What's your take on the Nav/Audio System?

[VT4runnin]

I personally don't care much for the Nav/Audio interface thus far. A few issues I've run into are below. What about you?

1) So far (and maybe I haven't played around enough with it) but the Map feature isn't too intuitive. I find that I have to dig around for certain features that should be on the main map.

2) Song Artist/Title text box - The text box for song titles and artist names is twice as long as the amount of characters that can be displayed. This is annoying because a lot of times you only get half of the song name. The easy solution to this would be to scroll the name however this feature doesn't exist.

3) Scrolling through your iPod - This issue is the worst. If you click on LIST and lets say you have 40 songs. The screen displays 6 songs at a time. If you want to see song 7-12 you will have to click the down arrow once. Upon clicking the down arrow song 7 becomes highlighted and then that song plays. There is no way to listen to a song while scrolling through all of your playlist. The system will change to the first song in the list each time you scroll from 1-6 to 7-12 to 13-18 and so on.

4) Bluetooth - Incoming calls using Drop down or full screen - It would be really nice if for dropdown you just had the persons name pop up and the answer/don't answer buttons. Instead dropdown just tells you that you have an incoming call and then you have to use the steering wheel button answer. The full screen allows you to use the touch screen however obviously the entire screen is filled with the call info. I've seen nicer systems that allow you to view a map while having a small section of the screen dedicated to an incoming call.

5) Using voice tags - I've created a separate post about this but the owner's manual tells me how to create voice tags, just not what they are used for. It seems as though you can just create an alternate name for a contact but if that is the case, this feature is useless.

6) Maintenance feature - I love the idea that reminders pop up on the nav. My problem is that the nav isn't tied in to your odometer so you have to program all of the reminders yourself.

7) No time display?

 

[TNPshooter]

I agree that the iPod menu sucks. The scroll feature is worthless.

Another note, the calendar is useless too unless any of you know how to make entries on it.

 

[VT4runnin]

I agree that the iPod menu sucks. The scroll feature is worthless.

Another note, the calendar is useless too unless any of you know how to make entries on it.

Oh yeah good catch. I forgot to mention that. I wish the calendar would sync up with my Blackberry or something. That would give it some purpose.

 

[simonj]

i gave up on the ipod feature. I just threw all my songs on a flash thumb drive and put it on random.

 

[doodman]

i gave up on the ipod feature. I just threw all my songs on a flash thumb drive and put it on random.

Glad to read about all these iPod/iPhone problems with the OEM nav now since I was considering getting it installed in my truck (until I heard the price!). This just solidifies even more, my decision to install the Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT Navigation.

From Pioneer's website:

 

[poolzer]

I did the same as simonj, just tossed my music on a 4gb thumb drive and stuck it in. Im somewhat peeved there isnt a random play option; have to manually go in and pick a different folder to play music from each time (I didnt throw random songs into 1 folder, but have indv artists and many songs and folders for each) so I may end up making 1 mass folder with all songs thrown on it.

Im not impressed with 'party mode' either...I dont know whose idea of a party is just turning up the mids and making it less stacato, but it sure isnt much of a party. My 1st trip to car toys will be to remove the jbl sub and put something in worthy of my music.

 

[SeattleMike]

I did the same as simonj, just tossed my music on a 4gb thumb drive and stuck it in. Im somewhat peeved there isnt a random play option; have to manually go in and pick a different folder to play music from each time (I didnt throw random songs into 1 folder, but have indv artists and many songs and folders for each) so I may end up making 1 mass folder with all songs thrown on it.

Im not impressed with 'party mode' either...I dont know whose idea of a party is just turning up the mids and making it less stacato, but it sure isnt much of a party. My 1st trip to car toys will be to remove the jbl sub and put something in worthy of my music.

I have 119 GB of music on a 250GB SSD that I am just going to plug into the USB, but now it appears I will have to move them all into one folder. Thanks!

From what I understand, "party mode" works best when the tailgate is open redirecting the fade to the rear speakers and adjusting for the different acoustic environment. Does it not work like that?

 

[harper7]

Glad to read about all these iPod/iPhone problems with the OEM nav now since I was considering getting it installed in my truck (until I heard the price!). This just solidifies even more, my decision to install the Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT Navigation.

Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT......Great choice doodman! The dood abides!!
I put a indash Kenwood in my Beemer 3 years ago that is way better and more technologically advanced then this Toyota 6th Gen Nav.. They just came out with this new Toyota 6th Gen. Nav. last year too .Did anybody try the XM interface yet? It's a joke too.

Bottom line here is if somebody is reading this and is on the fence about the ordering the NAV........DON'T DO IT. I am sorry I ordered mine with it as I had high hopes it would be better since it was their latest and supposedly greatest Nav..

Go aftermarket ....Eclipse, Pioneer and Kenwood to name a few are light years better and cheaper.

 

[Quentin]

Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT......Great choice doodman! The dood abides!!
I put a indash Kenwood in my Beemer 3 years ago that is way better and more technologically advanced then this Toyota 6th Gen Nav.. They just came out with this new Toyota 6th Gen. Nav. last year too .Did anybody try the XM interface yet? It's a joke too.

