Prius Sat Nav

[Doesn'tExist]

Many features like muting my stereo when it give directions...or not talking over me when I am on the phone, or removing itself from the dash when I quickly nip out to get a pint of milk in order to prevent having my window smashed in? Does a TomTom do that all? Great I'll have one instead

[bobm]

hmmm...not sure mine mutes the stereo completly when giving directions, seems to just come through one speaker but the radio is still on the other speaker!!

[Doesn'tExist]

hmmm...not sure mine mutes the stereo completly when giving directions, seems to just come through one speaker but the radio is still on the other speaker!!

You are right, mute wasn't the right word, it takes over one speaker so you can hear it properly....

[acetip]

Many features like muting my stereo when it give directions...or not talking over me when I am on the phone, or removing itself from the dash when I quickly nip out to get a pint of milk in order to prevent having my window smashed in? Does a TomTom do that all? Great I'll have one instead

suggest you have your milk delivered.

the voice directions are given to to help get to you chosen destination.

why would you find fault with that.

but there we all have different preverences, and we are free to make choices,and we must be gratefull for that.

and i respect yours. as i hope you respect mine.

my son has an lexus with a simular sat nav to the toyota one, he is a high miliage driver he finds it ok in towns

but discribes it as rubbish outside them. he now uses a tomtom for longer journys. his batts last 3 hours.

he does not use a screen mounting but it sits on sort of bean bag and it does not move. as its used on a Battery,

sticks it out of site in his glove box only when he parks in places where the public have access to.

when he has to hide it,it takes a couple of seconds.

[Seamaster73]

Many features like muting my stereo when it give directions...or not talking over me when I am on the phone, or removing itself from the dash when I quickly nip out to get a pint of milk in order to prevent having my window smashed in?

You need sat nav to find a pint of milk?

You car's spec is the least of your worries.

[Doesn'tExist]

I do when I am at a client and want to go home and get it along the road somewhere.

[Seamaster73]

I do when I am at a client and want to go home and get it along the road somewhere.

The you need a Tomtom. You can use Google search for the nearest supermarket.

Drop us a line when the Toyota system has caught up with that.

[Doesn'tExist]

Comprehension is a wonderful capability. The act wasn't finding a place where to buy the milk, which was a figure of speech in the first place, the act was not having to remove everything out of sight when you make a quick stop along your route. Be it the cornershop you just saw, or a run to the toilet at a motorway services.

But in response to your question, the poi db does have grocery shops. No need for a data connection to google, which in my case my iPhone and iPad already have. Besides a tom-tom also has a poi db for that kind of thing.

[Seamaster73]

POIs and Google search are not the same thing. The former are out of date the moment you install them. And POIs are never as comprehensive as Google.

How does removing a Tomtom differ from removing your iPhone, iPad, etc?

[timberwolf]

Why not an iSatNav, the only POI would be to Apple Stores, the iSatNav wouldn't receive a signal if you stuck it on the right-hand side of windscreen, you could only buy a speed camera database from iTunes, the iSatNav would only generate one route (not a choice of quickest or shortest) because Apple users are generally confused if there is more than one choice.

[Doesn'tExist]

Ouch

Navigon works really well on my iPhone and I must be holding it right as although I can create the 'problem' if I want it just doesn't happen under normal use...Also Navionics works brilliantly on my iPad on the boat...very good!

[stompe]

Ouch

Navigon works really well on my iPhone and I must be holding it right as although I can create the 'problem' if I want it just doesn't happen under normal use...Also Navionics works brilliantly on my iPad on the boat...very good!

I-Pad sorry to hear your incontinent! :P only joking

[Jan&tone]

I can't understand the problems with sat Navs, surely they are an aid, not a bible ???

[acetip]

I can't understand the problems with sat Navs, surely they are an aid, not a bible ???

hi jan&tone

SO ENDITH THE SERMON

[Jan&tone]

I can't understand the problems with sat Navs, surely they are an aid, not a bible ???

hi jan&tone

SO ENDITH THE SERMON

lol - seriously though, it's a bit like those idiots that find themselves in the middle of a field 'because the satnav said to turn right here' - or the lorry that went through a village that had a narrow bit in the middle and got stuck....

please!!!!

A satnav is only as good as the person that programmed it in the first place and the person that sits behind the drivers seat pushing the buttons....

