Worthless Navigation
Thread Starter
Lead Lap
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 523
Likes: 21
From: NC
Worthless Navigation
I'm not here to beat up on the Lexus Brand nor do I dislike it. I actually feel it is of the best automobiles made today in it's price point. We bought the RX because of it's high quality and it fit our family needs.
What I do want to speak up to and warn future would be purchasers is the worthless navigation system that Lexus charges a premium price for in their cars.
#1
After two 500 mile trips, this navigation system still cannot find a correct route. A 5 hour drive I have done countless times and have tried every route possible to shorten it over the years, Lexus nave shows 3 routes that took in excess of 7 hours. When I saw them, I was like...you have to be kidding, this thing was taking me SO far out of the way to get there. I knew because I have taken those routes before and know the time it would take, it was out of the way.
At this point, I started changing preferences, routes and every back end feature to get another route. Nothing, same directions.
#2
We all know about the lockout feature when the wheels start moving so I won't even beat that horse today.
#3
this is a 2010 car and has the new Enform, kind of cool, but Lexus has added this to make money on yearly fees. Here is how...
You cannot use the voice system to find "Starbucks" while the car is moving. It will on the other hand let you say "coffee house"...yet you only get maybe 2 options when there are 30 coffee shops in a 2 square mile radius.
If you want a "Starbucks" you have to use the Enform, get a person on the line and ask for the nearest starbucks...you MUST pay for a yearly subscription. See, this is how they get you.
#4
The system is extremely cumbersome to use and is very SLOW
I have reverted back to using my Garmin. What a well crafted intuitive, easy to use GPS. Why can't auto makers go out and spend $100 and buy a garmin and utilize the simplicity of these units. They ARE more accurate, easier and just plain better.
In Summary
I wish I would have NEVER bought the NAV and will be writing Lexus regarding it.
Buy a garmin, it's a heck of a value compared to the waste that is in the Lexus.
The Garmin will get you there faster...don't leave home without it.
What I do want to speak up to and warn future would be purchasers is the worthless navigation system that Lexus charges a premium price for in their cars.
#1
After two 500 mile trips, this navigation system still cannot find a correct route. A 5 hour drive I have done countless times and have tried every route possible to shorten it over the years, Lexus nave shows 3 routes that took in excess of 7 hours. When I saw them, I was like...you have to be kidding, this thing was taking me SO far out of the way to get there. I knew because I have taken those routes before and know the time it would take, it was out of the way.
At this point, I started changing preferences, routes and every back end feature to get another route. Nothing, same directions.
#2
We all know about the lockout feature when the wheels start moving so I won't even beat that horse today.
#3
this is a 2010 car and has the new Enform, kind of cool, but Lexus has added this to make money on yearly fees. Here is how...
You cannot use the voice system to find "Starbucks" while the car is moving. It will on the other hand let you say "coffee house"...yet you only get maybe 2 options when there are 30 coffee shops in a 2 square mile radius.
If you want a "Starbucks" you have to use the Enform, get a person on the line and ask for the nearest starbucks...you MUST pay for a yearly subscription. See, this is how they get you.
#4
The system is extremely cumbersome to use and is very SLOW
I have reverted back to using my Garmin. What a well crafted intuitive, easy to use GPS. Why can't auto makers go out and spend $100 and buy a garmin and utilize the simplicity of these units. They ARE more accurate, easier and just plain better.
In Summary
I wish I would have NEVER bought the NAV and will be writing Lexus regarding it.
Buy a garmin, it's a heck of a value compared to the waste that is in the Lexus.
The Garmin will get you there faster...don't leave home without it.
Last edited by slimjimtel; Sep 16, 2010 at 01:22 PM.
yea the lexus navi is terrible. i did a route to staten island a few months ago and i know it takes me about an hour 45 mins to get there. all 3 routes were approx 2 1/2 to 3 hours. not to mention the system is so slow that by the time it says your at the turn you need to make, your already 200 ft past that road.
