with my '06 explorer i'd get something in the mail each year offering a nav dvd update. i went for it every other year typically. they ranged between $99 and $149.
with my '15 grand cherokee now i have no been offered my first map upgrade. they've had several free upgrades/improvements to the uconnect infotainment system though, but that doesn't include map upgrades i don't think. anyway, now i've got the 'opportunity' to get that upgrade (usb stick i believe) for $149.
but these days i use my phone as often as i use the car nav so i'm thinking of passing even though it's my nature (being a software guy) to keep things reasonably up to date. decisions

 

I’d only upgrade it once you find new developments and points of interest don’t appear. Of course it depends on if you actually use your UConnect Navi. Phone Navi audio can be streamed via Bluetooth Audio and the phone can cling to a vent clip to display the navigation (I use a magic mount from Target for this) this days, assuming you don’t have CarPlay or Android Auto of course.

 

Our newest car is a 2011, so the 2006 and 2011 both have factory NAV. I guess the short answer is no. On these cars, to my knowledge, neither can give a red light or speed cam alert, etc., so really they're glorified road maps simply showing where we are with the display oriented north. On the LS430, I bought a disc on eBay and got a lecture at the sub forum etc., because I paid I think $14 for a 2016 disc. The one that came out was from the factory circa 2005. I think this notion of updating will be gone soon, the entire vehicle is going to be online if it isn't already. Look at Garmin's strategy, a 2017 unit is locked down compared to a 2010 unit, trying to protect waning revenue I believe...(this did not work with Turbo Tax, it created many angry loyal customers)

 

We have a 2016 Audi A6 and it came with 5 free updates that you download from the Audi web site to an SD card and then set up in the car. I've only done one update so far and it worked pretty well but a bit time consuming for the download. Our other car is a '17 BMW and there is a vendor I've used who sells the updates for about $65. You set it up in the car via a flash drive. I prefer an updated NAV system over my phone. Just a personal preference.

 

Why I like the phone is it's truly in real time, and free. I have a 26 mile commute that takes about 75 to 90 minutes to complete, so I actually need to check multiple times to make sure nothing has changed from when I left. I don't think either of our cars can get er did so to speak, and the garmin with free traffic is useless, maybe a new car can. The only bad thing about the phone is of course the fact that it's a phone, not integrated with the vehicle. And I would not be able to do what I do in Ontario without some hefty fines, meaning no handling whatsoever of a smartphone while driving, not even when stopped at a light (then again you are not supposed to do your GPS at all even at a stop light, but I'm sure you could tell the officer you were adjusting your heat/climate control? Or I could be wrong there too.)...

 

I update every 3 years or so, don't try to keep current. Sometimes I'm in areas where the phone doesn't work and comes in handy.

 

yes i can use phone, including audio no issue but it's nice to be able to glance at the big screen especially on longer trips, and only the '17 and up uconnect has apple carplay and android auto so i don't have that.

the poi are definitely out of date on my car so that would be good to have updated, but $149 is more than i'd like to pay, but i'll probably do it.

 

Our '08 IS and '13 Cayenne have never been upgraded and it's not usually much of a problem. I should probably consider updating the IS... haha

 

Tesla is so far ahead of the game in this area, car updates the software over the air, it pops up that a new update is available, you click okay, next time you park the car for 30 or 40 minutes it updates the software.

$149 is a huge money grab IMO, dealer should sell this to you for like $20 and include the usb stick. Look online, see if you can find the map update cheaper from somewhere else.

 

My buddy has a late 2000's Cayenne S and I saw a sweet newer Turbo (not the newest) parked the other day....my other buddy tells me to resist these temptations unless I want to get to know Hans and Franz (the local indie) on a first name basis lol (I was in such a situation with a V6 Volvo, could walk into Clarkie's house unannounced on Easter while he was napping)

 

This is a good idea to look around for a better price on the update. I found the $65 option from a vendor on a BMW forum. From all indications the vendor is reliable and offers a lot of other services. They mail out the USB stick, or you can download the update on to your own.

 

To put things into perspective, I needed the BMW dealer software to DIY my ABS pump (the car needs to actuate the pump one channel at a time, because air bubbles cannot be removed by even slamming on the brakes). People on the forum have downloaded it for free, but then have had issues fully setting it up. I bought it on eBay, and actually had to call the guy who sold it for support, and I think I paid $89? What I got enabled me to avoid the dealer ($4,100) and I even got support, guy told me 1 hour max, and he helped me in about 15 min. For a dealer to charge $149 for nothing, imho is a money grab. And believe me, I do believe in people getting paid for music and software, but a reasonable amount. Maybe $14 for Toyota is on the low side, but it works...

 

I do. My $900 Google Maps came with a free Note 8.

 

^^This. The NJ Turnpike finished a major expansion 3 years ago, extending the car lane/truck lane split for many miles. Once that was completed, I sprung for an update (albeit through an owner's forum at a much cheaper price than from the dealer). I probably wouldn't have done it at full price for the handful of times per year I'm on the NJTPK.