Chevrolet Navigation

[CurtisFamily]

Anyone have the factory navigation on their Chevrolet? How is it compared to Garmin? I hate the navigation system in my wife's Honda Odyssey, and figure why spend the money for the factory option if I'm going to end up using the Garmin anyway.

Thanks for your comments.

[okoboji_fan]

In this fast paced world of technology, Most of these devices are out dated by the time your vehicle is a year old(ex: cassette decks in radios) your portable devices are the easiest way to stay current at a fraction of the cost. I had Turn By Turn navigation, Garmin devices and now my smart phone has the same capabilities

[CurtisFamily]

hoopers wrote:
Not sure why Chevy just doesn't contract Garmin to build their NAV.

X2

[hoopers]

I have the nav in my 2011 chevy. Don't use it anymore, as the routes it picks have led me down dead-ends roads several times.
Many times, the routes it picks for long distance drives, make no sense at all. I gave up on it and just use a Garmin now. Not sure why Chevy just doesn't contract Garmin to build their NAV.

[kmbelt]

CurtisFamily wrote:
Thanks everyone for your input. I guess my only thought left would be resale value. Since no one has brought that issue up, my guess would be that having the nav would not increase the resale value or make it any easier to sell. I guess if it did become an issue, I could just throw in the Garmin and get a new one.

Thanks again for all the comments.

Personally, I will not have a built in navigation (new or used). For the cost to upgrade the maps I can buy a whole new Garmin. Plus it's more to have go wrong.

Not worth it for the backup camera either. If you can't backup with out the camera, you shouldn't be driving. My wife's Sienna has one and it's ridiculous.

[CurtisFamily]

Thanks everyone for your input. I guess my only thought left would be resale value. Since no one has brought that issue up, my guess would be that having the nav would not increase the resale value or make it any easier to sell. I guess if it did become an issue, I could just throw in the Garmin and get a new one.

Thanks again for all the comments.

[BoxerPitMix]

I have factory Nav in my '09 LTZ 2500. I honestly don't know how it compares to the newer models, but I hate it. The only thing I like about it is the back-up camera.
For everything else I use either my phone or Garmin.

[thomasmnile]

The "primitive" CD based nav. system in my '05 Ram did alright but you can't use the CD player function when using the nav. system. I stopped using it when I called the local Dodge dealer to order updated CD's and was quoted a price of $325. I bought a 5" Garmin Nuvi with lifetime map updates on Amazon for less than half that.....................

[It_s_Me]

My wife's Tahoe has the GM navigation and I hate it. My Garmin is a much easier and intuitive device to use. Plus I can use it any vehicle I have!

[Strictly_simon]

I've got the same Chevy Navigation and it's not bad considering its 7 years old now. It works , nothing fancy but gets where I need to go. My wife has the NAV I her odyssey and it's on par I guess.

Neither is as good as smartphone navigations but they are brand new. I usually have waze running on my GS3 to warn me of cops and slow traffic.

[Halmfamily]

We also have navigation on our Odyssey and I find my maps app on my cell phone works better. Honda quoted $199 for the update. Our next vehicles will not have factory navigation seems like a waste money when the app was free.

[nevadanick]

We have nav in all our vehicles and if i was ordering it would not have it. Both my GMC and our MB need expensive updates and you can buy a Garmin or other brands with lifetime updates for free. The only thing the nav screen in our MB is good for is a place to stick the Garmin to. The one in the GMC is better but we usually use our phone.

[ksss]

The new nav is 1/3 the price of the old nav and all voice activated. It actually learns your voice inflections. Way more useful than prior, easy to update. I would not order one without it. Its a great buy at $700 and you will get most of that back when you trade or sell.

[DUNEBUGGYDOUG]

I don't understand all the fuss about using cell phones for talking and texting and then put all this******in the dash of a vehicle.If you can't read a road atlas before leaving on your trip just stay home .Drive and quit playing with the toys , just my feelings

[old_guy]

my opinion is if you need to update your nav system, it is easier and cheaper to update a garmin or a tom tom than a built in nav system. unless they have improved the built in's, I wouldn't have one.

[joe_b_]

I have the built in Nav system in my 2011 Silverado and enjoy using it. Because it runs on a DVD, it has lots of information about exits, etc. However with that said, I also have a Garmin 1490 mounted on the dash. My wife thinks it is a bit of over kill. The Garmin is much easier to get the elevation, the current vehicle speed and the speed limit. The Chevy Nav system has a larger screen and mounted in the center of the dash, is easier for the passenger to use/mess with/etc. However some functions on the Chevy Nav system are locked out when the vehicle is moving, the Garmin allows that to be over ridden. However that issue can be worked around by using the OnStar system in the truck. I just call OnStar, ask the operator to download a route for me and in less than a minute it arrives on my navigation system. I like to use this, especially when traveling by myself. No need to stop to set the new destination into the unit. I can also ask for a route to the nearest Wal Mart, Target, etc. store and up it pops on the vehicle screen. Fairly close to magic IMHO.

The dash system was in the vehicle when I bought it new, and I suspect I would reorder one if I was getting one built. My BIL recently bought a new car and then had Best Buy or one of the other stores install an after market nav system in his dash. I think it was a Pioneer brand but not too sure. He likes the system and feels he saved some money going that route instead of having the dealer do it.

Just pulled the window sticker out of the file cabinet and it lists the Nav system - touch screen with satellite radio plus CD player for $2,250. Who knows what I actually paid for the system as they gave me roughly 20% off the sticker price when I bought the truck. Anyway you look at it, is is a lot more expensive than going aftermarket. Plus the upgrades on the mapping DVD is $200, more than I paid for my Garmin.

The Chevy unit is nice. Here is a shot not long after we departed Amarillo Texas, headed for Dallas, showing 6 hrs, 6 min, 336 miles to destination, no turn for 142 miles and Prime Country playing on the satellite radio. Looks to need a bit of dust removal. LOL