LexLuger85

Hey guys, just wanted to say hi. I'm the proud new owner of a silver 2007 es 350. This car is a dream compared to my late Infiniti Q45. I just wish I had navi in this car :-(. Are there any aftermarket options besides those portable GPS unit?

imherenow

welcome and congrats on the ES!!..what year was the Q45..
Share some pictures of the ES

RickC5

Welcome aboard, although I'm as new as you. We bought our 2008 ES on Tuesday. Ours is also sort of a silver color (like a light amethyst?) with black leather.

FWIW--We've had a Garmin Nuvi 780 portable GPS for several years, and our initial impression of the NAV system in our ES is that it is not nearly as intiuitive and easy-to-use as the Garmin. It can't find our house (misses it by about 300 yards?) and it disables itself from accepting input once the car is in gear/moving, which is most frustrating. Plus the display is radically different, showing the road from an aerial perspective rather than from the driver's perspective. I'm sure we'll get used to it, but it has a big learning curve.

MadMax96

It has been done - just do a little searching. Here ya go:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...installed.html

LexLuger85

@imherenow It was a 99 q45t. I loved that car but it was time for an upgrade. I'll have pics of the new Lex soon

@madmax thanks for the link

Robert_J

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...-a-2007-a.html

The Pioneer head unit I installed also has a navigation option but it isn't cheap. It's about $400 more after all the radio upgrades. But that radio will also take the input of a navigation app on the iPhone and display it on the screen. It's cheaper than the nav upgrade on the radio but it still isn't cheap.

kls

I agree with RickC5 - the Lexus nav system is designed to frustrate. I can pick up a Garmin and intuitively get it working in a couple of minutes. I've had my Lexus for about 6 months and I still can't work it effectively. You could buy a dozen Garmins for the price of the Lexus system and as a bonus - they'll work.

garsarno

I have a Tom Tom GPS in my '11 Impala and have the factory one in '11 ES350. You are right, easier to utilize the Tom Tom than the factory but it looks better in the Lexus to have the built in one. I have noticed no more pressing the legal tab to get into the map / radio etc like my 2007. Every time you started the car, that need for approval screen came up.

LexBob2

The new generation nav in my 2010 is an improvement over the previous generation, but it does have some quirks. I use Enform, eDestination and Destination Assist quite a bit, but they are subscription based.

One thing that bugs me is the cost to update maps and POI's. It costs $200-$300 depending on the labor costs at dealerships. That's too high consdiering all of the competition from smart phones and portable GPS units.

garsarno

You can buy the top of the line GPS with lifetime free updates at that price from Best Buy, HH Gregg etc.

bobsobi

While it may not seem to be the most elegant solution, I prefer sticking a portable GPS (a Garmin) on the lower left corner of my windshield over using the inferior nav system in my 2009. The safety lockout is ridiculous, and its rerouting performance in my locality is a joke. If you put a premium on appearance, maybe it's worth the $$$ to retrofit your dash, but as previously mentioned here, I'd rather buy an add-on gadget that really works.

garsarno

The GPS on my '11 Impala is also mounted on the dashboard, drivers side in front of the inspection sticker placement. I prefer there as to the middle of the windshield just below the rear view mirror. I also had the cord routed under the dash and it ends up in the front console near the cigarette lighter. For some reason, could not direct wire into fuse box. Works and looks super.

RickC5

The factory NAV system happened to be on this 2008 ES we just bought. If I had a choice, I would not bother with the factory NAV, considering we use any NAV system very little. I find the factory system to be mostly a distraction. But, since the car was about as perfect as you can get in a used car, we bought it anyway. We don't see many used Lexus in Grand Junction.

Our system hasn't been updated since new (2007 or 2008?) and it's really funny to hear what happens when we're driving on new roads built since then. She gets so confused it makes us laugh. If an update is really $200-300, it won't get updated either. Garmin charges only $50, with lifetime (4 per year, forever) at $89.

LexBob2

I think the nav update on the previous gen models will cost less than the $200-$300 on the new generation. Not sure how much it is but I'm sure some owners can give you an estimate. It might be worth it to you if the price is more reasonable.

MadMax96

The latest update disc can be had for about $170 (still expensive).

Some guy had the latest 11.1 version for sale on Craigslist for $45 with a money back guarantee. I took a gamble....

Turns out the disc is a very good looking counterfeit/copy (label doesn't have sharp printing) but it works just fine so I lucked out.