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      06-30-2011, 10:29 PM   #23
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I know I sound like a broken record when comparing BMW to Mercedes but I've only ever had three cars in my (relatively) short life and two of them were MBs; I would imagine that most people who own or lease a new car would compare it with past cars that they've had. There some things such as the nav that MB does better and more initiative which is catering to driver comfort while BMW is still the leader in driving performance.

In my experience the BMW nav is pretty decent in guiding one to their location but doesn't do so effectively. I've found that selecting route preference doesn't have much of an effect on travel time as it doesn't take into account traffic or construction when selecting a route for you. On various occasions the nav would guide me into traffic when driving a different way would be faster, perhaps other posters are right in that the driving directions are only as good as the data that is fed to them but I would think that if one were to buy a new X3 or any BMW for that matter that the car would have the latest software and perform great "out of the box."

In the end I'd still opt for the BMW nav because a built-in nav is still better than printing directions off of a pc or using your phone to guide you because although the directions might not be the greatest there's little to no chance that the nav will stop working unlike one's phone.

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Originally Posted by Sabian View Post
Ok Rant alert. I wasn't going post this before but held off till I saw this post. My nav experience has been less than stellar. I'm going back to the old fasion way of going on google and either writing down or printing the directions for a while and not going to trust the nav.
I agree Sabian, the nav kinda sucks...it can't even find my house and I end up having to approximate which direction to travel when away to somewhere I'm not familiar with.
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      06-30-2011, 11:43 PM   #24
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Surprised to hear y'all having such problems. I've used BMW Nav in 5 cars now and never had a significant problem and found it very useful both in the city and on longer trips out of state. They built a new road near home and the Nav didn't know it until the update, but that was expected. I do have one small weirdness now. It doesn't know one block of a small street in my neighborhood and tries to route me around the block. Not a problem since I'm not really using it for that part of the journey, but odd. Wonder why it's working so poorly for y'all? Wonder what's different?
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      07-01-2011, 12:19 AM   #25
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Nahoa, mine does the same thing with my neighborhood. It knows all the streets but mine and one other. Our neighborhood was developed 7 years ago so you would think by now it should all be in the system. My 2005 MDX showed the entire neighborhood with no problems. I have to use my neighbors address one street over as my "go home" address for the Nav
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      07-01-2011, 04:15 AM   #26
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I have nav in the Z4.
It's not perfect but it does a good job in Australia. Touch wood.
There are a couple of adresses that it can't find. I end up using the dynamic map function to set the destination.
Once I get there I make sure I save the current location in the contacts list so that I can easily go there again.
I do find the travel times are way off. Usually though it just is assuming that one section of the route has a speed limit of 5 kph because once I get past it the time of arrival becomes a far better estimate.
The system in our Toyota is far more flexible. It let's you estimate your highway, main street and residential speeds to work out the arrival times.
The BMW system looks better with it's 3d rendering and night time sky.
The big test will be setting the wife loose in the x3 when it arrives. If anyone can break it, she can.
She once ended up five suburbs away from the right destination because she didn't care if she went to grenier street or lane. As long as the grenier bit was ok, the type of road and suburb didn't matter.
True story.
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      07-01-2011, 05:12 AM   #27
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Ah, gotcha. So sounds like that "missing streets" thing is common enough that it's creating problems. Not so handy.
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      07-02-2011, 12:28 PM   #28
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I have also been unhappy with my nav. I have missed many turns due to unclear instructions. My Lexus is very clear (almost too clear) about when to turn, by giving several warnings, then a tone when you get to the intersection. When I'm driving downtown where blocks are short, it's hard to tell which street it means me to turn on. I can't really estimate what 400 ft is.

Also, the routes are terrible. I occasionally use it on routes that I already know, usually just to help me get to the freeway, or to give me arrival time estimates. It almost always takes me a bizzarely long route. I used it on a trip from Houston to Austin, Tx, about a 150 mi trip. Regardless of which of the route preferences I set, it tried to take me through San Antonio, a 250 mi trip. I finally found a shorter route using the "alternate route" option, but it still made very inefficient highway exit choices. I just use my Android phone w/ google maps now.

