In-built Sat-Nav
Discussion
Am I missing something? Why would anybody pay up to £2000 for built-in sat-nav as an option when you can but a Tom Tom or similar for around £100? Also, the Tom Tom can moved between vehicles whereas the built-in unit can't. A colleague had this option on an Avensis which was raidly out of date, and Toyota wanted £300 for a new CD. What's the advantage?
cpas said:
Am I missing something? Why would anybody pay up to £2000 for built-in sat-nav as an option when you can but a Tom Tom or similar for around £100? Also, the Tom Tom can moved between vehicles whereas the built-in unit can't. A colleague had this option on an Avensis which was raidly out of date, and Toyota wanted £300 for a new CD. What's the advantage?
It is a fixed unit designed to fit with the interior of the car rather than something you stick to the windscreen.cpas said:
Am I missing something? Why would anybody pay up to £2000 for built-in sat-nav as an option when you can but a Tom Tom or similar for around £100? Also, the Tom Tom can moved between vehicles whereas the built-in unit can't. A colleague had this option on an Avensis which was raidly out of date, and Toyota wanted £300 for a new CD. What's the advantage?
On prestige cars not having the factory fit sat nav will impact residuals - though rarely to the value of the sat nav in the first place.A lot of people prefer the in built nature of the factory fit units - TBH a £100 tom tom stuck on the screen of a new merc just doesnt really cut it.
Also, a lot of the latest in car ones have a hard drive 'infotainment' system as part of it so represent better value.
But really, no there is no justification for the crazy pricing other than 'because they can'
It's clearly a case of they charge it because they can. Certainly a built in sat nav is far preferable, but I agree, £2,000 vs £100 for a Tom Tom? Madness. And the Tom Tom probably has a nicer interface.
If people laughed at the manufacturers for asking such stupid amounts the prices of inbuilt kit would tumble. But they don't, so they won't.
If people laughed at the manufacturers for asking such stupid amounts the prices of inbuilt kit would tumble. But they don't, so they won't.
I don't get it either. They are hugely overpriced compared to standalone satnavs and in ten years will be completely outdated whereas the rest of the car will be fine.
The only advantage I can see is that they can't be ripped off the windscreen by G forces when cornering hard! (I once bounced mine off the passenger door window while going round a roundabout).
The only advantage I can see is that they can't be ripped off the windscreen by G forces when cornering hard! (I once bounced mine off the passenger door window while going round a roundabout).
cpas said:
Why would anybody pay up to £2000 for built-in sat-nav as an option when you can but a Tom Tom or similar for around £100?
The real comparison, imho, is increasingly with the navigation built into pretty much every modern phone for NOWT! My phone is very often plugged into its charger when I'm driving because it is such a battery pig due to my excessive data usage. I often find myself using it for navigation in preference to my standalone satnav because if I'm in an unfamiliar town and wish to visit a particular shop it'll take me straight to it with the minimum faffing about and it also has absurdly detailed traffic info and the maps are constantly bang up to date without me needing to lift a finger to update them. The voice directions aren't quite as good, but I can live with that for the purposes I use it for.
why not make in in-car system based upon a usb solid state drive module or SD card that you can simply plug into a pc and use exported maps from http://www.openstreetmap.org/
also the in car system could be based on linux or something and would have an in car camera built in.
also the in car system could be based on linux or something and would have an in car camera built in.
Bigger screen and better integration. No faffing about charging it and setting it up, no ugly holder on the windscreen, controls on the steering wheel, quietens the stereo to give instructions, nothing to steal etc. The one in our Volvo will even delay voice instructions and phone calls when it thinks you're too busy driving (high-ish g or ESP/TCS cutting in - pretty much whenever it feels the need to tighten the seatbelts).
As a device for getting you where you want to go they aren't typically as good as a TomTom - harder to use, worse routing - and they cost a fortune to buy and update. But they are much, much better toys. Hitting a button on the steering wheel and having a screen pop up out of the dash is approximately six thousand times more satisfying than sticking a wobbly mount to your windscreen and hoping it stays there.
As a device for getting you where you want to go they aren't typically as good as a TomTom - harder to use, worse routing - and they cost a fortune to buy and update. But they are much, much better toys. Hitting a button on the steering wheel and having a screen pop up out of the dash is approximately six thousand times more satisfying than sticking a wobbly mount to your windscreen and hoping it stays there.
Jimbo. said:
One less thing to faff around with., lock away, keep charged etc.
No chance of forgetting it.
Difficult/impossible to steal.
Neatly integrated with the vehicles systems (speakers, controls etc)
Bigger screen
This.No chance of forgetting it.
