Does the new navigation system give the user the ability to scroll through the maps (ala Google maps) with a joystick or by some other means? I know the Acura allows this, and it is extremely useful. I'm curious about the new IS.

Thanks.

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Nah, Lexus's Nav systems are all touch-screen which is much better than a joystick, imo.

 

The Acura TL had both interfaces (both touch screen and joystick), which I found to be very usefull to have both

 

I agree with IS350spd. I loved having both interfaces, and still feel that Acura has the best nav system out there. I still haven't played around with the one on the GS or IS, so we'll see how that goes.

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You will like this 5th Gen Nav system. It's very clear and easy to read compared to the previous generations. You'll come to find the touchscreen scrolling is easy to use after a while.

 

I played with the Nav yesterday on a 250. It is very nice, much better than my current IS's nav. Higher resolution, faster input with the touch screen. A definite improvement.

 

IMO the touchscreen function works perfectly fine, and is the most intuitive...just touch where you want to go...the joystick function on other cars is pretty good too--all step(s) above i-drive like *****.

 

How physically large is the screen? I know the nav on the Honda Accord is 7 inches and the Acura TL is 8 inches.

The 2006 GS300 loaner I drove the other day was very disappointing in terms of nav. Quite a bit less user friendly IMO, plus lower res than the Honda/Acura system, and the screen appeared to be a 7 inch like in the Accord, not an 8 inch like in the TL. What's with the LCD screen size only matching that of a mid-20k dollar car? Is anyone at Lexus paying attention?

I hope the new IS is an 8". I already know it'll be higher res which is good to hear - it was definitely needed, but wondering if it's 8" or 7.

 

Bigger size isn't all that matters. I think 7 inches is more than sufficient. You might like 8 inches, but I think any larger and the entire dash would look overpowered and odd.

By the way, in a $80K S-Class Mercedes Benz I was in the screen was only 5"!!! (This Model Year its an inch bigger)

 

Yup and it's one of the most horribly cheap looking (and poorly performing) nav systems I've ever seen, too. I haven't seen Gen 5 yet for the Lexus nav systems but suffice to say that I was far less impressed with the gen 4 in the 2006 GS430 than I was with even the Honda Accord, and the Accord's nav system has been in the Accord, a car priced less than half the price at worst, since the 2003 model year.

It was easier to use, brighter, higher resolution, better voice recognition, and the same size screen.

BTW, do you know if ALL Lexus models will be moving to the Gen 5 system for the 06 model year? Or will they not change systems until they get redesigned?

 

nav system on mb and bimmers are jokes. if i get mb or bimmer, first thing i do NOT want is nav...

anyway, in terms of functions and usage, i agree that the current acura nav is better than the lexus current ones. it's just more intuitive. however though, in terms of the screen i like the lexus more. the acura one is big, but too big for me actually, and the resolution is actually so-so if you ask me

 

IMO the new GS should have the Gen 5 NAVI system ASAP!!!!

 

for my cl's navi screen, you use the joystick like computer's mouse. you move the crosshairs around the stationary screen to point and click on objects and icons...their unique information.

You also use the joystick to scroll and freeze the screen so only your current location (icon) will move...until you run off the screen. It's also used to mark a waypoint as a goto location. So while I am in KS, I can scroll all the way over to AZ and then click on a spot to calculate the route. Simply touching the screen will show that position's information (gps, address, etc.)

So the Acura navi joystick is 5-way and is feature-based that works in conjunction with touching the screen, I'm hoping the Lexus navi is just as sophisticated if not more with or without a joystick.

 

imho when we see the gs460 by end of next yr

 

I had a chance to play with the new IS navigation system last night. My dealer had a production demo car (IS 250 RWD) for a special event that they let me sit in and mess around with. The nav screen is crisp, gives a lot of information, but lacks the added degree of ease of use given by combining a joystick with a touchscreen. They had the "premium sound system" in the car, and my initial fear, without a proper test CD is that the system emphasizes the lows and highs, but lacks in the mids. The dealer did confirm that ML is a special order item due to price concerns, which, to me, doesn't bode well for the overall price.

I'm now more undecided than ever.

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