Replacing a totalled 4R Trail

[Fishpilot]

So, I followed the advice of this forum back in December and ordered a '11 trail which I picked up in April and have absolutely loved ever since. Enter an old lady in a full size Silverado running a yellow and failing to yield and now I am 4Runner-less. My TE was totaled and I walked away without a scratch. All the airbags on the driver’s side fired and I only had a sore shoulder and shin. The frame was bent and the left side was jacked up beyond repair, the interior shifted about three inches to the right and pretty much anything not bolted down popped off in the impact. I slid sideways for about 75 feet on load E Duratracs, which didn't pop off the rims even after hitting and jumping two medians, which probably kept me from flipping over.

Here's my dilemma, there are NO TE with KDSS and NAV in my entire New Mexico region, and they just don't make them. I want exactly what I had which will require a hefty transport fee or a 4-6 month wait to get one from Toyota. But I have the option to pick up a TE with KDSS and add aftermarket NAV from the dealer which would include the nifty backup camera I thought I'd never use but now rely on. The only thing I think that will change is the lack of party mode, which I can't tell a difference in any way, and 6 less speakers. The factory NAV is great except for the expensive updates and the fact that it only works standing still unless you lockpick it or add the switch or whatever else this forum has figured out to make it work.

So, what I'm looking for is anyone's opinions on which aftermarket in-dash nav units are the best. I saw a few posts of folks thinking about changing to Garmin or Magellan but couldn't find any reviews or folks who actually did it. I want a form fit nav system that retains the stock location, has the camera, and the ability to sync Bluetooth and iPods. I found a ton of stuff online but can't tell if you just buy an aftermarket unit then put it in an aftermarket dash kit or if they make ones designed to be installed only and not mounted on a stand.

Thanks for the help, you guys rule.

 

[1engineer]

Sorry about your wreck and glad you were not hurt. If it was the lady's fault, her insurance company has to replace your vehicle - even if it means transport fees. I have had several vehicles with factory nav and several without. I came to the conclusion that it is simply not worth the 1.5/2.0 K they charge when a $100.00 Garmin will do the trick and can be changed on the fly. I also never use it unless I am a stranger in a strange land as I do not need navigation to get to WalMart or anywhere else local. Use the 2K for a nice stereo and look in the aftermarket stereo thread. Johnny Utah just put a nice setup in his rig along with several others. Good luck.

 

[GreerAZ]

It sucks to lose a new truck, I'm glad you were protected by airbags.

The 2011 TE w/out Nav still has a backup camera, it is displayed in the rear view mirror. I have a Prius and think the Toyota GPS maps are low quality and don't display road names. Get a Garmin with lifetime map updates for under $300 at Costco and you can use it in any car. My TE also has Party Mode, so you won't lose that either. The one thing that appears to not work in the non-Nav version is the bluetooth phone directory.

 

[BradleyB]

So, what I'm looking for is anyone's opinions on which aftermarket in-dash nav units are the best.

Hate to see you back here on these terms. Great to know that your 4RT got you through so relatively unscathed.

Look through Harper7's threads. He threw a 3d party nav into his console with a trim package specifically for the 5th Gen. Looks great. Don't know if his Limited trims out differently than the Trail.

Hope you can make something work out,

Brad

 

[scanny]

Sorry about your truck, good thing that is was strong enough to keep you unharmed. Personally I wouldn't worry much about built-in GPS, I use Garmin with a vent mount and quite happy with it. It has bluetooth which I used before with my phone and traffic. In US it even shows me speed limit on the roads. Good thing about it aside the cost that I can use it in other cars, and carry it with myself to find my truck when I park it in other cities. TE w/o NAV should have backup camera in the mirror but I would recommend to install backup sensors like those which installed in SR5. Sensors are very nice compliment to backup camera.

 

[Jtraskell]

Sorry about your wreck and glad you were not hurt. If it was the lady's fault, her insurance company has to replace your vehicle - even if it means transport fees. I have had several vehicles with factory nav and several without. I came to the conclusion that it is simply not worth the 1.5/2.0 K they charge when a $100.00 Garmin will do the trick and can be changed on the fly. I also never use it unless I am a stranger in a strange land as I do not need navigation to get to WalMart or anywhere else local. Use the 2K for a nice stereo and look in the aftermarket stereo thread. Johnny Utah just put a nice setup in his rig along with several others. Good luck.

