Thegps Ididn't Buy

[calc]

At the time I didn't get the GPS system installed. Isn't there a less expensive way, less than $3100., to get a GPS installed? Or is it too late? I'm not thinking of a hand held GPS.

[steviej]

I have seen several attractive dedicted dashboard mounted aftermarket GPS's (not handheld) that run for around $1000. Check into them.

If you want OEM mounted in the dash, you gonna dish out some ducats.

steviej

[blake918]

Oh yeah! BestBuy has several nice hand-helds with turn by turn directions for under $1500....like the Street Pilot and some others from Magellan. Take a look here: GPS's at Best Buy

[SKperformance]

just buy an alpine dvd deck or pioneer and add the nav

total about 2200 but can usually be found cheaper

or get a nav system and a seperate screen that mounts off to the side of the dash without replacing the lexus stereo

[SW03ES]

You could mount one uo above the stack in the seam between the dash and the radio face...

[jeffnpigs]

We have 3 cars, so it seemed to be smart to have portability in a nav system (I also wasn't comfortable with what nav does to the ES dash). You can get programs for your handheld PDA (mine is from Navman) and there is even a PDA primarily dedicated to being a nav unit from Garmin (the IQue 3600). With the wood on the dash you can mount it in a way that it does not obscure your vision.

Obviously, the screen is much smaller. However, my unit has voice controls and automatic mid course correction if you go another way. I can't give you a full report because we just installed it over the weekend, and must admit that starting out it gives some funky directions. We are not sure if this will self correct. However, it is another option.

Jeff

[SW03ES]

The nav systems always seem to give funky directions when looking at areas you know well already, mainly because it computes the route based on speed limit and physical distance, and doesn't have the benefit of the experience a driver has in an area it knows well. You'll like it a lot more in unfamilliar territory

[poppabear]

There have been reports of poor performance and reliability problems with the Garmin iQue 360.

The Garmin Street Pilot 2610 is getting a lot of good reviews. Garmin just came out with the 2620 with a preloaded hard drive with the whole US.

See www.eopinions.com.

My main concern with the dash mounted units is that it is very attractive target for thieves.

[jeffnpigs]

Steve:

Sorry I didn't pick up your comment for a week. I can't believe that a handheld would have the capacity to coumpute route both on distance and speed! I though it would be the shortest distance between two points (keeping in mind that we in the D.C. area always obey the speed limits exactly).

As you said, we already put the unit away for "real trips" where its calculations will be appreciated.

POPPABEAR: I do not leave my COMPAQ in the car, and I'm probably going to put the mounting unit in the glove box just so that someone doesn't get ideas.

Jeff :whistles:

[Latoilette]

go to a junk yard pull the whole system out from a oem car that has a gps.

buy the whole thing. go to a stereo shop to get it installed.

i say this setup is the cheapest.

[amf1932]

go to a junk yard pull the whole system out from a oem car that has a gps.

buy the whole thing. go to a stereo shop to get it installed.

i say this setup is the cheapest.

Latoilette,

Don't you think you're oversimplifying this a bit? Firstly, even if you could find this unit in a junk yard do you realize what would be involved?

1- The screen for the GPS is part of the dashboard design in OEM equipped models. Where do you mount the screen, computer, etc?

2- The wiring harness and connectors for GPS equipped cars are not the same as cars which came from the factory without this option.

3- Where would you find a qualified person to do this type of job? The guy would have to be a wizard!

4- Even if somebody could do this, there would be lots of cutting and modifications required to do this type of job which would make the cost astronomical! :chairshot: