Onoyme

Just updated a first generation 2002 to the latest. It was as easy as swapping disks, and not turning off the power until it was through upgrading the operating system.

Maps look slightly different, (perhaps slightly different pallette), but basically operate the same.

It did fix many quirky problems with the old nav operating system and database.

Before, in areas outside of a major downtown area, it would know the street names, and you could look at a turn list, but it would tell you that "you were in an area that turn-by-turn guidance wasn't available". In other words, use the compass and good luck. This is now fixed.

Before it would sometimes recalc the route if you got off track, sometimes it wouldn't and you'd have to ask it to. Now it immediately corrects.

Street and restaurants seem totally up-to-date Route calculation seems much faster.

Although expensive to upgrade, I'm very pleased with the enhancements from the original system.

JTMav

Had my 03 SC in for service yesterday and bought the upgraded DVD for $238 plus tax. Install was as easy as described by others. The display seems crisper and with all the changes here in Boston (Big Dig) a lot of new streets show up. The system seems a bit quicker in recognizing street names. All in all subtle differences but I haven't really played with it much yet. If anyone else has found a significant change I'd like to hear about it.

JTMav

Pearlpower

iTrader: (2)

Other than a few added streets, nothing for me.

tfischer

I've updated mine twice, once to ver 2, which was a major upgrade, and recently to ver 5, just for the heck of it.

Unless you go from ver 1 to ver 2, which includes an upgrade to the OS, you won't SEE a lot of differences, because the changes are to make the streets more complete and accurate and the POI information more accurate and up to date.

It's probably worth doing every once in a while, but certainly not every year.

PS: In looking to buy a used RX with NAV in the 02-04 year range, I never came across one that had been updated, and none of the Lexus (used car) dealers even knew how to go in and check the version number. Maybe that's why the discs cost so much -- hardly any demand.

browntdb

I recently purchased a 2002 RX300 with the original DVD in it. The map version is 2001 V1. I notice that it will not create a route unless it is a major city. I live in Corvallis, OR, and when I try to route from Portland to my home, for instance, it will not route any further than a major highway near Corvallis.

I have been reading this thread and read that there was an Operating System update that came along on V2. If I upgrade from V1 to V5, will the OS update route me to areas outside Salem, Portland, and Eugene, OR? Right now that is all that it will do.

Thanks,

Terry

tfischer

I don't know how the newer version will route you when you are outside a major city.

My '02 SC came with version 1, and when I upgraded to version 2, the only visible differences were nicer icons and road designations, and a faster search time.

If you upgrade to ver 5, which is the current version, that disc will install the new OS, but I'm not sure what the difference will be in routing. It may be that the map data in '02 simply did not include Corvallis. It may now. I do know that in some areas there is not as much map detail as in others, but I have never seen that in action.

Maybe a test ride in a new or slightly used car at your Lexus dealership would answer the question. Any Lexus with NAV that is '04 or newer will have at least ver 2.01, but I would try to see what the system brings up with data ver 5, since that is what you would be buying. Also, the discs are not returnable (I guess they don't want you to buy it, copy it, and return it) and also, once you put the new disc in your car and the new OS is installed, it will not read ver 1 again, so that disc becomes useless, even as a backup.

I would think that a Lexus dealer might be willing to show you the NAV on a new car so you could determine if the new data is more detailed for Corvallis.

Be aware, however, that your car is a Gen 2 system. The Gen 2 and Gen 3 systems (through the 04 RX330) read and use the same data disc, but the Gen 4 (on the '05 RX330) and Gen 5 systems are not the same (these include the voice recognition and bluetooth). The Gen 4 and Gen 5 NAV systems take a different disc, although I would think that the data would be the same, since that is compiled by Navtech (and others) for Lexus.

Or you could just move to Portland, which would also solve the problem.