GPS in a Prius

I've used a lot of Garmins over the years and they work very well.

However, they all are a pain to set up and remove because someone may want it and not care what damage is done to your car to get it. I've had that happen on my old Ford. Damage was more than the unit they stole.

Now I've gotten them built-in. It's always there an running if you need it. Convenience is a big plus. Less theft to worry about as well as unplugging, removing (that dash in the Prius is deep!) and setting up the thing everytime you get in the car. Since then, I'll never own another car without it being built-in. It integrates to well into the vehicle's sound/phone system and you can talk to it whereas the portables aren't there yet.

My two cents.

B~

...spending $2000 every three years for the privilege.

Any of the PocketPC/GSM Phone/GPS units works fine, if you can live without the Mac sync business (or maybe it is possible, but I have no need).

News wrote in news:2Yednf7wsedhrCLbnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@speakeasy.net:

We have a 2007 Prius with the navigation systemm, and a portable Garmin for our other cars. The Toyota system is very well integrated into the car and uses the display that is also used for climate control, audio, energy monitoring, etc. The only problem we've found is that the system will not let you (or more accurately, your passenger) set or modify any destination (or even serach for restaurants, etc.) while the car is moving. That turned out to be a REALLY big irritation.

The Garmin works well, has slightly more complete coverage of some areas of Canada, and is easy to mount. Moreover, unlike the Toyota built-in, an occupant in the car can program in a destination while underway. Unfortunately, any way we've tried to mount it is very intrusive and, well, ugly. It has to be close to some glass area in order to maintain consistent communication with the satellites, so it's hard to hide it. Just plugging it in loose and sitting it in the center console or some such is just not workable. It comes with a suction cup windshield mount that is very effective if you don't mind visibility being seriously compromised by a large chunky thing stuck in your field of vision.

I have no idea about MAC compatibilty.

Also, Garmin mentions that in some states it's illegal to stick suction cups devices on the windshield. I know CA is one. They make abean bag weighted unit for some of their units to get around that issue.

B~

You can disable this safety feature, I believe, although I've never tried it myself. I think it's in the FAQ on priuschat.com.

Paul

Someone on priusonline.com claims that his works perfectly well mounted down under the radio, in front of the cupholders.

Unfortunately for me, that's where my XM radio is....

I don't have a Prius yet but I do have a Garmin C340 and I love it. I ordered an inexpensive tiny antenna with a long cable on it and can mount it anywhere in my car. I can also use my PC, no idea about OSX, to program it and put custom points of interest or way points in. For example, I have all of the radio stations by categories such as talk, jazz, news, etc. I can just touch that item on the screen and it gives distances and directions as well as frequencies. If I want to listen to NPR on a trip I can use my GPS to stay tuned to those stations. I love the flexibility of the Garmin. See

tons of custom way points that you can download and install onyour unit. I have experienced the built in GPS and would vote for theportable one. In my PT Cruiser it is not that obtrusive mounted on thewindshield but the Prius has a slightly different configuration. Withthe antenna extension you can put it anywhere.

Other Garmin models may be different, but our C330 has a connection for a remote antenna. We put the antenna on the dash near the right corner - it is small enough to sit there on its own - and put the unit between the front seats. There is a configuration item that has to be changed for the external antenna and changed back when it is not being used. In a more permanent installation the antenna could be put under the dash if desired.

Mike

You can disable it only on 2004 and 2005 models. Toyota removed that back door in the 2006 and 2007 models.

That raises the question of what happens if you have a 2004 or 2005 model but upgrade to the most recent DVD. Can you still disable it, or does the upgrade effectively mean you have a 2006-07 model of the GPS?

My guess is the DVD only updates the database and the interlock is in firmware :-(

Mike

They're completely different systems; the screen is larger, the graphics are quite different, etc., in the 06 and 07 models.

The built-in system in the Prius offers a few advantages over a portable GPS unit.

• uses existing (often larger) display screen, touch and voice activated

• uses existing audio (mutes radio for directions on driver's speaker)

• has dead-reckoning ability. The Prius' navigation uses a series of gyroscopes and the vehicle's speed sensor to know how fast it's going and of any turns made, and can plot this on the map, even if the navigation system has lost all satelite contact (such as in a long tunnel or parking garage complex).

• uses car's own charging system (no batteries to change out or messy charging cords)

• difficult to steal or accidentially misplace/lose

• single DVD, so no swapping out of discs or memory cards when on a long trip. (US/Canada on one DVD, for example)

However, a portable GPS system has a few advantages over the built-in system in the Prius:

• available often for cheaper than the built-in system

• can be added after purchase

• can be used in other vehicles, or when walking/biking/etc.

• map/POI updates are often easier to get, more frequent updates, and may be cheaper (if you only update your local area and not the entire continent as on the Toyota system)

• may have some features (such as breadcrumbs/remembered routes) not available on the built-in system

Toyota doesn't have update DVDs very often, but they're usually in the US$250-$300 range... If you are in Europe/UK, you can lookup DVD updates and purchase through

Do note that you cannot easily add the factory Navigation system to a Prius not already built with it. (At least 2X the parts cost alone as compared with the option pricing, let alone a lot of labor...) So if you want it, you'll have to order it that way. US 2007 Prius option packages #5 NL, #6 NW, Touring #5 NM, #6 NR, all have the factory navigation included. If your local dealer/region doesn't offer the #5 NL or NM, you may want to see if your dealer is willing to swap outside of your region, or else you may want to yourself go out of your local region to get the package you want. Try different ZIP codes in the "build and price your Prius" link on the left side under "Shopping Tools": Yes, the Toyota system has a speed lockout of most Navigation buttons when you are moving. (Home and the 4 or 5 preset destinations still work, as do various voice commands.) For 2006, a larger display (with better resolution) and newer navigation system was added, which doesn't accept the known screen button hack to allow use of the screen while in motion, but now does allow destination input by voice command. (Voice commands are usually spotty at best. 8( )

If you really are annoyed by the speed lockout, you could purchase a Lockpick:

As to whether a portable unit or the integrated Toyota unit is best, that is really a personal decision...

snipped-for-privacy@TOGROUPmacconsult.com (Mike Rosenberg) wrote in news:1i2sfed.33whjd6o24vzN% snipped-for-privacy@TOGROUPmacconsult.com:

Well, according to posts from at least one person who upgraded the DVD (to Version 6.1, I think), the disable feature disappeared -- and further, the older version then could not be reloaded, since the computer protects against overwriting with a less-current version.

On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 23:29:04 -0400, Shawn Hirn put together some random words that came up with:

What I did what get a Garmin 7500, get the external plug-in antenna and have someone mount it under the dash in the center by the front window, and hang the nav in front of the plastic tray with the smokey fold-down plastic piece in the center of the dash by the front cup holder. Any good car stereo shop will fix you up with plug in power and mounting.

Then you have a FAR BETTER nav then the Denso nav that Toyota uses, you can take it out when you want, and you can update the database over the web with SD cards.

A bonus to this is that the nav screen doesn't get washed out by the sun, and you can keep the consumption screen on the regular display together with the nav screen. Also, you don't have to put up with the the lockout.

Steve

I thought I vaguely remembered reading something like that somewhere. I'd really like to upgrade but losing the disable feature would be a big blow to me.

I purchased an Accord with NAV. I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 360 for my Pilot and travel. I think the Nuvi is more useful than the Accord NAV. I wish I had saved my money in the Accord.

Get a portable NAV!

G-Man

Nope.

See Coastal E Tech's web site for the Lockpick 3. 06 and 07 models included.