mrs. ricepad and I have decided to purchase a Toyota Prius, and have agreed on all the important stuff - color, CD changer, etc - but we haven’t figgered out whether the touch-screen navigation system is worth the money (they want another $1,900 for it). Is it worth $1,900? Is it worth $1,600, the wholesale cost? Any dopers out there with some wisdom?
C’mon, help us hug some trees!
I say nay. What’s the point of purchasing one, besides the cool-factor?
Think about what else you can get for $1,900. A new computer. A whole new entertainment system. A nice piece of furniture. A vacation. If you keep the car for 6 years, that’s $25 a month it will cost you. That’ll get you HBO and Cinemax.
I like gadgets, but that’s pretty damn steep.
I love navigation systems and GPS in general, but I’d recommend against most of the built-in touchscreens in cars today. With all the other distractions in cars now (cellphone, cd changer, McMuffin) an instrument that you have to look at to operate (thereby taking your eyes off the road) is a Bad Idea. After all, you can’t very well feel your way around a touchscreen like you can with a knob-n-button stereo or a/c panel. One or the other of the venerable Magliozzi Bros. comments on the issue here.
How much does a map cost?
Nix on the Nav.
Oh, if you can afford it, get it!
I first had one in my Benz truck because my husband insisted on it. I had the same reaction most people in this thread did (“You’re buying a $2500 MAP? Are you frigging INSANE?”) but the thing was terribly valuable and worth every penny.
For instance, the first night we moved here to California our daughter developed a 103 degree temperature. We hadn’t even finished unloading the moving truck, much less got a new pediatrician. We had no idea where the closest hospital was but the nav system did.
The lease was up on my truck so I got a new Benz station wagon with the nav now integrated into the dash. I don’t worry about looking at the map on the dash because I have the audio ("get ready to turn left in 800 feet) and a display behind the steering wheel (right inside the speedometer needle) with the minimum info. If you go here and click under pictures/interior view look behind the steering wheel and you’ll see a little digital screen where I can see the nav info, the radio info, mileage, etc.
It’s great when I go up to SF! I don’t know the area very well, but my car gets me exactly where I want to go, every time. It was great when I lived in Boston as I didn’t grow up there so was mostly lost w/o it. It’s great here because I didn’t grow up here either. Not only that, but even if I DO know where I’m going it’s nice because can find the closest Taco Bell, parking garage or gas station. And hospitals. And museums. And hotels. And Kiddo’s new friend’s houses.
The only way I would suggest NOT getting one is if you know the area where you live/work intimately and travel outside of it only rarely. For me, it’s fabulous and I would never think of not having one.
And yes, my husband still says, “I told you so!” three years later.
In a related vein, I’d definitely get one of those portable GPS navigation systems for my wife, since she can’t read a map to save her life. Maps are great for those of us who are skilled at reading them, but (oddly enough) not everyone can.
I have an Alpine GPS system with in dash video monitor (CVA-1005 for those interested.) and love it. It has been so usefull am almost pounding my head against a wall because I haven’t been able to use it the last few months. (Moved to Ohio, only have CD for Cali and Nevada, can’t afford new CD due to unemployment.)
The lack of tactile feed back is an issue, but it should have voice directions anyway, because you shouldn’t be able to access the controls while the car is moving.