In my three Toyota's that have had factory fitted satnav, two Avensis and now my gen2 Prius, I've never got lost with it and on occasions it has actually said 'you have reached your destination' at the exact position of the house I've been looking for....

So c'mon guys, use it as it should be used, in conjunction with your brain!!!!!!

[stompe]

I can't understand the problems with sat Navs, surely they are an aid, not a bible ???

hi jan&tone

SO ENDITH THE SERMON

lol - seriously though, it's a bit like those idiots that find themselves in the middle of a field 'because the satnav said to turn right here' - or the lorry that went through a village that had a narrow bit in the middle and got stuck....

please!!!!

A satnav is only as good as the person that programmed it in the first place and the person that sits behind the drivers seat pushing the buttons....

In my three Toyota's that have had factory fitted satnav, two Avensis and now my gen2 Prius, I've never got lost with it and on occasions it has actually said 'you have reached your destination' at the exact position of the house I've been looking for....

So c'mon guys, use it as it should be used, in conjunction with your brain!!!!!!

Yeah right! its not supposed to take you exactly to your destination because if thieves nicked your motor it would take you right to the place you live and also it gives you time to find parking before you reach your destination as some times it is not always convenient to park outside. I know nothing in life is perfect but I think paying £170 a year plus for the update and the premium of buying the T-spirit to get the inbuilt satnav, that Navtec could supply a better update for their mapping then they have supplied with my latest update, i.e. a map database that is two years out of date as I have said earlier on this thread is totally unacceptable.

Stompe

[Doesn'tExist]

Nothing wrong with a t spirit :-) best version in the range....

And you don't have to spend £170 per year in updates. Our five year old murano map gets us just fine to an unknown destination. Sure there may be an occasional new round about, so what.

It seems there are two camps, I'd like to take some own responsibility for finding my way and use it as an aid. Still think you can't beat the built-in look.

[Jan&tone]

Stompe, I take your points, but the only destination you NEVER put in exactly is your own home!!!!

Exactly my point about using your own brain.

I too prefer a satnav that is not a target for thieves, too many cars are being broken into just because someone has forgotten to remove the tell tale signs of a tom-tom or gamin etc..

There are definitely two camps on this subject, I'm definitely in the factory fitted one.

[timberwolf]

Yeah right! its not supposed to take you exactly to your destination because if thieves nicked your motor it would take you right to the place you live and also it gives you time to find parking before you reach your destination as some times it is not always convenient to park outside. I know nothing in life is perfect but I think paying £170 a year plus for the update and the premium of buying the T-spirit to get the inbuilt satnav, that Navtec could supply a better update for their mapping then they have supplied with my latest update, i.e. a map database that is two years out of date as I have said earlier on this thread is totally unacceptable.

Stompe

I would guess that the blame for the age of the mapping data has to be shared between Navteq, the SatNav manufacturer and Toyota.

IIRC companies such as Navteq sell and license what can be a very detailed mapping data in a raw format to the SatNav manufacturers. It is then up to the SatNav company to process and compress that raw mapping data into a data format that the manufacturers satnav products can use. Each product could have a different data format although you'd probably expect that a family of products from a manufacturer would use a common data format. Finally, you have Toyota choosing how often to buy map updates and then offer them for sale to us.

[stompe]

Yeah right! its not supposed to take you exactly to your destination because if thieves nicked your motor it would take you right to the place you live and also it gives you time to find parking before you reach your destination as some times it is not always convenient to park outside. I know nothing in life is perfect but I think paying £170 a year plus for the update and the premium of buying the T-spirit to get the inbuilt satnav, that Navtec could supply a better update for their mapping then they have supplied with my latest update, i.e. a map database that is two years out of date as I have said earlier on this thread is totally unacceptable.

Stompe

I would guess that the blame for the age of the mapping data has to be shared between Navteq, the SatNav manufacturer and Toyota.

IIRC companies such as Navteq sell and license what can be a very detailed mapping data in a raw format to the SatNav manufacturers. It is then up to the SatNav company to process and compress that raw mapping data into a data format that the manufacturers satnav products can use. Each product could have a different data format although you'd probably expect that a family of products from a manufacturer would use a common data format. Finally, you have Toyota choosing how often to buy map updates and then offer them for sale to us.

