Dr C

After having Nav in my BMW for 3 years, I was completely hooked on it. Use it all the time.

In my IS, I really like the way everything in integrated into one central screen. I suspect that IS without nav system may be harder to sell down the road, particularly if it stays as popular at it seems to be now.

Lexy GS430

The nav on the IS350 has just awesomel graphics, and display text. Diffinitely a must for a car like the new mighty IS350

is250_fan

I think I rather have a nice new laptop then nav. if i really wanted to emulate the nav, i would get broadband that went everywhere that I went (think verizon is doing this now). i guess never having it I don't see the big advantage...especially for 2k.

kensteele

You're kidding, right?

pinoychris

I just have to say that the Nav helped me and my friends find the closest taco bell and dennys when were were up in Big Bear a couple of weeks ago. If we hadn't looked it up in my nav, we would have been some unhappy campers. =)

jeffyee123

I agree that nav is cool, but the technology of tom tom, garmin, and others is far superior, constantly getting better, and cost a lot less. There's a good article about this if you search "best navigation system" on google. Pretty much talks about how car installed nav's look great but can't keep up with the 3rd party systems. I like nav, but with technology changing so much faster than I buy cars, I opted to save the cash. The lexus nav does make the car look pretty slick though.

wade4895

buying lexus without nav is just like having chicken rice without chicken...

kensteele

Since I have about 2 garmin standalone gps devices, tom tom on my treo, and several street atlas software programs on my computer using bluetooth, i'm going to have to disagree with this statement.

All gps devices work using the same technology. The author of that article was definitely smoking on something if he says GPS technology is changing fast. I've been working with the gps thru the '90s and it hasn't changed much lol.

diablo1

One thing about my nav though - it doesn't always get the details right. For example, last night I was driving on the 1-9 in Jersey, and at one point you have to get to the right in order to be able to take I-78. However this happens about 5 miles before the actual turn. So, when it came time to turn, Ms. Lexus was like, "Turn right, now," but I couldn't because it was on the wrong side of the divider. Similarly, on my way back, it told me to get off one exit too early for the Holland Tunnel and drive thru Jersey City. Also, for short drives, it just doesn't always find the best route. Driving from my garage to my apartment, for example, can be done in about 1/2 the distance of the nav's recommended route.

Overall it's awesome though, and very good for going longer distances. Plus it comes with backup camera, Bluetooth, and that huge, beautiful screen.

OUMalibu

I have a Tom Tom Go (very highly rated by all the mags) and it's a great product, but it's a pain to use because I can't leave it out in the car when I use the valet because they could just slip it in their pocket and the screen is much smaller than what you'd get in something like the IS.

As a result, I don't use it as much as I'd like -- it's just too much of a hassle to worry about sometimes.

Lexus3oi

i agree it adds bling factor, but personally, i could see myself never using it...i ask myself how many times in the last couple of years have i had the need for a MAP...ummm, like maybe once or twice

and getting NAV + ML, allows the playing of DVD movies...again, major bling factor, but would i ever really watch movies in the car?..probably not

for $4k, i can buy a nice 60" TV, which would be used much more

YYZlexus

Looks like its going to be a new plasma in the basement and new Whirlpool Duets instead of NAV...

jeffyee123

I think the author's point was that the speed at which routes calculate, the maps themselves, and the interfaces are getting better with each generation. I used my friends BMW 3series Nav (one of the first indash nav's - 5 years ago)...the coolness factor was great...but compared to NAV's now...it's slow in calculating things. And the voice commands and voice interface can only get better in the next year or two. One thing's good though..it didn't lock you out when you drove...does the lexus nav do this?

kensteele

Map data gets better over time, the UI gets better over time, all of those kinds of things are improving as GPS become more mainstream, more affordable, and manufacturers have to support those devices. While the technology hasn't changed much, a GPS device today is probably cooler than a GPS device from 5 years ago.

Here's what I would call a major technological improvement:

1.If you drive thru a tunnel or underground garage, the Navi will still register well because it will rely on direct vehicle inputs when the signal is weak. So this is done today already, it's significant, and most standalones don't or can't do this I believe. check this off.

2.If the Navi could figure out your driving habits, you wouldn't need shortest route, no tolls, avoid one-way streets, etc. The Navi would know that you like to take freeways because they are quicker even tho longer, that you avoid city traffic, and perhaps you like to take rural routes. Right now, no Nav does this that I am aware of. Navi would know this after analysing 1,000s of miles of your driving (and the car even knows who's driving).

3.Download traffic information and affect your routing appropriately. When they accomplish this, I'll call it a leap in technology. Would be awesome to see ahead of time that the Missouri river bridge is "red" or bumper-to-bumper when I'm still 20 miles away. Real time data.

4.I'd like to see points of interest get updated over the air every quarter. Better yet, when you drive across the city, your Nav is automatically updated with local beacons that transmit updated info from that quadrant. You don't have to wait for an update disc each year, your city is responsible for keeping it's data current. Add some adverts too if you wish.

5.Finally, my favourite; relief. I like contour lines and topographic info found in Delorme's Topo 5.0, I want to see the terrailn. Yes it's flat in Kansas, but when they add this to the Navi...view #1: regular; view #2: sattelite picture like in Google Earth; view #3: weather maps/radar picture/precip; view #4: topographic.. now Nav technology has arrived.

Yes it's expensive and it requires broadband (maybe a subscription) and it's distracting to the driver, that's today....I predict tomorrow it will happen.

Lexus of Glendale

Navigation is GREAT. Most especially this "new and improved" 5th generation navigation. I vote a definate yes!