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 396
Likes: 5
From: NJ
hell yeah! i jumped on that when i found out about it! my garmin has been with me on trips to florida, virginia, pennsylvania, missouri, vermont, new york, nevada and a few other states. love that thing
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i use my nextar a little slow on boot up and finding satellite but ,once up and running its a blast ,live traffic reports(with option to reroute for you) it happen once when i was heading to south jersey it rerouted a construction site on the road and it knock out almost 20 min off my trip, 
oh in Florida i had my father in law had his Magellan so I place them head to head from Orlando to Miami and ever time my spoke turn by turn his responded like 20 sec later it was funny as hell but after a day it got annoying
oh in Florida i had my father in law had his Magellan so I place them head to head from Orlando to Miami and ever time my spoke turn by turn his responded like 20 sec later it was funny as hell but after a day it got annoying
Last edited by neojungle1; Sep 17, 2010 at 12:48 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 905
Likes: 176
From: SC
yea the lexus navi is terrible. i did a route to staten island a few months ago and i know it takes me about an hour 45 mins to get there. all 3 routes were approx 2 1/2 to 3 hours. not to mention the system is so slow that by the time it says your at the turn you need to make, your already 200 ft past that road.
Pole Position
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,579
Likes: 1,333
However, I must agree with the OP's opinion--but for a different reason.
I spend most of my time servicing clients in small towns all over the PNW. In a town of 18,000+ people the nav does NOT fuc***** work in my 2010 IS!!!
It says that the route guidance can't tell me how to get to my destination. It pulls up all the destinations but once it cuts out there is a little blue arrow pointing to the general direction of my destination. What's really retarded is that when I do find my way and reach the destination it ironically tells me "You have arrived at your destination"--that pisses me off even more than the fact that I paid over $2k for this worthless option.
Driver
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 77
Likes: 8
From: CA
I'll admit that factory integrated nav/backup camera built-in systems LOOK great. I had a factory Infiniti GPS in my 2007 QX56. But the software for the factory Infiniti GPS was brutal. It didn't have touchscreen (used a joystick), didn't have a QWERTY keyboard (had an alphabetical keyboard-who uses that?!), it had to be stopped or in park to be used (which for safety reasons, I understand), etc.
So when our lease on the QX ended, we bought an 04 RX330 without nav, whew! Glad we passed on the factory nav.
Yeah, an aftermarket GPS can look cumbersome sitting on a dashboard, but in terms of features, an $159 aftermarket GPS easily blows the $2K (or whatever they charge) Lexus Factory Nav. Don't get me started on their $130 annual software updates. I'll take a $159 Garmin any day.
Lexus OEM Nav fans [ducking] flame away!
So when our lease on the QX ended, we bought an 04 RX330 without nav, whew! Glad we passed on the factory nav.
Yeah, an aftermarket GPS can look cumbersome sitting on a dashboard, but in terms of features, an $159 aftermarket GPS easily blows the $2K (or whatever they charge) Lexus Factory Nav. Don't get me started on their $130 annual software updates. I'll take a $159 Garmin any day.
Lexus OEM Nav fans [ducking] flame away!
Last edited by willdogg; Mar 10, 2011 at 11:54 PM.
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: TX
The lexus nav has added countless hours to trips I have had to make. The nav likes to take the driver on the scenic "I don't have to be anywhere route." The nav likes to take the driver by historical sites, whether you want to see them or not. My kids and I humor the nav and we have seen many courthouses we would have missed!! I am 40 holding and the nav led us to the Florida capitol building at 2 a.m. where I was propositioned by a 17 yr old...I think it was the car!!!
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 260
Likes: 181
From: TX
I have to say that I am disappointed in the navi in my new-to-me RX350. I just came from a BMW X3 with a Garmin Nuvi. I also have a BMW 330i with iDrive. The Garmin and iDrive are both easier to operate, and more accurate. My biggest beef is the lack iPhone directory transfers on the RX. I won't even go into the nanny restrictions. Now, if BMW could only have the build quality of Lexus, it would be a perfect world.
Oh, and I want a manual transmission in the RX!
Oh, and I want a manual transmission in the RX!
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 1
From: ON, Canada
Good to know... I def will pass on the navi option when I buy a new car this summer. I used to sell garmins in a former life and I know we always told people that the navi from the factory just doesnt compare and the price is not even laughable.