[swstranger]

How do you like the Nav in the Prius? Does Toyota basically use the same Nav in all of their vehicles? I have never used Nav in a Toyota, but I have one in a BMW, which is pretty weak, and one in a Honda, which is pretty decent. Does anyone have experience with the Nav in a Honda and a Toyota? How would you say they compare? Thanks!!

 

[BIF]

I don't use the "find the address" feature, but I do like having the map display up when I'm in an unfamiliar part of town!

 

[rpm]

How do you like the Nav in the Prius? Does Toyota basically use the same Nav in all of their vehicles? I have never used Nav in a Toyota, but I have one in a BMW, which is pretty weak, and one in a Honda, which is pretty decent. Does anyone have experience with the Nav in a Honda and a Toyota? How would you say they compare? Thanks!!

I have navigation in a 2004 honda accord. It works great, the voice activation works great, I love it. However, I am not getting NAV in my Prius (on "order" since 1/04) as I don't need it in that car, and don't like the sound from the "upgraded" stereo in pkg 9 either. I have heard that Toyota NAV systems, unlike the Hondas, do not allow you to do anything with programming (setting a route, etc.) while the car is moving. If that's true, that would bum me out. I can see the safety factor but hey... and, most of the time, my wife is setting the accord NAV while I'm driving, or vice versa.

 

[octhorse]

My wife has a 2003 Acura MDX with Nav which I like because of simplicity and accuracy. So I decided to add Nav to my Prius. I am totally unimpressed with Toyota Navigation. Compare to Acura/Honda, Toyota nav is inaccurate and unreliable. Simply a terrible navigation compare to Honda/Acura.

For example, Toyota misses my home and work by a block. Often it gives me a wrong direction. On the other hand, Acura is right on the dot. Usually +/- a few feet. Toyota is +/- by a block or more. I can trust Acura system 90% of the time. On the other hand, I don't trust Toyota nav 50% of the time.

In Acura, when nav gives the directions, stereo goes silent and then comes back on after, so that I can hear the directions. Toyota doesn't do that. In Prius, you have to turn off the stereo or keep it low so that you can hear the directions. Waste of JBL option. Toyota doesn't give you option to change the male to female voice.

Programming and use of Nav is much simpler in Acura. Toyota is way too complicated to use for average people. My in-law who has 04 Lexus LS, which has the same nav as Prius, just cannot figure out how to use the nav. No wonder, it won't let you program while driving. You could get into an accident with Toyota nav, if you try to program while driving.

Toyota is pretty much all touch screen system. So your nav screen is full of finger prints. Acura uses the joy stick and touch screen. It is much easier to move around the map with joy stick.

Acura voice command is easy to use and work most of the time. Toyota doesn't work most of the time. I just gave up using the voice command all together.

Acura has much better graphic and easy to read. Whoever designed Toyota nav has color selection problem. It is very difficult to distinguish between the surface road (green) vs. routed road (light blue). Acura graphic is must higher resolution and clear.


Rumor is that Toyota is going to come out with fix. I am not sure we 04 folks will get the fix or not.

In summary, Toyota nav is a waste of money. They need to look at Honda/Acura nav and learn or copy Honda.

Other than nav, I love my Prius. My wife is so envious about SS/SE and steering wheel controls.

 

[alex04p]

Yeah the Nav in my prius is on crack. It took me MILES AND MILES out of the way time and time again. I just find the location with it and plot my own route. I've got a BMW and a Mercedes with NAV and the BMW's sucks worse, but at least its accurate, the Mercedes one is by far my fav and most easy to use.

 

[BIF]

Be sure that your NAV system is set for your region of the country.

You also may need to have your dealer re-calibrate your NAV system, if it's consistently making you get off the expressway a mile too soon when going East, a mile too late when going West, etcetera. Likewise, if you're constantly getting your feet wet in the lake before NAV tells you to stop.

:shock:

My NAV works fine. I don't use the direction finder, because I already know my way around town. But it's right on target. I still wish I could give the command, "lock phasers on target!". Rats.

 

[wacko999]

From the screen shots that I have seen, the Prius nav looks identical to the nav in my Lexus. If it turns out to be the same, I will be very happy.

 

[octhorse]

Calibration and region are all set correctly on mine. According to my research, Toyota is aware of this wrong address problem and working on the fix. Navigation knows the street and place me on the right spot on the map but has the wrong address information. As a result, it misses the exact location by a block or half block in some cases. I have to physically look for the right house or business when I get to the destination, which I never have to do with Acura nav.

My in-laws just purchased their 2004 LS and has the same exact nav as mine. They have the same exact problem as mine. And they curse at nav same way.

 

[AgentElrond]

I haven't yet made much significant use of my nav yet, but it was useful a couple of months ago; found a more direct route for a trip over streets I wasn't previously aware of (possibly because it initially took me what I thought was "out of my way"). Probably cut out about 15-20 minutes of rush hour traffic driving each way.

 

[Richard]

It's a bit inaccurate, so what I typically do for my Memory Locations is to use the address the first time you go. Then when it leads you near the destination, hit the Mark option to have it remember that spot next time. Then go and modify your Memory Locations to give that spot a name.

 

[whatshisname]

I think a lot of the annoyance with the Prius Nav system is our own doing. For example I find that I'm usually offered three routes to get to my destination and certain selected limitations may have been programmed in. For example, "NO FREEWAYS". Several times I've noticed that when an instruction or direction is disobeyed or overlooked, the Nav system immediately selects an alternative route which may be circuitous. I like my Prius Nav system. I think it's a GD miracle and as long as those satellites remain aloft I'll never be without it again.

 

[Victor]

Toyota doesn't give you option to change the male to female voice.

Strange. The one I had a test drive in was a female voice. Maybe you need to load new voices from the DVD? (As is the case with my VDO in my SUV).

 

[Guest]

NAV works fine-here's the problem

If you mark a waypoint and then navigate back to it, the unit works flawlessly. The problem lies with the alignment of addresses in conjunction with longitude and lattitude. If the long/lat are wrong, or off a bit, the system will take you off course. I am confident that the unit works properly. A software (new DVD) will solve the problems and I hope they do it for free.

 

[mrv]

Toyota doesn't give you option to change the male to female voice.

Strange. The one I had a test drive in was a female voice. Maybe you need to load new voices from the DVD? (As is the case with my VDO in my SUV).

US Prius has a Nav lady, for both English and French. I'm guessing it's also a Nav lady in German?

What language is it actually a male voice?

 

[Victor]

Toyota doesn't give you option to change the male to female voice.

Strange. The one I had a test drive in was a female voice. Maybe you need to load new voices from the DVD? (As is the case with my VDO in my SUV).

US Prius has a Nav lady, for both English and French. I'm guessing it's also a Nav lady in German?

What language is it actually a male voice?

Dont know what the German voice was, I had it in English.

 

[octhorse]

Sorry. My mistake. Female to male option. Actually, I like the female voice on my Acura (and my Prius). But Acura gives you an option to change to male voice.

I am driving Prius to Disneyland this weekend. I am going to test the nav to max. I pray that it will direct me to the right location. Not a block away. It is not fun to get lost in LA. ugggg...