Bottom line here is if somebody is reading this and is on the fence about the ordering the NAV........DON'T DO IT. I am sorry I ordered mine with it as I had high hopes it would be better since it was their latest and supposedly greatest Nav..

Go aftermarket ....Eclipse, Pioneer and Kenwood to name a few are light years better and cheaper.

Admittedly, I've not used all the navs on the market, but I've never used one that made me think "This is worth $2000."

I tested out the USB and ipod connectivity in an SR5 during my test drive. I typically find the first track I want to listen to and let it go on random after that, so I'm not let down in that it switches to whatever song you are "hovering" on. Otherwise, it functioned exactly as I expected and I think I'll be very pleased with it.

Quick question: if you pause the stereo, does it autoplay when you are hovering over a song?

 

[harper7]

Admittedly, I've not used all the navs on the market, but I've never used one that made me think "This is worth $2000."

I tested out the USB and ipod connectivity in an SR5 during my test drive. I typically find the first track I want to listen to and let it go on random after that, so I'm not let down in that it switches to whatever song you are "hovering" on. Otherwise, it functioned exactly as I expected and I think I'll be very pleased with it.

Quick question: if you pause the stereo, does it autoplay when you are hovering over a song?

That's just it. There is no pause or mute when your on the selection screen thru the nav and very little control over anything except the radio or cd player. I have a 32gb iPhone and made a usb dock for it and usually play it on random too. One problem there is it always starts on the same song alphabetically in random mode and plays the same order!

The way I learned to switch songs or artist is reach over and turn down the volume first and then find what I want to listen to.But it is so slow and unfriendly because it pauses and plays whatever is at the top and slows you down. After I find what I want then I turn the volume back up.Caveman style!

To be fair ,there are good points to it. I went on a trip and used the NAV and it worked real good,almost as good as my old trusty Garmin 700 .The sound when you do find what you want to hear is pretty good also.I use the hands free bluetooth alot although it has a few bugs too.I like the video for the back up camera on it.

Mine will probably come out within the year and be replaced.Go to a pro car audio shop and see what how a real indash Nav works and for alot less then $2000.

 

[ciaz]

I miss the nav system in my Infiniti G35. It was hard drive based, which made it speedier all around. It's asinine that you're unable to read the names of all the streets that you encounter. I know how to zoom in and out, but for some reason all of the steets aren't always labeled. Pretty ****ing useless if you ask me. There's been several times where I've been "lost" while starting at a map of my surroundings on the GPS. Hopefully this is something that can change with a new dvd version...


The audio system is better in the 4runner Limited. It's actually great. From what I've read, it's pretty bad in the SR5, so I'm happy I went with the limited.

 

[TTown]

I would like to give a fair balanced opinion for the nav for anyone considering.

A little history on my nav experience:
1998 Lexus GS 400: 1st generation nav
2001 Lexus GS 300: 2nd generation nav
I was a tester for TOM TOM before they entered the North American market
Have been using my phone with google maps or Sprint Navigation for the last couple of years.

We bought a Limited which in SoCal basically comes with the nav package. Initially I did not want the nav as I liked having a stand alone navigation on my phone. I felt I could take it to any car vs having it installed into one car.

I have been pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy the nav. First off having it built in looks better than an aftermarket nav attached to the windshield. Voice integration through the speakers is much better than having voice guidance from the unit itself. The latest generation toyota nav has grown up over the years. The routes given I believe are some of the best I have seen, but still not perfect. Many who have experience with nav will know the computer doesn't necessarily know the best route, but it always gets you there. The overall appearance is well thought out and professional looking. There are many options to choose from to adjust to your liking. The resolution on the screen could be better. The Lexus GX resolution is double of the Toyota version. I do like the addition of XM traffic, but it is not as good as having google maps. The coverage isn't as extensive and takes longer to update. Bluetooth integration is a welcome addition. You can partner with multiple phones, though not at one time. You can switch between partnerships even while driving.

The XM integration is subpar on this unit. You can not pause or record songs. You can't change your display to show artist, title etc. within your favorites. You have to hit a separate button to get artist and title info. I have an XMP3 player and have come to love these features. To have a similar xm design integrated into the nav screen would be very nice.

I have not tried the usb function, but based on what others are saying needs improvement as well. For now I have hooked up my XMP3 player for both XM and MP3 player. It gives me the all the features I like with XM and the ability to play my MP3 songs anyway I like, wether it be artist, album or random.

The backup camera is a great feature. I know this a feature that you can get without the nav, however having it on the nav screen compared to the rearview mirror is a big difference.

As mentioned above I am pleasantly surprised with the nav on the 4Runner. Would I pay $2000 for it as a stand alone feature? No. But since most of the Limited models include it in their package (at least in SoCal) I do think it is worth upgrading to.

 

[Uneek]

:iagree: TTown.

I've used a Magellan Roadmate 700, Garmin Nuvi 660, Nuvi 885, Sprint's Navigation, Tom Tom's navigation for Palm OS, TeleNav, '04 Toyota navigation and '06 Toyota navigation. I haven't used the '10 4Runner's, but out of all the nav's I've used I still much prefer the in-car OEM Toyota nav above all else. It's might not be worth $2000, but of the other solutions that I've tried, short of aftermarket HU's, I still would consider and get an OEM Toyota nav.

