Built-in Nav System Survey

[Red Beard]

Hey guys, I'm doing a project in my interactive design class on redesigning a Nav System on a Range Rover Sport. If any of you have used the RR Sport's Nav system, you know its probably the worst ever. Being a LandCruiser guy, I want to get some information on the Toyota 200 series nav system from the guys who use it most.

Some questions:

1. Overall, do you like it?
2. What features do you use the most? The least?
3. Hows the interactivity? (How easy can you select stuff)
4. Do you get lost often?
5. top 3 best features, top 3 worst features?

Also, if anyone has photos of the nav system in use, post them! They'll be greatly appreciated!

 

[rhllc]

LX570 navigation here

1. like it alot relative to other nav systems, maybe only use it once a month on average though. My real use isn't usually being told where to turn. It is the estimate of how long the trip will take. Helps planning lunch breaks, fuel stops, etc.
2. usually I just enter address/locations and then drive to them, nothing fancy. I avoid the voice recognition stuff if at all possible.
3. interactivity is fine for basic stuff. entering an address and driving too it. The touch screen interface for map control, zoom, select modes, etc. is awkward. The worst problem I've run into is trying to figure out how to cancel a route while driving after I change my mind on my destination.
4. never lost, may just not know how to get where I want to go......
5. Not sure I can list 3. The big thing car navigation systems are missing is internet connectivity for searches. iPad navigation systems are so much easier to use as you don't need to specify the address of a place exactly. You search for what you want by name or type of place. A couple clicks later, the map is directing you to it. Probably the worst part of any auto navigation system I've used is getting the address entered precisely enough. One typo and you are directed to someplace 100's of miles away and usually have to go back to the beginning to re-enter the correct address from scratch. The voice recognition systems are impossible in this regard. They just don't recognize the names of towns and roads. One gets caught in an endless loop of trying to get it to recognize some weird name. On the other hand, one of the best features of the LX's system is the abiltiy to directly enter lat/log. coordinates. Great for navigating to campsites and other off-road/off the beaten path places that don't necessarily have an address.

 

[Carl L]

1. Overall, do you like it?
2. What features do you use the most? The least?
3.Hows the interactivity? (How easy can you select stuff)
4.Do you get lost often?
5. top 3 best features, top 3 worst features?

1. Yes, screen clarity is quite good and the screen is a good size. Auto dim at night is a nice feature and it works in sunlight quite well too.
2. I like the touch screen, the warning chime before turns and the fact road names are listed/spoken unlike on my sedan. I dislike how hard it is to find certain options, how long it takes to enter an address as it "thinks" after each letter, and most of all being locked out of using it when moving which no Euro vehicles I've owned do.
3. Decent, but some options are very hard to find. I set it to "no freeways" and when my friend borrowed it he had no clue how to re enable it. Took him 20 mins and he's fairly bright.
4. No, I rarely use the sat nav but when I do, overall it works better than the one on my sedan in finding places but is more fiddly to use even though I like it being touch screen.
5. see answer to 2

G luck with the project.

 

[flyfish4life]

You might be well served to get on a 2012 Camry board as the next generation model employs Entune, similar to Ford Sync, where navigation will be upgradable via downloads from your phone. That will soon replace all DVD and HDD based systems that Toyota/Lexus currently uses. I think the 2013 Land Cruiser, Prius V and new GS will have this system by the beginning of 2012 and all others shortly thereafter.

I will say that touch screen is still the way to go and you should be able to use basic features (HVAC, radio, etc.) for convenience/or failure without fumbling through several touch commands. And please let the friggin passenger change routing or enter directions while the car is in motion. Ridiculous and dangerous to pull over on side of interstate and enter a direction or make a change.

 

[sptsdn]

1. Overall, do you like it?
2. What features do you use the most? The least?
3. Hows the interactivity? (How easy can you select stuff)
4. Do you get lost often?
5. top 3 best features, top 3 worst features?

My review review is based on the older '09 system. Not sure if some of my complaints have been addressed by the '10 upgrade.
1) No, I do not like it. In fact, it's one of the worst factory systems I've used.
2) Features I use the most would be the Bluetooth and basic navigation (enter name or address). Least used is the voice recognition.
3) Terrible. Too many menus that are not intuitive and too often you're locked out of any input options once you're rolling.
4) So far I've never been lost, it has been pretty accurate at actual navigation.
5) Honestly can't think of three nice features. Three worst: a) The phone connectivity is terrible - why do I have to tell it what phone to connect to (mine or my wife's)? Look for phone 'one' first, and if not present, search for phone 'two' just like my $100 aftermarket kit in my other car does.
b) allow for on-the-fly inputs from a passenger.
c) the voice recognition feature is absolutely useless. To see how voice recognition should be done, see current Acura products - you can adjust the climate control system, phone, radio, and navigation system using simple, easy-to-use commands. I have yet to successfully use the voice commands in the LC.

