Thanks for your comment. I have never used the system but I can imagine that is very useful.

Regards.

 

Exactly. Not all of us have nothing but state of the art, all the time. Since I upgraded from a '95 Explorer that had a broken tape deck, I feel it's pretty darn neat. Oh sure, there's better stuff now, but the Navigation system has led me faithfully from MI to SC and WI without failure, reduced triptics to a needless extra, and hasn't let me down. The Fuel Display has been invaluable to getting better MPGs, and the display makes showing the technology off to people who know basically nothing about hybrids rather easy.

 

But for those of us who DIDN'T get the factory Nav system (I took what I could get off the lot), there ARE functional aftermarket solutions.

 

OK, the Nav isn't worthless....but it is far from being worth what we paid for it. Yes it works, but the screen is tiny and the maps are outdated and CD based. For half the price you can get a far superior aftermarket unit with a screen that is 3x as large. Add to that the capability of CURRENT units to handle Satellite radio and MP3 CD's and the current unit is pretty close to worthless. Is it better than nothing? Yes. Is it better than a map? Yes.

Aside from the Hybrid and fuel economy screens, there is no point to purchasing this unit.

 

Its true.... but it can be said about any factory head unit (even just the ones that are stereos). Lets face it.... with a built-in dash unit you always overpay for unit that is far outclassed by the other options out there. The speakers are paper crap too.

In this case its just a more expensive unit to begin with, theres little new here so lets not over debate it...

 

What you might be forgetting, is that roads are constantly changing. New ones are built. Old ones closed off or re-routed. Intersections "improved".

So, slowly but surely, the maps on the NAV system will get worse and worse. Become more wrong and more inaccurate. I guarantee you, you will need to use paper maps because the NAV system maps will not match, at all, the real world.

I mean, I find this true with my handheld Garmin GPS. The maps are only one year old, and are already outdated. And that is only for my own town!

All because Ford isn't bothering to have NAVTEQ keep the CD's updated.

 

I don't know where you get the statement that Navteq isn't updating the maps. There is an update to the 2005 maps for the Escape.... from what I've heard every two years is about standard for Navteq, that would mean another update in 2007.... its 2006.

 

NAVTEQ is constantly updating its maps with minor revisions, and typically do major releases in under a year.

Ford is shipping the 2007 models with the same maps as they shipped the 2005 models.

Sorry, but fail to see even a hint that Ford will commission NAVTEQ to ever do another update. Like I said, IMHO, Ford sees CD-based NAV disks as obsolete technology.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by WaltPA

What you might be forgetting, is that roads are constantly changing. New ones are built. Old ones closed off or re-routed. Intersections "improved".

So, slowly but surely, the maps on the NAV system will get worse and worse. Become more wrong and more inaccurate. I guarantee you, you will need to use paper maps because the NAV system maps will not match, at all, the real world.

I mean, I find this true with my handheld Garmin GPS. The maps are only one year old, and are already outdated. And that is only for my own town!

All because Ford isn't bothering to have NAVTEQ keep the CD's updated.

No WaltPA – I am NOT forgetting that there are constant changes in roads, POIs etc. As I stated in my earlier post, about a trip I made from Atlanta to Williamsburg, VA then to Washington, DC, then on to NYC, YES – there were anomalies in the data and the real world. Case in point – we were, I think in the Raleigh/Durham area, suddenly we were on a new section of I-95 that had just been opened. There is no way that ANY CD/DVD/HD based data unit would have shown it. Yes the map screen had us out in the middle of nowhere. We did not panic and blame Ford and the NAV unit for the DOT making a change in the road that had not been ‘Instantly Updated’ to our disk. Common sense told us we were on the right road at that point and within a few miles we were back on track. On another occasion the supermarket we were looking for had just been bulldozed.

I think it is irrational to slam Ford for data that is supplied for them by a second/third party vendor – NAVTEQ. For any system to keep up with these constant changes you could not rely on any CD/DVD/HD based system. To be as current as you are suggesting, the data would have to be auto updated to your navigation device say via satellite or tap directly into their database, (the last would probably be the best).

I also disagree with your statement “All because Ford isn't bothering to have NAVTEQ keep the CD's updated.” When you get a new set of data disk, they do come from NAVTEQ and not Ford. I feel sure that they, NAVTEQ, would want the latest data they have on the disk, not for Fords good name - but Their own reputation of supplying quality data.

NAVTEQ relies on input from their own personnel and the general public to keep up to date. Check out Yahoo Maps , Google Maps, other GPS systems from Alpine, Honda/Acura, BMW, GM, JVC, Kenwood, Lowrance, Panasonic, Pioneer - - - they are all using the same NAVTEQ data – it is not just Ford or Fords data that is being used.

You stated “So, slowly but surely, the maps on the NAV system will get worse and worse.” That is why you have to shell out the $200 for a new set of disk – albeit they will already be out of date when you get them. Yeah – I guess if you never upgraded and used say a year 2000 set you could be in real trouble. Check out the post #1 in ‘Thoughts after a 2005 Mile Trip’ by Pravus Prime (Rich) – he made it OK.

 

Looking at the navteq website for updates... I guess I'm glad I don't have a Pioneer AVIC-50 system... whose maps haven't been updated since 2001... or a Clarion... same year... or a Porsche 911 (not since 2004) Or a VW since 2004...

In short... some of them are more up to date than others.... I see little to connect it to just being FORD or just that its a CD based system and "obsolete" for that particular reason.

What did people do to get from place to place before GPS anyway? I mean my parents managed to navigate fairly well using a printed map that was as many as 5 years old!

The world isn't perfect.... relax a bit.