I am just wondering. My friend with a MDX said Acura wants $130 or so for an updated map. How much does Lexus wants for the RX 350 map update, anybody knows? Thanks.

 

http://www.lexusnavigation.com/faq.php

Looks like the cost is $ 199 (excluding labor) for the Fall, 2010 version that came out.

 

dealer cost is around $300. my RX is one of those earlier model that had ver8 map which got updated to ver9. I was able to get courtesy update so i didn't have to pay but the cost was $305 in total. can't remember exactly where i read the detail update info, but i looked up "what update" on v10 and it wasn't worth the money. if you still have ver8, it will be a huge update to ver9/ver10.

 

I have seen in the nav screen an update. I was playing around one day and there was a screen for updating, I did not go all the way as I did not want to pay for one yet. The dealer has told me they can do the updates via the enform connection.

 

Interesting. I wonder how long it takes? Or did you mean they, as in service advisor or they, as in mother Lexus? If mother Lexus, how is payment made?

 

Is version 9 as ugly as version 8? or have they made it nicer and more friendly?

 

I'm not sure Lexus can make it nicer. I miss the GPS in our Pathfinder Nissan. It had "birds' eye" view. Always drove with that feature turned on.

I should go car shop'n and check out the other manufacturer's GPS to see how far Lexus is behind the competition.

Too bad there isn't a web site that makes different car GPS comparisons.

 

mine required firmware upgrade before upgrading to ver9. not sure if ver8 to ver9 will be any different in looks but upgrade changed the intro color to lighter blue and nothing else. only other improvement noticed was iPod "disconnecting" did not occur after the upgrade so that itself was a huge improvement for me. since then i have replaced iPod with a 8GB flash drive and navigating through the folders are "hit-or-miss". sometimes it will allow scrolling up-down and sometimes its "grayed" prevent using the scrolling option. not 100% sure/remember but after upgrade i noticed that I can select "HOME" while vehicle is in motion and also select one of the address from address book only in same screen but no scrolling unless the vehicle comes to a complete stop. I would recommend upgrade from ver8 to ver9-10 since there were lot of map updates but I don't think its worth $300 to upgrade ver9 to ver10. I don't think upgrade can be done at home just with the flash drive map update without the Lexus software. that is what dealer told me but that may not be totally true.

 

The USB just holds the "key" and actual data is downloaded using the Techstream laptop.

 

So are you saying that anyone with the techstream software and the USB key can update their own navigation system maps?