UCLABryan

Hey all,

I am about to buy a used 2015 ES300h and just found it does NOT come with the navigation package. The fact that any auto company would make a luxury vehicle without one is mind boggling to me. But is it even possible to add navigation to this car? I'm getting a great deal on it, so I can live without it. But as for resale, it's going to kill the pricing. So I was trying to find out if it is even possible to upgrade to navigation and maybe how much a ball park cost for it would be.

Has anyone done this? Does anyone even have an ES300h without navigation on a 2015?

Any help, assistance, feedback is much appreciated!

Kind regards,

Bryan

lesz

Adding the Lexus factory navigation system to a car after the fact would be very expensive. The ES with navigation even uses a completely different screen than does the non-navigation ES. I'm confident in guessing that adding the Lexus navigation system to a car without it would cost significantly more than any added re-sale or trade value that it would add to the car.

I can think of at least one member here who added a third party navigation system to his car. I'm sure that wasn't cheap, either, and it does not have the same functionality as the factory system. I would also guess that it doesn't add nearly as much to the re-sale or trade value of the car as would a factory navigation system.

That said, navigation systems, especially in a car like a Lexus, are one of the few options that have a good return at re-sale or trade time. If you look at the inventories of used and CPO ES vehicles at a Lexus dealer, you will see that an ES with navigation isn't likely to sit on the dealer's lot for very long. One without navigation is likely to sit there much longer and is also one that dealer will more likely have to end up sending to auction. With that in mind, what a dealer is likely to offer for a non-navigation ES trade-in is going to be significantly lower than what that dealer would offer for one with navigation. Thus, if re-sale or trade value is going to be important to you, it might be wise to consider buying an ES other than the non-navigation one that you are thinking about now.

TechNut

I'm sure there are a good number of non-Nav cars in the wild in order a broad range of sale prices across the model. I also imagine there are others out here that have researched your question and can offer a reasonable answer. I can ONLY offer opinion, but I imagine it would be cost prohibitive to add Nav. It's not like you can just install a new head unit. There are numerous other pieces of the car's electronics that are unique to the Nav models. I just think it would be a very complicated retrofit and imagine it would be costly (if even possible) but again, that is just one opinion.

Living in a fairly rural area, I rarely use our Nav and wouldn't miss that particular feature a great deal. Be prepared to be bombarded by those that think the factory Nav is not worthy. It does everything I need and I happen to like having the option available in the dash, but hey, that's just my personal preference. I do think you are correct that it will have a slightly negative impact on the resale value. I am one of those that would be disinclined to buy one without Nav, so that sort of makes your point, even though it is still a terrific car!

UCLABryan

Thanks for the feedback. I agree. But I will be upgrading from a Prius that did not have Nav, so either way getting into the ES300h is a huge step anyway. I like the screen and all of the functions, and wireless capabilities. But using my phone for navigation has worked out great for almost 2 years now. I think the car may be worth it even without Nav. I'm already used to using my phone anyway. I think lesz (above) is right and the resale value will get killed. Otherwise, the car is outstanding. I must admit, I have fallen for the "Atomic Silver" color that was special ordered by the current owner and on black interior. It has the Luxury Package minus the Nav. Whatever...I guess its up to me to decide what's best. Thanks for the feedback. "

Thank you also lesz

mjeds

who cares the OEM NAV from all makes sucks.. Hate the nav in my RCF, hated the one in my Camaro, Avalanche, 300C, and my wife's Camry.. I've taken to using my phone, at least the maps and the traffic alerts are up to date and I don't have to spend $200 a year for 2 year out of date map upgrades.

OEM Nav doesn't even add value to resale any longer.

LexBob2

This is why it's good most mainstream brands offer NAV as an option. Personally I wouldn't buy a new car without it. Having the choice is good.