Please fix this BMW!! My cell phone is much better at 1/4 the price.
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      07-02-2011, 01:08 PM   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marleysf View Post
I have also been unhappy with my nav. I have missed many turns due to unclear instructions. My Lexus is very clear (almost too clear) about when to turn, by giving several warnings, then a tone when you get to the intersection. When I'm driving downtown where blocks are short, it's hard to tell which street it means me to turn on. I can't really estimate what 400 ft is.

Also, the routes are terrible. I occasionally use it on routes that I already know, usually just to help me get to the freeway, or to give me arrival time estimates. It almost always takes me a bizzarely long route. I used it on a trip from Houston to Austin, Tx, about a 150 mi trip. Regardless of which of the route preferences I set, it tried to take me through San Antonio, a 250 mi trip. I finally found a shorter route using the "alternate route" option, but it still made very inefficient highway exit choices. I just use my Android phone w/ google maps now.

Please fix this BMW!! My cell phone is much better at 1/4 the price.
I'm surprised that the route data is so poor in the US. The UK data is very accurate and it doesn't make these strange decisions. I also think the warning to turn off is enough information. I keep an eye on the dash and it goes down to 50,40,30 feet as you approach the junction. I usually have the sound muted as I don't find it helpful and the dash and the split screen are more than enough.
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      04-10-2012, 03:59 AM   #30
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I just bought a 2005 X3... It runs v10.0 on the nav in Australia... Does anyone know if there is an updated DVD and or SW update applicable to Australia?
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      04-10-2012, 06:39 AM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marleysf View Post
I have also been unhappy with my nav. I have missed many turns due to unclear instructions. My Lexus is very clear (almost too clear) about when to turn, by giving several warnings, then a tone when you get to the intersection. When I'm driving downtown where blocks are short, it's hard to tell which street it means me to turn on. I can't really estimate what 400 ft is.

Also, the routes are terrible. I occasionally use it on routes that I already know, usually just to help me get to the freeway, or to give me arrival time estimates. It almost always takes me a bizzarely long route. I used it on a trip from Houston to Austin, Tx, about a 150 mi trip. Regardless of which of the route preferences I set, it tried to take me through San Antonio, a 250 mi trip. I finally found a shorter route using the "alternate route" option, but it still made very inefficient highway exit choices. I just use my Android phone w/ google maps now.

Please fix this BMW!! My cell phone is much better at 1/4 the price.
Sam,e here as I mentiooned on anothr thread:

"On my trip yesterday, the BMW NAV was telling me to get off the highway and take a route for about 5 miles to my destination. It was odd since the Honda & Lexus NAV's I have used told me to stay on the highway for another 4 miles and then go to a particular route until my destination (which is what I did because I was visiting a relative and I knew exactly where to go. I was just testing the BMW Nav). Most definitely the weak link in this SAV."

"Yes, I prefer the Honda and lexus navs to this. The Nav in my 2006 Lexus SC 430 is more sophisticated than this. It shows me what upcoming turns I should expect in advance, names the road, is full screen until it splits automatically, and is always spot on where I am. I was already in a turn in the BMW when it was telling me to expect a turn in 100 feet. It told me that my destination was 150 ft ahead when I already passed it.
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      04-10-2012, 06:54 AM   #32
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Went on weekend trip to new york..the bmw nav is so so.. 3d maps is nice but the software seems basic. A lot of "bare left" commands to watch for and it doesnt speak street names! Also, got stuck in major traffic jam in pennsylvania .. Nav didnt reroute nor could i get " traffic alerts"! How do you get traffic alerts? Or do you have to subscribe to that service??
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      04-10-2012, 11:51 AM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluesmachine View Post
My issue is the time of arrival - the second 'clock' that shows up of when you should arrive.

It ALWAYS shows a time that is inaccurate - basically 5-10 minutes later than the actual time of arrival.

If my house is 10 minutes away it will show a time of 15 or 20 min away.

BUT as im driving home the final time will adjust to sort of 'make up' for its own error.

sorry if the explanation is off, but if you have the nav you might understand.

It happens to me, but I attribute mine to going faster than what it predicts I will be going.
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      04-10-2012, 12:20 PM   #34
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There is this one exit that I take frequently and I get a very strange result from the NAV. The voice and main nav screen tells me to take the exit (M4) and then after I take that exit - it tells me to bear right and take the next exit to the right (Charles Lindberg Blvd.) which is totally correct. However, contrary to what the voice and main nav screen is telling me, the split screen exit ramp graphics thinks I MISSED the M4 exit (despite me already veering off with the M4 exit) and is now showing me that I need to get off on the next exit, M5.

