[Crazy Bimmer]

09+ navi is a winner! Love it compared to the 08 version i had.

[scrufy]

Originally Posted by bkr335

If you're doing something wrong then I am too, I HATE the categories thing.

Same here

Originally Posted by bkr335

I hate that with a 2007 iDrive using a 2010 Nav DVD I sometimes have to use my blackberry to find a street address for Target. Come on BMW. Wtf.

+100

[RoundelM3]

I like my Garmin 265wt...easy to update maps (4 times a year with lifetime subscription) and software a few times a year. Of course, I don't have iDrive/Nav in my '07.

[slyboogy]

they didnt test audi MMI?

[BenTrovato]

It shouldn't be a surprise that the $180 garmin didn't stack up.

I just picked up the 3790t: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/16/g...-3790t-review/

If you want a good GPS system you have to pay for it. The nav systems in our cars are getting a lot better as you can see from 07 to 09 but IMO it's not better than the high end standalone products, yet.

[Technic]

Originally Posted by alex2364

Yes, and they're not much better. Plus, my Garmin and Honda gives me the best route using their primary routing logic, so I don't even need to see their alternate routes. If BMW designed the system correctly, I shouldn't even feel the need to see alternate routes unless I want to avoid a particular road.

Well, the iDrive routing is pretty accurate for me so I don't find any major problem with the design.

[Joonsup]

i have navi on my 08 and it sucks donkey balls. i also have a garmin for my e30 and i love the fact that i can just punch in "target" or "costco" in the search function instead of digging through categories and sub categories and sub sub categories like on my 08 navi.

[virtualbong]

Now all it needs is the touch screen look of Acura. I hate using the knob.

I have my Droid 2 coming in today...maybe I'll use that instead since I can use voice commands

[Brey335i]

You should all stop whining. My friend's dad has a factory navigation in his Gallardo... that really "sucks donkey balls." I think ours do a pretty good job, especially after I experienced the frustration with the Lamborghini one (one would think they could get it right when they charge that much).

That being said, the search for specific stores is much easier on a Garmin

[Oulixes]

It is an interesting read. I found that the navigation in my 335i (MY2009) is quite good, better than the Garmin Nuvi and the TomTom I use from time to time.

[bavarian19]

The Lexus nav is pretty bad.

[Technic]

Another excellent OEM Nav is the VW RNS-510, however it does not offer Nav voice control yet in the USA.

[Kilgore Trout]

First of all, the "tests" in that blog don't suggest the Idrive is the best NAV. they simply found the routing - and only the routing - to be superior in their particular area. They did not test usability, features, etc.

And, their "tests" aren't very comprehensive and could easily reflect the quality of the data in their specific areas. I know for me, that the my old Acura continually came up with smarter road choices than my E91 does, although the difference is not huge.

When I've seen more rigorous tests of routing efficiency, the Garmin usually comes out on top.


Having used all the systems they tested - my sister has a G37, I owned an Acura, own 2009 Idrive now, and own a fancy Garmin for traveling, I'd easily rank the Acura at the top. The Nav in my 2004 TSX had more features and was far easier to use than the NAV in my 2009 E91.

Anyway, it is nice to see Idrive getting positive press for a change, but I think you guys are reading too much into this blog.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by BenTrovato

It shouldn't be a surprise that the $180 garmin didn't stack up.

I just picked up the 3790t: http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/16/g...-3790t-review/

If you want a good GPS system you have to pay for it. The nav systems in our cars are getting a lot better as you can see from 07 to 09 but IMO it's not better than the high end standalone products, yet.

The $180 Garmin has the same basic software as the higher end systems and the exact same data. The routing should be the same. The main diff is in the features. Even the review you cite there essentially says that that the 3000 series is not a major enough change over earlier NUVIs to be worth an upgrade.

Personally, I have a Nuvi 1370 (which I bought for traveling). I think the Acura and BMW systems both kick the snot out it and I've basically stopped using it as a result.

[MB330]

Originally Posted by slyboogy

they didnt test audi MMI?

