RX330 navigation worth the cost?

OK, given the choice of an RX 330 with navigation vs. one without, but with the best of the after-market navigation systems (portable), which would you get an why?

The after-market will be less polished, no doubt, but 1/2 as expensive plus there is the issue of updated data-bases and portability.

Any and all comments welcome, especially from RX330 owners.

-nopcbs

"It's good to want things." S. Barr (philosopher, poet, humorist, chemist, Visual Basic.Net programmer)

Reply to
GRL
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GRL: all i can tell you is my wife has a ls430 with basically the same navigation system and loves it. It is very easy to use and we live in the bay area and more than once it hs gotten us out of a jam. Also, the touch screen is great. One thing we don't like: you have to be in stopped to enter a destination. That is a "safety feature" that is a pain especially when the passenger can put in the address.

Reply to
AG

You also get Bluetooth hands free and steering wheel controls; great feature if you have a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone.

Reply to
jay

You also get Bluetooth hands free and steering wheel controls; great feature if you have a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. Not to mention the backup camera, which is standard with the NAV.

Reply to
jay

The navigation system is great (re: LS430), but I would guess there are many 'near' accidents during the early periods of getting acquainted with the device. It is very easy to be distracted from what SHOULD be your first priority. The principal driver should have little trouble acclimating, but be VERY careful if you lend the car to "friends" and/or family. The portable devices tend to have about 1/2 the screen size, and many time must be 'reloaded' for a particular local.

Reply to
Jerohm

It is one of the best feature of my RX 330. You also get the backup camera when you get the GPS. Together it tis a great package just expensive.

Reply to
CFL

Having had both there are pros and cons on each side Pros on Lexus larger screen and built in. Has a large Drive DVD which is supposed to give you coverage over the entire US. I haven't had a chance to try this feature out. Cons. Voice activations do not work very well, Lexus is supposed to work on mine. I had it in twice and still no better. Cannot change destination without stopping Vehicle.

After Market Pros Can be taken when traveling on aircraft and used on car rental. I had a Garmin SPIII it worked great. And was able to be programmed underway Cons Smaller screen limited area for use unless reprogrammed from computer.

I understand there are new units on the after market, with touch screens and Large hard drives which might correct the cons.Cost under $1000. Incoming & Outgoing mail scanned with NAV

----- Original Message ----- From: "CFL" Newsgroups: alt.autos.lexus Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 7:38 AM Subject: Re: RX330 navigation worth the cost?

Reply to
Burt

Once you get the Nav on any Toyota or Lexus, it will be hard to get a car without one... I have one in my 4runner and my Sienna... it has been a life saver many times...

Reply to
Dan J.S.

There are pros and cons to each system. The built in system on my LS430 (basically the same as on other Lexi) is great, except for a couple of things: the Points of Interest database (restaurants and such) is lousy, the search engine is bad, it almost never finds intersections and Lexus does not update its maps very often and charges an arm and a leg for updated DVDs.

My Garmin 2710 has two weaknesses: a screen much smaller that the Lexus, though big enough to be useful, and it does not have dead reckoning, so if you lose the satellites it stops working ? does not happen very often. On the positive side: it has a huge database of Points of Interest (way better than Lexus), the search engine is a pleasure to use and with a 2GB memory card it holds the maps for all of the US and Canada, or you could get a 2720 that has all the maps preinstalled on a micro drive. If I had to decide now I would NOT buy the built in Lexus system - they charge too much for it and do not update the maps in a timely manner.

Reply to
Colin

After buying a used RX330 with the built-in NAV, I tend to agree with you, but for another reason. I don't really care for the fact that some non-NAV controls operate through the NAV touch screen. I think smarter move is to get the basic version and buy an add-on NAV. Not as well incorporated, of course, but portable and you get better non-NAV controls.

Reply to
GLitwinski

I was wondering if you can get the phone/bluetooth feature without NAV?

Reply to
jwilli

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