Difficult/impossible to steal.
Neatly integrated with the vehicles systems (speakers, controls etc)
Bigger screen
I had it in my Civic but only because it was standard for EX spec cars. Extra cost over model below was well under £2k and included all sorts of other kit as well as the nav. Much easier to put in postcodes while driving with the scroll wheel than a tiny touchscreen somewhere up on the dash or windscreen - likewise much easier to scroll around the map to see where it's planning to go. No cables trailing all over the place for power. Big screen was used for stereo, climate, etc as well as navigation.
I like the idea of the Renault system with an integrated Tomtom unit in a suitable place in the dash though - much cheaper than a typical integrated unit, easier/cheaper to update and much better than suction cups and chargers from the lighter socket.
I reckon it'll soon change. At the moment, manufacturers have to make two dashboards - one with sat nav and one without. And that's where the cost comes in.
But more and more cars will get sat nav as standard and then the prices will tumble. It won't take long until satnav is one of those essentials that just about every car has, like electric windows and aircon.
But more and more cars will get sat nav as standard and then the prices will tumble. It won't take long until satnav is one of those essentials that just about every car has, like electric windows and aircon.
I'll answer your queestion with a question:
Why would anyone want to pay £75K+ on a premium saloon when they could have a Kia or Hyundai for a quarter of the price, does exactly the same job, can exceed the national speed limit, has similar luggage space, yadda yadda yadda?
Because it looks nicer, feels more special, they want it and they can afford it.
Who buys a Hugo Boss suit when M&S do such a lovely range?
Why would anyone want to pay £75K+ on a premium saloon when they could have a Kia or Hyundai for a quarter of the price, does exactly the same job, can exceed the national speed limit, has similar luggage space, yadda yadda yadda?
Because it looks nicer, feels more special, they want it and they can afford it.
Who buys a Hugo Boss suit when M&S do such a lovely range?
What we really need is a hole in the dashboard that accepts a tablet computer. For under £300 you can get a tablet that would carry out all music storage, sat nav and car-phone duties, wouldn't look out of place integrated into the dash and you could take it around with you whenever you want. Simples!
I hope this is the way things are heading because car manufacturers are never going to keep up with technology quick enough to avoid being out-of-date in a year or so. There are hundreds of 7" or 10" tablets that could be integrated into a similar size hole with simple adapters.
I hope this is the way things are heading because car manufacturers are never going to keep up with technology quick enough to avoid being out-of-date in a year or so. There are hundreds of 7" or 10" tablets that could be integrated into a similar size hole with simple adapters.
once said:
I reckon it'll soon change. At the moment, manufacturers have to make two dashboards - one with sat nav and one without. And that's where the cost comes in.
But more and more cars will get sat nav as standard and then the prices will tumble. It won't take long until satnav is one of those essentials that just about every car has, like electric windows and aircon.
Much of Audi's new stuff has the screen, the radio has a "nav" button but unless you've paid the extra for the special overpriced SD card with the maps on (tied to your chassis number, of course) then it won't do anything.But more and more cars will get sat nav as standard and then the prices will tumble. It won't take long until satnav is one of those essentials that just about every car has, like electric windows and aircon.
Rest of VAG seems to just be designed around huge radios so if you spec nav you get a big colour screen navigation in that place instead.
busta said:
What we really need is a hole in the dashboard that accepts a tablet computer. For under £300 you can get a tablet that would carry out all music storage, sat nav and car-phone duties, wouldn't look out of place integrated into the dash and you could take it around with you whenever you want. Simples!
I hope this is the way things are heading because car manufacturers are never going to keep up with technology quick enough to avoid being out-of-date in a year or so. There are hundreds of 7" or 10" tablets that could be integrated into a similar size hole with simple adapters.
I think Land Rover may have something like that planned for the next Defender.. Due in 2015!!I hope this is the way things are heading because car manufacturers are never going to keep up with technology quick enough to avoid being out-of-date in a year or so. There are hundreds of 7" or 10" tablets that could be integrated into a similar size hole with simple adapters.
sjg said:
Much of Audi's new stuff has the screen, the radio has a "nav" button but unless you've paid the extra for the special overpriced SD card with the maps on (tied to your chassis number, of course) then it won't do anything.
Rest of VAG seems to just be designed around huge radios so if you spec nav you get a big colour screen navigation in that place instead.
Until some motor manufacturers start offering sat nav as standard and they are forced to follow suit. Sounds like they are preparing for that already.Rest of VAG seems to just be designed around huge radios so if you spec nav you get a big colour screen navigation in that place instead.
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