2002 RX300 with Nav buyers/Owners beware!
 

I recently (last week) bought the '02 Lexus RX300 for my wife, and we really love the car. It has the Navigation package and all options. One of the main reasons why we selected the Lexus instead of BMW or Benz is their Nav system technology. Supposedly, Lexus Nav for 2002 is DVD-based and able to cover some major cities in Canada, including Toronto, Quebec, Vancouver, Whistler, and Ottawa (as claimed by Lexus).

We live in Bellevue, WA, and the first weekend after I bought the car, we drove it up to Vancouver, BC, to try out the Nav function too. It didn't work at all -- just blank screen! I played around all the Nav functions, turned out my car's Nav has NO Canada coverage at all. The software/DVD is version: 2000 ver.1. That's kind of old for a 2002 brand new car, at least my opinion.

So I talked to Sales manager and Parts manager at Lexus of Bellevue (my dealership), and they confirmed back with me that ONLY '02 LS430 and '02 ES300 has those Canadian coverage at this time. In their car brochures, press releases, news conferences, news releases and just about any car magazines, for 2002, Lexus cars supposed to have those functions. They don't even know when is the release date of the update. I called Lexus Customer Satisfaction Headquaters in Torrance, CA to address my concern, and the rep simply called back and said the update will be available mid 2002.

I totally felt deceived, and all consumers are being mis-informed and lied to. Lexus should not have advertised that all their 2002 cars with Nav can cover Canada. They should be more specific and say at present time, which models are equipped.

Sorry for the lengthy msg, what do you all think? What can we do? This is my third Lexus car I've owned, I love Lexus, very comfortable and great quality for luxury cars.

Any advice or comments will be appreciated, I know people may think I'm too overboard with this, I just felt really disgusted, deceived, and expect Lexus to deliver what they claimed to the public.

thank you very much!
Hendry

Toyota / Lexus News Pressroom info for 2002 Navi

Lexus claimed 2002 Nav coverage

2002 RX300 with Nav

I agree and disagree with this whole situation. Let me explain:

I have the 2001 RX, when I bought I was under the impression that updates would be made available on a yearly basis. Since the "software" has to be developed ahead of the production schedule, you will have database version that is one year old by the time you get it. Fact of life. I have the 2000 version software along with all other 2001 and up owners.

What screwed up Lexus currently is that they are having a hard time with the developer of their Nav software. The 2001 version of the database that should have been released in the fall has now been pushed back to spring (at the earliest). Since the redesigned ES300 needed a new Nav option, they had the developer concentrate on that model first, that's why that vehicle has the Canada option and the latest database.

Am I pissed? You bet. But I don't think Lexus was trying to deceive anyone, they had every intention of bringing out the update (for the RX). Could they have done a better job of communication with the dealers and customers on this? Absolutely.

My only suggestion at the moment is for everyone write to Lexus Corporate putting pressure on them for a timely release and NO CHARGE upgrade. Don't write to Customer Service, write to the company directly.

Just my 2-cents.

I agree with both of you 100%..........
 

.........I think there is yet another side to this whole dilemma. Unlike all other manufacturer's (and yes I'm mostly referring to Acura/Alpine) who have stuck with Navtech only for their database coverage Lexus went one step ahead and merged their Navtech database (at present covering only major metro areas) with GDT Technologies database (to cover the rest of the country - smaller towns and rural areas) to include detailed street level coverage for the ENTIRE United States (and of course parts of Canada). - and I truly applaude Lexus for doing this......however, the plot thickens!! :D..... Now Navtech, seeing this, has gone ahead and themselved decided to merge their "driven" or digitally accurate - road geometry, speed limit, U-turn, one-way info etc. database with so-called, generally available "public source" database to give COMPLETE STREET LEVEL coverage of the entire U.S. and parts of Canada...........Now this is just my educated guess.......I think Lexus in now between a "rock and a hard place".........They probably signed a contract with GDT technologies to "merge" and use their database with the Navtech one and now that Navtech has already just come out with it's own FULLY MERGED database they are probably in a fix and unable to just "dump" GDT!!!, which is probably causing some confusion on how to go about the whole thing, as Navtech will little by little seamlessly replace the "public source" data by the "DIGITALLY ACURATE or "DRIVEN" data as it becomes available and expects to have a complete DIGITAL IMPRINT of the whole U.S. in the next 4 to 5 years. Acura and Alpine have promised FULL DETAILED COVERAGE OF THE ENTIRE U.S. (as a result of this Navtech merged database) by the next DVD release due in mid 2002.....and BTW Acura has been very good about timely releases of updated DVDs. So far they're in their THIRD DVD update since the DVD Navi system was first introduced in Acura vehicles back in late 1999!!.......and I'm sure Acura was partly responsible for putting some pressure on Navtech to come up with full detailed coverage of the U.S. even if it meant obtaining it from a "public source"

BTW, on a related note does any of you guys have any information whether the updated Lexus DVD (or the current one on the Lexus LS 430) has an improved Point-of-Interest database. This is the only area on the Lexus Navi which is really lacking. They supposedly have something like 750 thousand listings whereas the Acura/Alpine versions have around 5 million!!!

Re: I agree with both of you 100%..........
 

Agreed on this one. There are major stores in my area that have been around for years and aren't in the POI listings.

But even after 3 updates, the RX300 Nav still spanks the MDX Nav. I've done the tests and have the proof. :cool:

You guys have no case compare to BMW owners. At least my RX300's navi is faster and offer entire us on one disc. Something that my 530i can't do. Last time I was planning a trip from san jose to monterrey.

By the time I got to monterrey my BMW navi is still trying to calculate the route.

chiawei-

Trust me, that's one one of the main reasons why we got the RX300. The Navs in the BMWs, MBs, and Infinitis are a joke because they are still CD based. And they usually make you pay extra for other regional discs.

The Lexus Navs are far from perfect, but they are still the best OEM ones on the market today. The integration of the NavTech and GDT databases was ground-breaking and left the other manufacturers in the dust.