I am taking a poll because i am wondering whether or not to get Navigation or not. Most of my friends that have it say they use it so infrequently that a system that just played DVD and controlled audio would be enough and that they don't think that navigation is worth it if you don't intend to drive to other cities and still live in the city that you grew up in????? What does everyone else think, how much do you use your navigation??

 

I bought my H3 without factoryNAV originally, then found a great deal on a factory NAV from another member, so bought it and installed it. Previous to this I was using the onstar Turn-by-Turn navigation, which worked fantastic. I live in a small rural town in Canada, so the Factory NAv map is sketchy here to say the least. For actually navigating around where I live, the maps either do not have enough detail, or certainly more often, I do not need them. I have taken some trips to larger cities where the maps are better, and have used it a bit. For those rare occasions where I really did need it, it was great.No more paper maps needed. Even after installing the NAV, I felt the Onstar Turn by Turn navigation works better IMO as :
1) you can program while driving(getting onstar rep to do it)
2) you can be more vague about the address (onstar will scour the internet to get correct addresses/phone numbers etc, and are therefore more current)
3) more cost effective to use onstar ($20 additional/month=240/year=10 years to match factory install price, you can turn on and off subscription whenever you want)

Of course, the turn by turn is only available for '07 and later models so this may not be an option for you.

In spite of all this, the "coolness" factor of the factory NAV is undeniable. Everyone who sees it thinks it is great. I like the radio and CD interface better (but miss the changer) It also has allowed me to purchase a rear camera. It is true that I do not usethe NAValot, and if I had to do it again, I would still not have bought with the vehicle, and looked for a good deal on a used one, or added an aftermarket one. The factory NAV is nice as it is totally seamless with the vehicle, and works with the onstar/phone/turn by turn without having to add any goodies. While an aftermarket one has many more features, for me, I saved quite a bit of money buying the used one.

If you are trying to decide, my advice is this: If you think you will really use the NAV quite a bit, it may be worthwhile getting, as it can really be a lifesaver, and has no extra costsinvolved. However, an aftermarket system with more features will probably cost you less.

If you have an'07or later, the turn by turn works better IMO, and is certainlycheaper.

If you like toys and fancy things, see if you can do what I did and find someone selling a factory nav cheap, or grind your dealer for a great price to start.

If I had to do it again, I would still not have purchased the truck with the NAV installed and paid their inflated price, but now that I have it, I would not go back.

 

I did not get it, but really wish I did now that I've had the 2 for a year now. I was talking to Sugardaddy (joe) this weekend and he put it best by saying "every time I have to pull out a map I'm kicking myself in the *** for not getting the NAV". I agree, and will have it in my next one.

 

I use my Nav WAY MORE than I thought I would!!! I'm SO GLAD I put it in my Rig!!

 

Well, I'm gonna be Johnny Raincloud here and say I think it was completely worthless in my last two vehicles. I had the factory NAV in the SRT-10 and used it once in the time I owned the vehicle.
I installed Alpine's aftermarket system to go with my DVD HU in my old Avalanche and though it was probably one of my favorite NAV units .. I still think it was worthless because I rarely used that one either.

If you take frequent road trips to new places, yes I can see it coming to more use. But for just the daily driving bit .. it's a novelty item at best ..

Just my .02 worth ..

 

Never.

 

I use mine daily. I may not program it with an address everyday, but it is always on. It is great to use when you're looking for that little side street that you've never heard of but you know it's around here somewhere! I love it!

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Ditto!!!!

 

I use mine once in awile, i dont know if its really worth it yet but i will admit i have looked at it a couple of times to find a side street...Does anyones ever mess up though? One time i looked at it and it said i was driving in a lake that was way north of where i really was. I was on a main road at the time?

 

Thanks guys the input is great, I have an 05 H2 so turn by turn isn't really an option. But in all honesty I think i might just get a single din that i can install to watch DVD's and control through the aux in my factory set. I can't imaginetaking it on road trips, and suually only use it for my daily commute in a city I hav elived in my whole life, but keep em coming the stories are extremely helpful.