[RWhittle]

Okay, I guess I'm feeling a little dumb.

I took delivery on my '02 Ody a week ago and now that I've had to go do a few things in it, deep down I'm thinking I should have gotten Navi. I could really use it.

BUT--I don't want leather, and didn't want to pay for leather, so Navi would still have been *really* prohibitively expensive if I *had* gotten it.

So my question: Does anyone know of or recommend a good aftermarket Navi system? Are they as good as the Honda system? Better?

Is it at all possible to have the "stock" Honda Navi system installed after purchase?

If not, is there a particular head unit that can pop out a motorized flip-out screen that someone recommends?

I guess I have some choices to make...I'd like to keep the steering wheel controls in my EX usable, but I'd also like Navi, perhaps Cassette, maybe be able to use it for DVD or some external source...I guess I'm asking for too much!

At any rate--the main question: Aftermarket Navi? Accessory Navi? Any recommendations?

Thanks!

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RW
'02 SS EX
'89 Red Mazda B2200
'86 Gray Acura Legend (Tranny going out--replacing with Ody!)
'84 Honda V500 Interceptor Motorcycle
Past 'Fav: '86 Honda Prelude Si (totalled by an idiot from behind)

 

[darelldd]

I love my Garmin StreetPilot III. I own one, and have been using it for 1/2 a year (since it came out). However, I ordered a NAVI, because I really like the idea of it being integrated, the touch-screen, and some of the features the Garmin does not have. For a portable unit, you'd be hard-pressed to beat the StreetPilot III.

And that concludes my .02

-d

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"Some people say you can't take it with you. I'm taking it with me." - Steve Marin
Future: 2002 EXL-NAV, TW (with RES wanted!)
Current: 2001 Civic EX, silver
Leaving: 2001 V70 T5 - White w/ graphite leather

 

[darelldd]

RW -

I meant to mention: Don't be so hard on yourself. At least you REALIZE that you need Nav. EVERYBODY needs Nav

I swear, once you have it, you can't go back. I use it more than I ever thought I would. I dug up this drivel that I wrote in another thread a while back. This was in response to a poster who considered that the StreetPilot had the same functionality as the Honda unit:

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Take it from somebody who knows: I own the new StreetPilot III, and I drive a 2000 ODY with NAV quite often. I've had the SPIII since the day it came out many months ago. It is a fantastic unit for what it is, and think it is the best of its kind. Do NOT think it is the same, or has better coverage than the Honda unit though. Both units have their advantages. And both have their disadvantages. The advantages of the Honda unit outweigh the disadvantages in my book.

The StreetPilot has the advantage of being portable, but at the same time it is always less integrated and more in the way. To get full US coverage (which is now not as complete as the new Honda software) you need to pay several hundred dollars extra for the software. And, you need to buy very expensive extra memory if you want to fit more than 1/4 of a state in the unit at a time. I live in CA, and have to change software on the unit every time I travel, since it only holds 32MB at a time. The Honda unit, with it's DVD-based maps does not need to be changed for long trips. The SP has neat features like speedometer, top speed, trip computer, sunrise/sunset times. BUT, the screen is MUCH smaller. And really annoying is how you have to enter streets. You use a joy-stick button to scroll through the entire alphabet to pick your letters. On the Honda unit you type it in on the touch-screen. The processor for the Honda unit is MUCH faster. There are huge display delays in the SP, and forget about scrolling across the map manually. Every 1/2 page you have to wait a few seconds for the map to redraw. The Honda unit is real-time scrolling. The Honda unit also has gyro-assist. Comparing the two unit side-by-side, you can see why this is useful. The Honda knows when you've turned. The SP has to wait until you move several hundred feet before it is sure you've made the turn. Makes a difference on small, tight streets.

Hope you find this helpful. Feel free to email me with any specific questions.


- Darell


------------------
"Some people say you can't take it with you. I'm taking it with me." - Steve Marin
Future: 2002 EXL-NAV, TW (with RES wanted!)
Current: 2001 Civic EX, silver
Leaving: 2001 V70 T5 - White w/ graphite leather

 

[bobf58]

We recently rented a hertz car which had their "Neverlost" system, which is actually a Magellan 750 navigation system. We were quite impressed with it. they have a "permanent mount" version which is pretty easy to install, and a portable version. You can find them on ebay for $1500-$1600.

 

[Don]

I agree 100% with darrelldd's post. I, too, have had the Garmin Streetpilot III since it was first released and love it. It is an excellent unit and does auto-routing and voice. The functionality is pretty similar to that of the Honda Navi system. Despite this however, when I got my MDX a couple of months ago, I decided to get one with the Navi because I liked the integration. But if you are looking for a portable, feature-rich Navi system, the SP-III can't be beat.

[This message has been edited by Don (edited 09-14-2001).]

 

[darelldd]

Forgot to mention. Retail for the SP III is about $1200. I paid a bit less than $800, plus full-country unlock code.

Still, I know that from looking at the gallery, it is possible to retrofit the Navi into a non-Navi...

- Darell

 

[groupset]

Ohhhhhhhh Nestor!!!! Come on in this thread, please!!

------------------
David
'01 GG EX-NAVI
Classic Soft Trim leather kit; Audiovox entertainment system; Gentex auto dimming compass/temp rear view mirror; Pioneer speakers front & rear; leather steering wheel wrap; splash guards; cargo tray; cargo liner; power door mods; Helm manual; Honda litter bag.

 

[nemogira]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by groupset:
Ohhhhhhhh Nestor!!!! Come on in this thread, please!!

</font>

Don't worry...I already responded in his other thread in the Audio, Video, Security & Navigation section.

-Nestor

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2000 CCS EX-NAVI

 

[darelldd]

Ah, that's where I should have replied too. Maybe we should close this one since it's a double...

-d