BertL

Lots of us complain about the price to upgrade the maps in our Lexus nav systems, and I agree they cost too much in my personal opinion for what they are. With the multiple purchased-new Lexi I've had over the years (starting with gen 2 nav back in those days) only twice have I actually updated the maps before I sold or traded the car, and just got a new nav with latest maps in it when I purchased a new vehicle. I believe it was a lot simpler to do in the past with a DVD that could be replaced as it was a DIY project, but like other mfgrs (e.g. BMW) that went to HDD based nav, it seems for some reason, they have locked us into using Lexus Service for the updates. I see we can purchase the USB key with nav update on it as a part from Sewell, for example, but alas, still have to use Lexus I believe with their proprietary computer system to apply the actual update.

While I love technology as well as having the latest and greatest whenever I can, the reality is, the incremental benefits of each map update is rather targeted, and limited perhaps in the broader scheme of things. E.g. We can now look at the areas where the updates apply (thank you, Lexus) and at least I won't spend big bucks to update maps for areas where I doubt I'll ever go to. The two times I updated in the past were because map updates were made or added to whole new subdivisions or areas I lived or traveled to. Anita's SA for example has told her "not to update", probably for the same logic I try to use.

It has probably been pointed out many times before, but in case it's useful to those reading this latest thread, here are links to help you make your own decision if you need to really even consider an update:

• Determine which gen of nav you have
• Then, check out what has changed here

For me, when the 11.1 update came out, I made the decision I would once again not do the update to my 7 YO RX400h. No updates to roads around where I go, and while POI may have updates, I don't try to find the closest Chinese restaurant or Burger King using my nav. I can always use my cell phone if it comes to that and save a couple hundred bucks.

SGSNRX10

Wondering if I should upgrade my 2010 RX nav. I bought my car and had it serviced at Johnson Lexus until I moved to the Charleston area. They are THE best.

kitlz

Welcome to CL, SGSNRX10. It depends on whether there have been major changes in your area. Even still, I'd wait until the next one when hopefully some of the graphics are upgraded.

DunWkg

Anita, from your experience and crystal ball, when does Lexus stop doing updates with the new nav right around the corner? Would 11.1 be the last update for generation 3s before the refresh?

kitlz

No crystal ball here David. Plus I have yet to update the nav in any of my RXs (14 years now). Don't know what the refresh is going to do, whether it might incorporate some new features or continue as is.

dahnb2000

Just got a 2007 es350 used from a Lexus dealer. They mailed me the 11.1 upgrade. It took less than 10 minutes to upgrade the system. The split screen view is new (don't know if this is an improvement or not)

MEP7557

I have the 11.1 update and there are no new features to it. Just updates to the maps.

I see from the pics of the 2013 RX that they are finally spiffying up the display/ menu portion of the nav. I hope they make it available to all 3 gen owners. I thought that was the purpose of the hard drive based system. We'll see.

billy44bo

Think this hard drive system is to make sure lexus service has to install it and not a diy.

RhoXS

I have to give a large and successful corporation like Toyota/Lexus credit for knowing a lot more than me about marketing. Nevertheless, I still think I possess some reasonable level of common sense so I am finding it very hard to understand the Toyota approach to charging $170 to upgrade the map data. Let me explain.

I, of course, do not know the statistics but I would guess very few owners choose to spend close to or over $200 to update the map and POI data. I can't imagine even one in ten owners buying the upgrade and probably no one that leases the vehicle. $200 just feels much too expensive for a mostly invisible and minimal benefit. So lets assume the price is dropped to $40 including labor (as there really is none to insert a DVD). This is now well below the threshold, at least to me, where I would be intimidated by the cost. Lets also assume each Lexus dealer recommends it as an upgrade every year or two when the car is brought in for maintenance. If I am already letting the dealer soak me for a few hundred dollars for an oil change, another $40 for a nav upgrade is not so far out of something I would probably almost automatically agree to. The large increase in volume would probably at worst break even in terms of profit yet Lexus would not alienate customers such as myself by 1) selling me a $2400 piece of crap and 2) being very offensive at how much they want for an upgrade DVD.

billy44bo

Too bad you are not in charge I like that . I would also wish they had a website to fix the bad locations on some of the POI's. That way we could fix all the bad locations in the database then a update is worth the money ever two years or so.

Cruiter

I agree with you the price 'seems' a bit high maybe just because it's a Lexus. But it's not that bad, I've seen what they do. My gripe is what they charge for maintenance like the 35,000 mile when you can get it done at a Toyota shop for just a few bucks and skip the latte.
RE: the upgrade, it's not a DVD anymore. The shop technician has to get a 'key (code)' from the parts dept that's good for only one installation. The parts dept makes a markup, they're in business to do that. Then the tech has to put the flash drive (key) into his laptop and connect with Corporate to facilitate a download to your car and monitor it for various features much like installing a program onto your computer that needs you to manage the installation. It can take in the range of an hour depending on connection, lack of problems, etc. So there is his time plus whatever Corporate charged the dealer for the key (that can be used only once).

I got one upgrade for free as it came out less than two weeks from delivery on my car and it was one of the 1st Gen III models. I called Corporate and they agreed and ok'd it through the dealer. If your in the same boat, I'd try it. Trying is free .

But I also agree with you that paying to just update map data that I likely won't ever notice is pretty silly at the price they charge.

tfischer

A lot of factors go into pricing any product, including the law of diminishing returns, which is what is described in Rho's post above. I have not been in college for quite a while, but economists for a very long time know that as a price is increased, total sales will fall off, but a greater profit will be made on each unit; as a price is dropped, more sales result but at a lower net profit. Finding the sweet spot sometimes takes some time, and there are many constraints (price of materials, labor, etc) which cannot quickly be changed.
Inasmuch as the price of DVD discs has been fairly constant for over 10 years, my guess is that they (all manufacturers) are either pleased with the net result or are unable to change it.
In other words, it's not going to drop to $40.00. Ever.

GoHuskers

I love this idea. It does NOT take them that much works to update the software and these revisions are PURE profits (I code for foods so I know revisions dost very little comparing to initial R&D. Think TurboTax yearly updates, it costs them nothing).

Let just say that I will NEVER update my map for $200 but if they charge $40-50 dollars per update I will update it every time they have new version and assuming I will typically own my vehicles 3-4 years that will make $200 per car for them (or $400 for 2 cars). There is an opportunity cost for Lexus right there.

ejm3

I'm new here but I don't think the pricing is as simple as that.

Lexus (and the other auto companies) as well as Garmin, Tom Tom ,etc. all get their map data from a 3rd party, I think its usually a company called NAVTEQ. They are the ones who do the updating of the map data.

GPS makers buy this data from NAVTEQ (or similar company) and pay a licensing fee each time they use it in a device. So of the $170 Lexus charges I'm not sure how much Lexus is actually making vs what they pay the data supplier for the latest maps.

By way of example, I had an older Garmin unit that worked fine but I wanted to update the map. It costs like $69 from the Garmin website. And as many people have noted who knows if any of the changes will actually benefit you in your daily driving. Instead I bought a whole new and better Garmin with more features and the latest map for $129.

And when I got the new unit the few places that were "newer" (roads, shopping centers, etc). even the newest Garmin still couldn't find. Glad I didn't spend the $69 for essentially nothing.

wa3cuj

Lexus uses a blend of Navteq and Tele Atlas for their North American map databases. Navteq for the US and Tele Atlas for Canada. I believe that Tele Atlas is owned by Tom Tom.