Overall, I feel the Nav system in the LC is the worst features of the entire vehicle.

 

[fvunen]

Response based on 2010 Landcruiser with a Middle East maps covering Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman.

1. Overall, do you like it?
In general, the complete user interface of the Toyota system, and that includes all functions of the touch screen unit like audio, navigation, telephone, is slow and cumbersome (actually pretty awful is a better description) to use. Specially when compared to good and intuitive user interfaces of e.g. Ipod music player, Garmin and TomTom navigators, etc. The biggest let down however is the disabling of basically all functions when driving making the system completely useless.

2. What features do you use the most? The least?
Due to the very limited map coverage the system is only useful in the center of the major cities. Due to the difficulty of transcribing arabic street names into English it is rare to be able to find the correct street by entering the name. The only thing that is really useful is the ability to either enter directly on the map or use lat/long. Both however imply that you know where you are going...
The least liked feature is the voice guidance, I always have this turned off. Its a distraction and often confusing in all but the most straight forward situations.

3. Hows the interactivity? (How easy can you select stuff)
See my answer on 1 and 2 above. As soon as you are driving no interaction possible, maybe safe but utterly useless. While standing still its reasonable but pales in comparison to Garmin and Tomtom

4. Do you get lost often?
No. but this is not due to the system
The indicated route is often longer or less optimal than it can be. Not sure this is the system, most likely caused by the limited map detail.

5. top 3 best features, top 3 worst features?
Best
1. Fact that it is build in, no separate devices, cables, wires, rattling around
2. Reasonable screen
3. ?

Least
1. Slowness and disabling of functions when driving
2. Poor user interface
3. Limited map detail, specially when compared with separately available systems


As you may have guessed from the above, I do drive around with a separate Garmin unit loaded with detailed Saudi maps including so called Darmoja desert maps and a table PC loaded with Oziexplorer and cached GoogleEarth images.
While this doesn't help finding addresses, in particular for off-road driving this combination is vastly superior to the Toyota system.

Good luck,
Nan

 

[Red Beard]

Thanks for all the input here, guys! It is interesting how much an after-thought these factory nav and radio systems are. I'll post some design comps when I start getting to that phase in the coming weeks. This research greatly helps!

Anyone have any photos of the LC nav/radio screen?

 

[Mtnbike]

I personally think the LC nav as it's one the easiest to use on the market. Voice recognition is terrible like most. I've used most high end NAVS on 2009 to current year SS Bentley, Mercedes,BMW's and Land Rovers and they are the biggest pain in the a$$. The nav on the LC is so simple I can't understand how anyone would have any trouble. I had a special kit installed to the nav so I could update directions and even my passenger can watch a movie from it while driving. It could use a 1080p screen with color 3D building and terrain display. The Long/lat input is limited which I could really use when I'm in the backcountry.

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD

 

[ggroot30]

Some questions:

1. Overall, do you like it?
2. What features do you use the most? The least?
3. Hows the interactivity? (How easy can you select stuff)
4. Do you get lost often?
5. top 3 best features, top 3 worst features?

Also, if anyone has photos of the nav system in use, post them! They'll be greatly appreciated!

1. Absolutely not. In fact, I think I resent the fact that I paid for it. If it was given to me free as an option, I would have probably opted out. I cannot believe how often I have to refer to my $100 garmin to find out actual travel times and to get faster routes. The factory system is awful at getting you there quickly.

2. It is handy simply pressing a button and seeing exactly where you are located. The system seems to pick up satellites rather quickly. It is frustrating having to use the system for temperature control, stereo etc. It is hugely frustrating getting locked out of pretty much everything once the vehicle is in motion. The passenger cannot access any information just because the vehicle is in motion.

3. I think that it is fairly intuitive, selection is decent.

4. Not often, though relying on Nav systems makes it seem more likely that I will get lost.

5. Top 3 best features. Big screen, intuitive, factory installed. Worst feature by far is the mapping software itself. It is absolutely ridiculous how poor the system is compared to a garmin, tom tom, or online stuff such as google maps. Second worst is the fact that it locks you out once moving. Third is that other systems (temp, audio) work through the nav system.

 

[Mtnbike]

Geez people! Buy a nav overide and have a professional install it. That way your passenger can use the nav and movie features while driving. So Simple!!!

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