The M4 exit slowly branches away from parkway, but it's not like it's parallel, so I'm not sure why one part of the nav thinks I'm still on the parkway - but what's stranger is that the voice and nav screen thinks I exited properly and the split screen is showing me to exit at the next exit (M5). Both parts seem to be thinking independently!

Very strange - but no biggie. The nav is definitely not the greatest compared to some of the systems out there but there are tradeoffs each way I guess. I notice that having dynamic routing with traffic - it often brings you to roads that would take more time. Accuracy aside (it's been pretty accurate for me otherwise), the two things I think I would like to see are speed limit indicators to show you what the speed limit is, and a way for the system to give you multiple routes to your destination based on traffic and let you decide which route to take.

I do have one question for everyone and I have not been able to find the answer even after RTFM... How does one adjust the volume of the navigation voice?? Sometimes it's too low, sometimes it's loud.. I don't know where to adjust it. I thought it would be in Volume in Settings, but I haven't been unsuccessful in finding it. In my 2009 x3, there was a control to adjust what differential in volume you wanted between the voice and the audio system.. Can't find the same here in my 2012 x3...
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      04-10-2012, 12:24 PM   #35
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One quirk I observed is going over the Manhattan bridge the system would stop routing and I would have to start it again when I reach the other side. It does not lose tracking and this is consistent.
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      04-10-2012, 05:28 PM   #36
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSY View Post
I do have one question for everyone and I have not been able to find the answer even after RTFM... How does one adjust the volume of the navigation voice?? Sometimes it's too low, sometimes it's loud.. I don't know where to adjust it. I thought it would be in Volume in Settings, but I haven't been unsuccessful in finding it. In my 2009 x3, there was a control to adjust what differential in volume you wanted between the voice and the audio system.. Can't find the same here in my 2012 x3...
IIRC, the volume of the NAV voice can only be adjusted while the voice is speaking.
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      04-10-2012, 05:36 PM   #37
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Quote:
Originally Posted by marleysf View Post
My Lexus is very clear (almost too clear) about when to turn, by giving several warnings, then a tone when you get to the intersection.

I find it fascinating how different people have a completely different takes on the same thing.

My wife and I have used Garmin Street Pilots since 2005 or so. They are great machines and I have not yet used an integrated GPS in a vehicle that comes close to the functionality of these dash top devices. Unfortunately, Garmin no longer offers the Street Pilot series and only now markets the significantly inane dumbed down Nuvi's.

We purchased a new 2009 Lexus RX350 a few years ago with a factory Nav system. This $2400 option just plain sucks primarily because it locks out most functions if there is any way on the car. One cannot look for hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc., or enter a route, unless the car is at a complete stop. Also, the display does not show anywhere all the detail it is capable of. At the same zoom level, my five year old street pilot shows more and better street level data than the much bigger integrated Lexus display. As a result, we still keep one of our old garmin street Pilots on the dash, atop the Lexus $2400 POS.

Last weekend I drove a 2012 535. The GPS was great and incredibly easy to use. I am just getting ready to buy an X3 and it will definitely have the Nav option. For what its worth, primarily because of the crappy Nav system and terrible handling (RX350), I am done with Lexus products.
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      04-11-2012, 06:54 AM   #38
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RhoXS View Post
I find it fascinating how different people have a completely different takes on the same thing.

My wife and I have used Garmin Street Pilots since 2005 or so. They are great machines and I have not yet used an integrated GPS in a vehicle that comes close to the functionality of these dash top devices. Unfortunately, Garmin no longer offers the Street Pilot series and only now markets the significantly inane dumbed down Nuvi's.

We purchased a new 2009 Lexus RX350 a few years ago with a factory Nav system. This $2400 option just plain sucks primarily because it locks out most functions if there is any way on the car. One cannot look for hotels, restaurants, gas stations, etc., or enter a route, unless the car is at a complete stop. Also, the display does not show anywhere all the detail it is capable of. At the same zoom level, my five year old street pilot shows more and better street level data than the much bigger integrated Lexus display. As a result, we still keep one of our old garmin street Pilots on the dash, atop the Lexus $2400 POS.

