cs, auto mounting bracket, and MapSource CDs. The unit itself has a color screen, auto-correcting-routing, is water proof, and runs for 30 hours on 2 AAs.

The advantages of going that route are (A) it's *much* cheaper, (B) you can also use it for hiking/biking/boating, (C) you can use it in other vehicles, (D) you can download topo/marine maps to it, and (E) you can upload trip info (tracklogs, speed, etc) to your PC via the included software and USB cable.

The downside: the screen is smaller than the NAV system's and it doesn't hold street maps for the entire USA at one time (it has 56MB, which is enough to hold topo maps and metro guide maps of most of New England and parts of NY, NJ, and PA).

The GPSMAP60c costs$350 while the GPSMAP60cs costs $400 (same as 60c but has altimeter and electronic compass too). Both have only basic maps... you need to buy Garmin's MapSource CDs for detailed maps. www.garmin.com has a lot of good info as well as interactive demos of the Maps (so you can see what they look like before you buy). Check Ebay for the best prices on all that stuff (except for the mounting bracket, which was cheaper at Amazon).

 

I am loving the nav
I am really bad with directions so this helps me alot

 

I would save $2g at the dealership and spend that amount (or maybe a lil more) on a nicer aftermarket unit with custom installation. At least you get to play dvd/vcd/cd/mp3/tv/etc with the $1500 in-dash systems on the market nowadays.

Or, save even more and spend it on a laptop and gps equipment.

 

Wish Icould get the factory NAV installed on my car. No dealerships herewill do it though

 

for me.. I would get to use it only 5 times a year, at max. I usually get directions from Mapquest. Over 5 years, that'd be 25 uses ..

$2000 / 25 = $80 per map use.. no thanks.

-Peter

 

Get it (Real men don't ask for directions) :D

 

I decided I could live without the MT, but not without the NAV. I don't think I'll ever buy a car without one again. It is exceptionally accuate because it uses gyroscopes as well as the GPS, so even when driving around in Chicago's Loop (where my Garmin used to conk out) or in a covered garage it provides good directions. It has a national map, so there is not need to segment long trips or trips that happen to cross arbitrary borders caused by insufficient memory. It's terrific to just take down an address and go, and once I've put an address in the system, there is no need to keep the address on little pieces of paper - it stays stored in the system.

With regard to it being distracting, I find it's just the opposite. Since it talks, I don't have to worry where I am and can just concentrate on driving. There is really no need to play with it once you're under way, unless you decide to change destinations. When my son asks, "how much farther?" I just push the button and it tells him how many more minutes to go before we get to a destination... really -- it's exceptionally well implemented. Best thing of all: since Microsoft didn't develop it, it never crashes.

 

I love the nav- it was worth the $1700 to me. I'll add a benefit that I don't think anybody else mentioned yet- the factory nav ties into your vehicle sensors, including speed sensors, gyro from the DSC system for yaw, steering wheel angle sensor, etc. You can't toss a handheld unit on your dash and get this integrated functionality. This is useful if satellite reception is interupted in the city, mountains, etc, as it uses these inputs combined with map data to keep you on the road. I tested this when I was seeing what kind of tint blocked the GPS antenna- it kept me on the road while I travelled in a 2 mile path away from and back to the shop.

I love the search for nearest points of interest function- restaurants, gas stations, ATM's grocery stores, golf courses, etc., especially since I move here only 18 months ago.

As for the distraction factor- one neat feature is you can start a route and then shut the screen- the nav "girl" will continue to route you verbally without the screen in your face, which can be helpful at night.

-Sean