Hope they dont use it in the Military, or perhaps they do, could be called *friendly fire*

[inspiredron]

I would guess that the blame for the age of the mapping data has to be shared between Navteq, the SatNav manufacturer and Toyota.

IIRC companies such as Navteq sell and license what can be a very detailed mapping data in a raw format to the SatNav manufacturers. It is then up to the SatNav company to process and compress that raw mapping data into a data format that the manufacturers satnav products can use. Each product could have a different data format although you'd probably expect that a family of products from a manufacturer would use a common data format. Finally, you have Toyota choosing how often to buy map updates and then offer them for sale to us.

DO NOT BLAME NAVTEQ! I have had a Garmin with Navteq maps for several years. I have lifetime quarterly updates from Garmin for £99 one off fee. Toyota charge £175 + VAT per update. I used screenshots from my Garmin maps to prove to Customer Services that the delivered Sat Nav Maps were nearly 2 years out of date and as a result thay gave me an update free. However, I have to say that, although the built in SatNav is more convenient and has a more refined voice than the Garmin, it is more difficult to use, more difficult to interpret and generally not worth it. I only had it because I wanted the reversing camera and that does not come on its own.

I repeat - don't blame Navteq, their base data is pretty good and can be checked at their own web site and compared with the Toyota map. Toyota seem to have chosen to use a SatNav manufacturer who buys map licences in low volume - therefore they cost more and can't be updated economically as often.

[paultrafalgar]

For those who want to go the TomTom route, I recommend the Factory Refurbished deals to be found here:

http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/products/tomtom-outlet-store/one-regional-v4-refurbished/index.jsp

I have one and for about £70 it does a good job. But you will have to use that thing stuck on top of your neck when it frantically re-calculated the route because of a new road!

[timberwolf]

DO NOT BLAME NAVTEQ! I have had a Garmin with Navteq maps for several years. I have lifetime quarterly updates from Garmin for £99 one off fee. Toyota charge £175 + VAT per update. I used screenshots from my Garmin maps to prove to Customer Services that the delivered Sat Nav Maps were nearly 2 years out of date and as a result thay gave me an update free. However, I have to say that, although the built in SatNav is more convenient and has a more refined voice than the Garmin, it is more difficult to use, more difficult to interpret and generally not worth it. I only had it because I wanted the reversing camera and that does not come on its own.

I repeat - don't blame Navteq, their base data is pretty good and can be checked at their own web site and compared with the Toyota map. Toyota seem to have chosen to use a SatNav manufacturer who buys map licences in low volume - therefore they cost more and can't be updated economically as often.

There is no need to shout.

Garmin also used to charge lots of money for updates. I've paid hundreds of pounds for Garmin mapping data for outdoor/hiking units. On my previous Garmin Nuvi, the update was so expensive, that I didn't bother, and for a recent trip it was cheaper to just buy a newer model.

[Doesn'tExist]

That is where it gets silly when it is cheaper to buy a different model. Navionics maps on my iPhone/iPad are only £15 for the whole of UK & Holland, whilst for the device in my boat the same maps are £250.

I can't wait to plug in my fire and see what filesystem the prius is using.

[Jolly English Gentleman]

The issue of Sat Nav systems in cars is I think similar to the monopoly that Microsoft was accused of having by only making Internet Explorer available on a Windows PC. That monopoly has been broken.

Car manufacturers should leave map provision to map makers. After all Garmin and Tom Tom don't make cars. All manufacturers should be forced to include the ability to provide a link between their computer and a portable sat nav device so that the sat nav can be plugged in with it's display and appearing on the main screen of the car.

I paid for a life time map subscription to Garmin before I considered that I would have a car with inbuilt Sat Nav and I don't know what to do with that Sat Nav now other than to keep it in case I ever venture overseas and need a European map.

The system in my 2007 Prius is useless when it comes to inputting post codes. It does not let you put in the second part of the post code which defeats the object. On the plus side, it's junctions are clearer than the Garmin and it does actually tell you when to turn of a roundabout rather than leave you counting exits. If I could get the mapping database from my Garmin whilst keeping the better parts of the Toyota system I would be a happy man. I am sure that some techie could come up with a retrofit solution if only manufacturers as a whole accepted that it should be up to the car owner to decide what map they wanted to buy.