Read this review of MMI
http://forums.audiworld.com/showpost...22&postcount=1

[BiscottiGelato]

For Vancouver, B.C. I find my old Garmin 265WT much better than the 09+ iDrive. Maybe I haven't mastered the iDrive, please correct me if any of these is just user error...

Routing:
As one of the many examples... Going from Richmond to say Brentwood Mall, which is due North East. The primary route will ask me to go up Knight St, and turn LEFT and head WEST on Kingsway, and then not going East until all the way to Lougheed Hwy.... That's retarded.

Intuitiveness in display:
- The iDrive does not show what the next turn is permanently on the display. It does not show it AT ALL unless you do split screen mode (The split screen for the coming turn should really pop out on it's own even if I don't have split screen already ON).
- The iDrive doesn't tell you the route you are on. More often than not the actual street name for the street you are on is not on the Map view either.
- In Perspective/3D view, Garmin does a much better job. The roads are much fatter for area close to you, and narrows down a lot for the far away streets. This allows it to show what turn you'd make much later on. For the iDrive, if I am to turn left 3km down the road in the 50m view, all I'd see in the perspective view is a straight road. The turn would only be in view until I get very close to the turn I need to make
- Thin roads in the iDrive Map view means a lot of useless empty spaces. To make matter worse, the key roads are often not named/out of screen. Key roads includes the road you are on, the next few cross streets, the few adjacent streets parallel to the one you are on, etc.

Text to Speech:
There's simply no Text to Speech for the Canadian iDrive, not too sure if it's the same for the states.

Not to mention things that the states gets but Canadians doesn't, like Internet connectivity, Traffic, etc...

All in all, for my experiences with the iDrive, based on usage around Vancouver, B.C. Canada, and limited experience using it in the Washinton States. I think as a pure navigator, the Garmin just does a better job. Not too sure why the article indicated by the OP suggests otherwise.

[Kilgore Trout]

Originally Posted by BiscottiGelato

All in all, for my experiences with the iDrive, based on usage around Vancouver, B.C. Canada, and limited experience using it in the Washinton States. I think as a pure navigator, the Garmin just does a better job. Not too sure why the article indicated by the OP suggests otherwise.

Once again, the article does NOT compare the functioning of nav systems OVERALL. Its only a commentary on which system did better planning routes in one specific area of the country. Zero basis for conclusions.

[iflyjetzzz]

As others have already commented, I find the BMW navi to be counterintuitive (08 328i). I definitely prefer my wife's '05 Acura Tl Navi for ease of use and logical layout.

Two things I like about the BMW is that
1) the Bluetooth accesses my cell saved numbers, whereas you have to save numbers into the 05 Acura TL bluetooth and
2) the traffic function. I'm currently in San Antonio; moving to Tucson where the coverage is only during drive time.

My biggest complaints about the BMW navi are
1) finding businesses by name. Totally sucks compared to the Acura.
2) that !@#$%^ wheel. C'mon; touchscreens have been out for ~15 years now.

[DigitalDawn]

I find it amusing that the new Acura MDX doesn't have a Touchscreen. I seem to remember that our old MDX did have one.

[iflyjetzzz]

Originally Posted by DigitalDawn

I find it amusing that the new Acura MDX doesn't have a Touchscreen. I seem to remember that our old MDX did have one.

No way! Touchscreens are much more efficient because they offer many more buttons at a time than any other input device in a car. For instance, you have the entire alphabet + numbers on a single screen when inputting an address. I find the wheel 'o death on the BMW a PITA for inputting an address.

[Kilgore Trout]

I absolutely agree with you guys about touchscreens. My previous Acura did have a touchscreen and it totally rocked. Soooo much easier to use than an Idrive-like dial.

Two comments though: 1) Totally a uninformed guess, but I've wondered if the dial is a liability issue. Most of the vehicles on the road that don't lock you of the nav while in motion do not have a touchscreen.

2) Although I liked the Acura touchscreen far more than the Idrive dial, at least with the current setup I do not have fingerprints on the screen all the time or constant dust or glare.

[JulieDriving]

I thought I'd prefer touchscreen, but I much prefer BMW's dial now that I have it.