How much does the Nav really gets used?

cca said:

I've never owned a vehicle with Nav before. I ordered it on my new rig mainly because I liked the big display and the Nav seems like a neat toy..

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You said it just like I would say it. well.. in the beginning. I have not put it to a big trip but I had it on rental car before. Personally I would say you will like it once you realize its potential and features.

The truth is like the Hertz's commercial "Hertz Never Lost!" with a navigation. In the beginning, I think it is kind of fun.. afterward, it is a feature you can have. And you will feel safe by having it. I had the need to go somewhere with an address at dark night. Well.. I could be calling people on the phone and try to see the hard to read street signs, even worse the address numbers off the neighborhood hourses. Your navi will get you there at the exact locatoin.

I also start to use it like a phone book, believe it or not. You can find store phone numbers off the system once you become more comfortable with it.

Since you have it... try not to say something like " I can do it with a $5 map." YOu will need a trunk load of maps in your car. I have friends who say they don't see the need for power windows in the car. To me, I am glad I got the navi!

I'm glad I got the nav.
At first I would try to force it to use the routes I normally take but then realized there is no need for it if I already know where I'm going.

It comes in really handy when you are not too familiar with the area.

Today, while returning from lunch I took a bunch of back streets to avoid the road construction. The Nav was useful in showing me where I was and what streets I was approaching at least until I found a street I recognized.

This weekend, I was able to specify a restaurant I wanted to go to without knowing the address. Despite the fact that I got off track by trying to take "short-cuts" (and getting lost), the Nav recalculated the course and directed me to the restaurant
You just have to trust the Nav and listen to her directions.

Note that I usually use Microsoft Streets & Trips to create maps but I have found that the routing software chooses different routes compared to the Nav. However, the Nav knows where I am better than MS so I put more trust in the Nav.

Another neat feature is that I discovered that my driveway is 22 feet above sea level.

I plan on getting navigation for my next car.

I'm not sure whose voice it really is patterned after but it definitely sounds like a she.

Note that Honda and Alpine both have offices in Torrance, CA and the examples in the Nav manual show local streets/businesses.

I guess someone with the Nav can go over to Good Guys (or some other local Alpine dealer) and determine if the same voice is used.

Since Nav isn't offered in Canada, the sentences don't end in "eh".

By simultaneously holding down the Zoom and Menu buttons you can turn on the "California" mode. This enables phrases such as:
"Right turn ahead, Dude"
"Whoa Dude, you just passed your turn!"
"Start looking for a parking spot"
"Off-ramp in 1/2 mile. Close windows and lock doors."


The altitude readings seems to take a while. Not sure how accurate they are although one time I did see a reading that said I was about 3 feet above sea level.

I don't think I could EVER..........

...........drive another car without a Navigation system (and a good DVD one to boot). After my first experience with the DVD unit in my 2000 Acura 3.2TL I just cannot imagine life without a Navi.......and I've used these devices for almost 2 years now, and I consider myself to be a very PRACTICAL person, so I would definitely know if it's just a TOY or GIMMICK........ The fact that I've spent almost 4K installing an Alpine DVD unit (NVE-851A) on my 4-Runner and will spend another 4K installing a Kenwood DV2100 DVD unit on my commuter Corolla will in itself tell you how useful this device has been!! (unfortunately, the first Nav - factory Acura Unit - was also THE BEST ON THE PLANET - spoiled me .......I guess otherwise I would've never known the difference........ - The Alpine aftermarket unit is not anywhere near as good as the Alpine-made ACURA factory OEM unit )

Even the Lexus Navi which is the second best doesn't really match up to the Acura system OVERALL , even though it is better in some ways (graphics, speed of calculation) - And Lexus does not provide the level of support for it's factory NAV that Acura does - regular DVD updates at a reasonable cost etc.

I WISH ALL CARS SOLD WERE AVAILABLE WITH ACURA DVD NAVIGATION SYSTEMS

Navi accuracy/usefulness

I've taken my MDX from the Bay Area to Tahoe twice now, climbing about 7200 ft. (over the Donner Pass) in the process. Caltrans posts signs indicating elevation every 1000 ft. Every time I passed one of those signs the Navi system was almost dead-on with its reading: e.g. when the sign said I was at 5000 ft. so did the Nav system. So, two possibilities...either both are exactly right, or Caltrans is using the same inaccurate system as Acura!

OTOH, I have noticed that the Nav system doesn't distinguish among types of freeways. Out here in California we have lots of numbered roads that appear on a map as a highway yet in reality are little more than local streets with lots of lights and stop-and-go traffic. Since the Nav system (who we've named "Suvy") doesn't distinguish between the two, many times she has put us on local roads when a freeway, which would be slightly longer distance-wise but much less time-consuming, would have been a better choice. Oh well, it comes down to what an earlier writer said -- if you know where you're going don't use the Nav system, but if you're lost it's wonderful.