 

[Saberman]

Sounds Great But.............

I agree with you guys on the Nav Stereo. I think it sounds great but has major issues. I think the maps are aweful. What if you don't want the map up all the time. I also think the Ipod navigation is useless, really bad, can't scroll through songs without changing the song. Also my Blackberry keeps getting kicked off the Bluetooth. I keep getting a check phone message. Then when I get in the truck and it tries to sync up I get that check phone message and the stereo doesn't play because the stereo is trying to place a call. I have to disconnect to get the music to play. I just turned off the Bluetooth. Any sugestions?

 

[harper7]

First ,I would like to say I'm not bashing the 2010 Toyota 4Runner(heck if you know me ,I even have Toyota underwear on),just the JBL 6th Gen Nav units that are in the 2010 Toyotas.

I researched double din in dash NAV units yesterday and went to 2 different car audio shops today to really see how they matched up to the Toyota Nav.
I should have did this before I ordered my 4Runner with Nav!DOH!
I really thought at the time that the new Toyota Nav would match up.Wrong!
I am just trying to let potential 4Runner buyers know the mistake I made.You do your own research and go check out the aftermarket competition.

I found......
Kenwood,Pioneer and Eclipse 7 inch screen in dash Nav's blow the Toyota Nav out of the water.Not even in the same league!
These all have DVD players built in with remotes too and they can be found for around $1000 or less. Narrowed down to these 3 and Kenwood has the new hyped eXcelon DNX9960(msrp $1800) flagship coming out soon. I'm kinda partial to Kenwoods because they use the Garmin Nav.

The 3 that I checked out in person and really liked today.Probably will wait to see the Kenwood DNX9960 in person.Check out the demos of these on youtube or go to a car audio shop and see for yourself.

Kenwood DNX9140 Kenwood - DNX9140

Pioneer AVIC-Z110BT Pioneer USA - AVIC-Z110BT - Flagship In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver with DVD Playback, Built-In Bluetooth, 7" WVGA Touchscreen Display
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfgKGoAjD0k

Eclipse AVN726E ECLIPSE DVD-Video/USB Multi-Source Receiver/ 7inch Wide Screen Monitor/Navigation/ Built-in Bluetooth wireless technology AVN726E | Fujitsu Ten
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z00VV0JD6xU

 

[McGruder]

True, the controller interface to the iPod is terrible and will probably cause people to have accidents trying to operate it while driving. On the brighter side, the sound quality coming from the USB interface is quite good. Maybe Toyota will address this in 2011.

 

[Aspen]

Everyone keeps quoting $2000 as the factory Nav price - it is actually $1400 isn't it?

 

[Jesse1983]

I did the same as simonj, just tossed my music on a 4gb thumb drive and stuck it in. Im somewhat peeved there isnt a random play option; have to manually go in and pick a different folder to play music from each time (I didnt throw random songs into 1 folder, but have indv artists and many songs and folders for each) so I may end up making 1 mass folder with all songs thrown on it.

you can do this. while the music is playing HOLD the random button until you hear a beep. the display will show something like "Fldr Rndm" and shuffle the songs from different folders.

 

[Uneek]

I think the maps are aweful. What if you don't want the map up all the time. I also think the Ipod navigation is useless, really bad, can't scroll through songs without changing the song. Also my Blackberry keeps getting kicked off the Bluetooth. I keep getting a check phone message. Then when I get in the truck and it tries to sync up I get that check phone message and the stereo doesn't play because the stereo is trying to place a call. I have to disconnect to get the music to play. I just turned off the Bluetooth. Any sugestions?

I find the map graphics of Toyota nav much better than the aforementioned units I've used.

Both my '04 and '06 nav allows the display to be turned off. Are you looking to do more with the display, like play video?

Can't comment on the iPod functionality. But in my '04, I'm using a Peripheral Electronics iPod interface. It works ok, because CD-changer emulation is only what's supported by the '04 nav.

My Palm 755p worked pretty good with the '06 nav Bluetooth. My HTC TouchPro2, won't make calls from the nav's phonebook, I can answer all incoming calls. It's the PIN lock on the TP2. (The TP2 doesn't have good touchscreen unlocking sequence.)

 

[LWN]

I agree with you guys on the Nav Stereo. I think it sounds great but has major issues. I think the maps are aweful. What if you don't want the map up all the time. I also think the Ipod navigation is useless, really bad, can't scroll through songs without changing the song. Also my Blackberry keeps getting kicked off the Bluetooth. I keep getting a check phone message. Then when I get in the truck and it tries to sync up I get that check phone message and the stereo doesn't play because the stereo is trying to place a call. I have to disconnect to get the music to play. I just turned off the Bluetooth. Any sugestions?

There is an option within the Nav settings where you can turn the map off as the default display. I did this because I got tired of the screen flipping back to the map every 10-15 seconds when I wanted to keep the audio display up.