PAcommuter

I don't use my car nav very often. When going to Tahoe or Reno, sure as sometimes you get spotty cell service in the mountains. Locally, I use Waze as I can take advantage of route detours due to high traffic or accidents. I would love to use my car nav more often, but I just find that it's not as responsive or intuitive as phone apps. My brother recently leased an Audi A6. He chose it over an ES because of the ability to use android auto. So I hope that the 2018s and future models will utilize that instead of outdated proprietary nav systems.

UCLABryan

That's the thing that bothers me the most is that almost all luxury brands come standard with Nav. But I personally do not enjoy the Nav feature that much, but it would be nice (as you said) as an option or choice to have, especially in a Lexus brand.

LexBob2

I currently have an Audi A6 and a BMW X1 and the nav in both was part of an optional package. The problem is that the optional package in each car included other things other than the nav that a lot of people would want. So to get them gotta take the nav.

lesz

There is a member here who is the used car manager at a Lexus dealership, and he has posted on a few similar threads in the past. What he has said is exactly the opposite of what you are saying. He has said that, when he gets a trade-in of a non-navigation car, because he knows that that the typical Lexus buyer expects a navigation system to be in the car and because he knows that many will not even consider a car without navigation, his trade-in offers for non-navigation cars are based on the likelihood that they will sit on his lot for an extended period of time and that there is a good chance that he will end up sending the car to auction. And, thus, his offers for those trade-ins are significantly discounted.

Simple economics says that, if there are a significant number of potential buyers who won't even consider a non-navigation Lexus, that lower level of demand for the non-navigation car is going to cause its value to be significantly lower.

For a car like the ES, what causes the lack of a navigation system to have an even bigger impact on its value is that a good number of buyers are going to realize that they can buy a fully loaded, including navigation, new car from, say, Ford or Chevy, for a lower price than they would be paying for a used ES without navigation and other options. Some of those will still choose the Lexus, but many will see wisdom in opting for the new Chevy or Ford over the "refinement and prestige" of the used and less optimally-equipped Lexus.

While there is no question that in-car navigation systems are far from perfect, they are still a high demand item, and, most often, those who try to deny that reality are those who bought cars without them.

mjeds

maybe so, but the last 2 vehicles I traded in that had Nav had a very minimal difference over the trade value for non nav.. for example, we only got a $200 difference on the Trade value of my wife's 2007 Camry with Nav over not having the navigation, originally they wrote the trade offer not including the navigation, I pointed it out and they corrected it.. Navigation was a $3000 option on that car.

$200 tells me that navigation adds very little value in trade.

My 300c SRT had OEM navigation and it wasn't even considered when I traded the car. no change in trade value at all.

TechNut

We upgraded from a Prius as well, but our former Priuses did have Nav (and leather, which my ES with Premium package does NOT have). We have also love the Atomic Silver, but scratches seem to really stand out on Atomic Silver - more than any other Lexus color we have had. I'm sure you will absolutely enjoy the car regardless of the fact it doesn't have Nav so as long as it is priced appropriately, I wouldn't let that deter me at all.

Arty101

Like PAcommuter, my 300h has a nav because it was package with other items I wanted. I personally use it once in a while and consider Waze more intuitive and current on local traffic, accidents, cops and traffic cams on the road.

Personally, if I were keeping the car a few years, I don't think the resale value matters much with or without a nav. Good luck on your decision.

Arty101

Ward6096, good to know about the Atomic Silver. I'm looking at the NX and RX, and was considering that color.

UCLABryan

Thanks for the advice. In fact, what got me turned onto the ES300h was the price on a Prius 4/5 with leather and Nav for a 2015 it gets close $19k range. I'm on a lease and decided to buy it outright, but changed my mind when I drove a 300h. I came upon some extra cash, so I thought I'd check out the Lexus. I think its all worth it. I didn't know that about the Atomic Silver either. I will be on the California highways a lot. I hope I don't get scratched too much. I have the Gray 2015 Prius and it got knicked up pretty good. It's much more visible than most colors, except black of course. Come to think of it, that is one of the reasons I wanted this color is because I thought the scratches would not appear so much as in regular silver. But you are saying that scratches stand out a lot?? Ward6096