nickma

Hello all,

I just purchased a 2013 ES 350 and I love it. I now regret not getting the NAV. Is this something that can get installed later or do I have to purchase a new car down the road.

Thanks

-Nick

ElliotB

It cannot be installed economically, if at all. Contact the dealer. Chances are they will work with you. You will take a bit of a hit, but if a 3rd party GPS is out of the question, you have no choice.

uicandrew

At this point, with the ES still in demand, possibly trade it in for one with nav ?

LexBob2

I agree with the other comments here. You could bite the bullet and get a nice portable unit to use until you decide the best course of action.

nickma

I just got the car last week so I'm afraid I'll take a huge hit trading it in just for the NAV. Best thing to do at this point is get a handheld and trade the car in after a couple of years.

Thanks for your help.

-Nick

wasjr

Nick, I agree with you. Plus you may find that you like the portable better, and the additional money in your pocket. We just purchased a 300h on Monday with Nav. However, this is the first car we have had that many of the Nav features don't work while the car is moving. I recognize the safety aspect, but even the passenger can't operate some features of the system if the car is moving.

Arty101

Just keep the car, drive and enjoy. I've got the Navi, and I'm not all that keen about it since I can't access some of the features while on the move. I still haven't figured out how to use the darn thing, since it's another full manual to read, nor have I figured how to shut it up if I cancel or change a destination. Not the easiest thing to use, IMO.

Wife tells me to just use Siri on the iPhone, and/or Google Maps instead of the Navi.

wasjr

Good point Arty. My son tells me that the new Google Maps app he downloaded to his iPhone 4 is better than the original Google Maps app on the phone.

mrBillFL

can someone explain the need for the Nav system?

I have a droid phone, with google maps, and can get a garmin nuvi for $140, with life time upgrades and traffic.

I figured my phone will be upgraded more often than the car's...

other than the larger screen? what am I missing? why is the mfg nav better than my phone or a garmin?

DASMan

I thought the same way until we owned a vehicle with Sirius traffic.

I have a Garmin with lifetime traffic and I have to tell you that the reception totally sucks and is totally random. According to the coverage maps, I live in a good reception corridor yet there are times when the unit reports that it has had a weak signal for 30 minutes or more and that is in the way into NYC. The other thing that stinks is that there isn't a good way to know that the signal is off, since the Garmin shows the traffic indicator as green even though it has not been able to acquire a traffic signal. I even purchased the external antenna that you need to mount straight down the middle of the windshield with suction cups and it still does the same thing. I also have Sirius traffic in my wife's mini van and I've never experienced an outage while traveling the same routes. The update rate for the satellite traffic feeds are much more frequent and reliable if you ask me.

Another factor to take into consideration is the size of the screens. The internal nav screen is MUCH larger and easier to read than those on the portable units.

Of course, this is just my opinion based on my own experiences with both types of systems. YMMV.

ElliotB

A number of years ago, I 'goofed' on a car purchase. The dealer worked with me and it cost me $1000 to 'fix' the problem. Ask your dealer. It may not be as bad as you think.

The navigation system included other 'perks' including Destination Assist and an upgraded stereo. The entire package is a good value.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I bet he would lose around $4K-$5K on his ES and the NAV ES would cost $3+K more.

amphipri0n

I don't think trading the car in for one with Nav is worth it, especially since the system could use additional features found on portable units. Being forced to use voice when the caris in motion, inaccurate ETA, posted speed information....

Mike218

I have had two cars with built in nav's and wouldn't have it any other way. Does it cost more? Yes, but worth it for the bigger screen. Don't have to worry about hiding the portable, which attracts a thef to the car. And if I get stuck with something the isn't on the built- in nav, I can use my iPhone.

To each his own

amphipri0n

I agree, I wouldn't buy a car without built-in Nav. But, the OP was talking about trading his car in and taking a loss just for the feature. Not worth it IMO