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No New MDX til NAV System Upgraded

2K views 9 replies 10 participants last post by  mdxlife 
#1 ·
So I took my 2009 MDX Tech to my dealer for scheduled maintenance and while waiting got into a conversation with a sales rep about upgrading to the new technology in the 2017 model.

I found the new design direction a positive step, and really liked the interior until the NAV system was demonstrated. Are you kidding? The system is kludgy, counter-intuitive and pricy to keep up to date. It is years behind the NAV systems on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Q7 and other SUVs I've cross-shopped. The rep admitted as much.

To have such a fail in a luxury SUV that I otherwise like is a dealbreaker for me. I guess I'll wait for the 4th Generation to catch up or spend my cash elsewhere when the time comes.
 
#3 ·
You're doing the wise thing - checking out the Nav (and hopefully other attributes) before deciding on the purchase. There are a number of people who didn't and are disappointed.

OTOH there are people like me on this point - I'm aware the Nav could stand to be improved and have hit some frustrations with it myself (2014 MDX) but it's really not that big of a deal to me and the other major attributes of the vehicle, such as the handling, power, mileage, size/layout, are far more important to me than the Nav. From a practical perspective I don't really need the Nav for anything over 90% of the time I drive the vehicle because I'm going to the same places I've already been to before and know my way there. This is why it's not such a big deal to me and I'm glad I purchased the vehicle from an overall perspective. Given that, there are certainly improvements that need to be made to the Nav going forward and Acura needs to get with it and put in up to date systems rather than something designed years ago. Google Auto and Apple Carplay solve much of that issue and Honda's already a part of those - they just need to be able to react faster with the newer tech in their vehicles. These really should have been in the 2017.
 
#4 ·
It's the woes of going from the two screen design (with one being touchscreen and controlling the other too) to the single screen solutions they have now. But they started doing the engineering for the Honda side almost half a decade ago, so I guess it just comes down to priorities for them (and thinking we're all old folks who buy MDXes).

Our tech is from 2011ish time frame. That's about 3 generations back of smartphones (iPhone 4 and Galaxy S4 era).
 
#6 ·
The MDX Multi Use Display really sucks balls. Man it is bad. Takes 2 or 3 minutes to boot up too. Once it is warmed up, the speed is okay. I find it intuitive, or maybe I am just use to it. But I still love the vehicle. Not the prettiest girl at the ball but she knows how to take care of you and is not high maintenance.
 
#7 ·
It takes me under 20 seconds to load my VW nav with address and get going vs 3-4min with Acura. While an address entry on VW works just like on the cell phone (whole address on the same screen with auto guess), you have to go trough 4-5 screens on Acura and when it finally decides to guess the city or the street, it's like watching a retard read in foreign language. I can read and send a few text messages on my phone by the time it spells S-A-N F-R-A-N-C-I-S-C-O.....pathetic!
 
#8 ·
IMO, best "nav upgrade" I did was to get a good phone holder and use Waze :) 99% of my navigation goes through that ever since, especially with the traffic where I live - I don't think many on-board Nav systems will outperform Waze / Google Maps in route finding.

Agree the input method of the on-board Nav is terrible. I think the touch screen is a good idea and is the way to go, but the lag makes it unusable. When I do use the Nav, it's either using an address from the recent list, or sending to car via the Acuralink app.

Having said that, I think a dual screen setup is the right choice, with proper usability design. A screen that is within reach of the hand is probably not in the best position to view while driving. Same reason why a laptop is bad for ergonomics in the long run -- you have to choose between an uncomfortable typing position or an uncomfortable neck position.
 
#9 ·
I love my 2014 MDX and the Navi worked great for my recent drive from Florida to New York. I was all set to upgrade it to the new 2017 Advance MDX, but after seeing the 2016 Honda Accord and 2016 Honda Pilot Navi Systems, I decided I must wait another year to get my 6th new MDX. If they do not change the Navi and Apple Car Play by next year, I will be looking at other SUVs. I really want to drive the new Tesla X SUV (its only $). I would also like to see info on the New Hybrid MDX and hope they update the Navi in it.
 
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