No, insurance does not owe you a replacement vehicle, they only owe the Actual Cash Value of the one you had. There is a difference. And, that is usually the case with both Collision coverage (first party) and liability coverage (3rd party). Of course different policy language and state laws may apply. I am only stating the general standards.

 

[homeyclaus]

Frustrating to see something you loved get wrecked by someone careless. Glad you're fine except for the bruises and lost time.

If you're asking whether you should settle for the TE with KDSS but no nav, the answer is an unqualified yes.

I think the consensus was that the Pioneer AVC units are the best right now - they come with Garmin logic, your configuration is what I would have preferred over my TE with the nav, especially for how much they want for the nav stuff. Crutchfield.com can sort you out with everything you need.

 

[kingpin748]

Enter an old lady in a full size Silverado running a yellow and failing to yield and now I am 4Runner-less. My TE was totaled and I walked away without a scratch.

How do you run a yellow? Yellow means you can still go.

 

[CraigRoberts]

The NAV sucks. Go w/o and save up for a nice aftermarket setup if that's what you want.

I'm tempted to keep a Garmin in my 4Runner so I don't have to deal with the Toyota system lol.

 

[Fishpilot]

Homeyclaus, thanks for the info I'll check out pioneer and crutchfield for sure. I must have hit my head because I totally forgot about crutchfield.

Kingpin, the lady panicked and hit the skinny pedal not the one in the middle that would have avoided all of this. That is how she ran a yellow.

 

[terra4r]

ouch mang, glad you're ok. were you making a right turn in front of her during that yellow?

You'll get (or should get) the cash value for the worth of the Trail when they write it off, or as Jtraskell so fluently described. Also, get what you want, even if you have to wait, it's a bit of $ to be upset with what you get.

 

[Grape Ape]

Hate to hear about the accident, but I asked the same question...what exactly would she be yielding to if she had a yellow...to me an my understanding of traffic laws and intersections in the US would mean that you had run a red or jumped a green light.

 

[t4r4life]

man that sucks, just be glad you were in a 4runner, if you were in a civic or something pretty sure you need to go to the hospital after a hit like that.

 

[NHinAK]

There is no "running" a yellow. You can proceed into and through an intersection on a yellow light during a transition from green to red. As long as she crossed the painted white line indicating the beginning of the intersection during the yellow; she's good. It sucks she hit you, but if you were turning right on red, and she went through the intersection on a yellow; it's your fault for not properly yielding. If the cop cited her, you got lucky.

 

[Antman]

There is no "running" a yellow. You can proceed into and through an intersection on a yellow light during a transition from green to red. As long as she crossed the painted white line indicating the beginning of the intersection during the yellow; she's good. It sucks she hit you, but if you were turning right on red, and she went through the intersection on a yellow; it's your fault for not properly yielding. If the cop cited her, you got lucky.

Who the F cares?
The guy could have been killed, and is lucky to be alive! Debate something else for christ sakes.

 

[westwind77]

Who the F cares?

Honestly, I do (as do others on here it seems). I know, we should be more concerned with is well-being than how/why it happened. However, when someone says someone else 'ran a yellow' it does bring up questions because it is legal to pass under a yellow. I am curious how the person running the yellow did so much damage unless another car pull in front. The human mind wants to know these things. I'm glad he is ok (but remember most people here don't have personal connections with people).

 

[NHinAK]

Who the F cares?
The guy could have been killed, and is lucky to be alive! Debate something else for christ sakes.

After multiple people bringing the yellow light up, you get on my ass when I do? Really? There is no debate. He already stated she was legally proceeding through a yellow light.


And, to keep Antman off my ass and contribute to the actual question: Get the cash for the truck and buy a new one and pay transport. Like it was mentioned; insurance only owes ACV...nothing more.

 

[SeattleMike]

Is there really a point to kicking someone when they are down? Are any of you going to be better off in life by figuring out who was at fault here? More importantly, one person asking was enough to get the point across, the rest are just jumping on the bandwagon and making themselves look bad in the process.

 

[Antman]

After multiple people bringing the yellow light up, you get on my ass when I do? Really? There is no debate. He already stated she was legally proceeding through a yellow light.


And, to keep Antman off my ass and contribute to the actual question: Get the cash for the truck and buy a new one and pay transport. Like it was mentioned; insurance only owes ACV...nothing more.

I'm not on your ass, just some things rub me the wrong way. That's all.

 

[iFlyUSCG]

So back to the nav question.....

I put a Kenwood DNX-9140 in my Audi A4 when I had it.... I loved that headunit. It was pretty spendy though.