Based on the advice of a few new friends here, I added the Navigation pkg. The Mercury Mariner brochure isn't that desriptive about exactly what you get.
Can someone tell me exactly what I will get?
Thanks!

ps..I CAN'T WAIT FOR MY MMH!!!

 

Nothing remarkable if you are familar with GPS navigation. A whole new world if you aren't.

In the nav system you have real time mapping of where you are with variable zoom for more or less detail. Also, by entering location addresses or looking up locations by name or category, you can route to them, with audio (voice) prompts.

Also, you get a drive train mimic screen with average and instantaneous MPG information. If you opted for the satellite radio, the media center (radio, CD, MP3 input, etc) is integrated into the same display.

 

I can send a Ford Owner's guide in .pdf to anyone who asks via email.
( I have both the 2005 guide, and 2008 guide )

 

Thanks!

 

Thanks, I heard that with the NAV system, there is a hybrid display?

 

The drive train mimic is a "hybrid display". It shows the battery, motor/generator, engine and wheels and indicates which way power is flowing and approximately how much. This supplements the non-nav hybrid that just has a charge/discharge gauge. The display has, in addition to the power system display, a bar gauge that shows instantaneous MPG (up to 60 mpg) and an average mpg readout, that provides average MPG, either for the last 200 miles or since reset. An alternate display shows the average MPG for each minute for the last 15 minutes.

All this is fun for the passenger but almost too much info for the driver (in my opinion). On those rare occasions when my wife lets me drive the FEH, I tend to just use the charge/discharge gauge.

 

I have experience with several NAV systems and so far am rather impressed with the factory system.

They use Navteq for the database who is one of the best digital map data providers out there. (Google uses them so fourth)

My only quirks with the sytem is that the time to arrival is about 40% too long.

I have had it say that I need to turn left while it shows a right turn on the display...

Otherwise, its highly accurate for street and address data.

 

I would agree with that statement. My 06 FEH came with factory NAV, but I removed it & replaced it with a MUCH better aftermarket NAV setup.

The 08 factory NAV setup is an improvement on the setup I had, but still doesn't hold a candle to the best aftermarket setups.

~John

 

Maybe the system "knows" that hybrid drivers, drive rather conservatively. Therefore, it typically takes us about 40% longer to reach our destinations.

 

Patrick,

I haven't looked at my '08 settings in a while but I remember that there is a way to set the default speeds for interstate and rural roads. These values are most likely used in Time-To-Destination calculations. I bet if you changed those values to match your driving style, the time-to-destination numbers would be more realistic.

Check the manual or look through the MENU, MAP, and DEST screens. It should be there somewhere. If you can't find it, I'll look at mine when the wife gets home.