Last weekend I drove a 2012 535. The GPS was great and incredibly easy to use. I am just getting ready to buy an X3 and it will definitely have the Nav option. For what its worth, primarily because of the crappy Nav system and terrible handling (RX350), I am done with Lexus products.
I agree about the locking out issues when driving. But I don't agree that the map & directions are not detailed in the Lexus. Other than the locking out issue, the BMW Nav is not even close to the Lexus Nav in terms of directions, alerting you to upcoming turns well in advance, speaking street or route names, quickness to recalculate, and limiting the volume of the audio when the voice comes on to give directions.
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      04-11-2012, 10:22 AM   #39
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 02420X3 View Post
IIRC, the volume of the NAV voice can only be adjusted while the voice is speaking.
Hmm, that can be a bit hard. How can I force it to talk? I guess by forcing it to say "Say a command" over and over and over again... lol But even so, where is the control for it? Is it in Settings>Volume?
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      04-11-2012, 11:40 AM   #40
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JSY View Post
There is this one exit that I take frequently and I get a very strange result from the NAV. The voice and main nav screen tells me to take the exit (M4) and then after I take that exit - it tells me to bear right and take the next exit to the right (Charles Lindberg Blvd.) which is totally correct. However, contrary to what the voice and main nav screen is telling me, the split screen exit ramp graphics thinks I MISSED the M4 exit (despite me already veering off with the M4 exit) and is now showing me that I need to get off on the next exit, M5.

The M4 exit slowly branches away from parkway, but it's not like it's parallel, so I'm not sure why one part of the nav thinks I'm still on the parkway - but what's stranger is that the voice and nav screen thinks I exited properly and the split screen is showing me to exit at the next exit (M5). Both parts seem to be thinking independently!

Were you heading to Islanders games? I do the same thing once a week. I'll try to check that out the next time I drive that route.
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      04-11-2012, 12:05 PM   #41
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To answer the OP. I find the NAV to be adequate. It makes mistakes routing, but they aren't frequent for me. I usually set the route and zoom out to get an overview of the route and then back in. That procedure is the sanity check.

My real love for it, is being able to send destinations via google maps and iphone bmw remote app. It is so convenient to plan a trip or for the backseat driver to send me a new destination.
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      04-11-2012, 01:18 PM   #42
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bluedevils View Post
Were you heading to Islanders games? I do the same thing once a week. I'll try to check that out the next time I drive that route.
Yes, I was! Try setting the nav to bring you to the Nassau Coliseum from the Meadowbrook Parkway southbound approach. Would be interesting if you get the same. Listen to what the voice says and then watch your iDrive ramp indicator.
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      04-11-2012, 05:13 PM   #43
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dudley07726 View Post
... I don't agree that the map & directions are not detailed in the Lexus. ... the BMW Nav is not even close to the Lexus Nav in terms of directions, alerting you to upcoming turns well in advance, speaking street or route names, quickness to recalculate, and limiting the volume of the audio when the voice comes on to give directions.
I do agree the Lexus gives outstanding turn alerting and instructions. In this respect I cannot imagine it getting much more driver friendly. However, as good as this is, it certainly does not compensate for its dismally poor performance in almost every other category.

With respect to map detail, the Lexus only shows local streets when zoomed in so close that perspective of the overall area is lost. The much smaller screen Garmin 2720 Street Pilot on the dash above the large Lexus display continues to show local streets at the same zoom level where the Lexus only shows major highways.

As I commented previously, everybody has a different opinion of the same thing but, after what I saw in the 535 last week, I cannot wait to dump our Lexus for a new X3. Aside from the BMW just being a much better designed machine in many respects, I really enjoyed the 535 Nav system user interface. Overall, imo, the BMW Nav system just blew away the Lexus Nav system implementation. (BTW, the Lexus RX350 bounces and sways like my Dad's 1950/1960 big Buicks and Cadillacs so this is also influencing my thoughts to replace it with an X3).
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      04-11-2012, 05:44 PM   #44
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Ok help! Is there two versions of nav? I dont get the traffic alerts? What am i missing? I have the 2012 28i tech package full screen etc.
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