I agree with the navigation stuff. There is a very easy bypass. Flash your lights once when the unit is starting up and all the safety BS is gone. You have to do this when pioneer something appears in the upper left hand corner of the screen. It works every time.

 

Hey there, I heard from someone else who had the same problem, I'm probaly getting a navigation system this fall. I was getting the z1, but I really want a in dash navigation system just mainly for traveling, and I would not mind a few high tech things on the side like back up camera, if the Z1 doesn't work, what is another good in dash navigation, eclipse? Also does everyone have this same problem with the z1's accuracy.

 

I have had 2 D1s and now a Z1 in my Navigator, and aside from some questionable route picking, overall the navigation software is very good.

 

I agree. If you do not care about it's ability to select an appropriate route and are instead just using it around town to look cool, it's nice. Grpahically it is georgous. For me though, in this case, it is function over form. I really need something the will reliably pick the best route for me and that is not the Z1.

On the question of others, I honestly have not looked at anything else. I wanted the Z1 becuase of the combination of bluetooth integration and in-dash navigation.

FYI, I talked to my installer today and they are going to remove it. The downside is that I am out the install cost of $400.00 but I will live with that if I have to. The stupid thing is so frustrating that I would pay to have it removed at this point.

Shan

 

That's hardly what I was saying. I've used it to navigate throughout both Houston and on a trip to the Texas Hill Country, during which it performed flawlessly. I've had several OEM and aftermarket nav setups, and the Z1 is the best, but none have been perfect. I'm speaking strictly of the nav function....in all other aspects, it is by far the best. If I just wanted to look cool, a motorized screen HU from Jensen or Audiovox would have been sufficient.

 

I just want to look cool

 

Yeah it may be the install or where the antena is mounted, also navigation is for where you need help like lost. For example, mapquest.com always takes the longest route but always hits the destination, also Z1 has that feature which it learns the routes you take home and uses that route.I'm most likely going to get it, also how is the XM NAV traffic feature. www.avic411.com

 

Perhaps it believes Sherwood is really Sherwood forest and is afraid if you go there you will be robbed and your riches given to the poor.

What I have noticed on this unit in Los Angeles is it really wants to use the freeways whenever possible. Even with the nav traffic and clogged freeways it thinks they are faster. Well guess what I was wrong, the freeway at 20mph is faster than the side roads at 35-40 when you count the lights.

My only complaint on the nav is not being usable while moving - I haven't tried the bypasses yet. I'm coming from an Acura TL nav and it is definately one of the best of the OEM's out there.

I'm glad you have found a unit in the Garman that likes your area. That is really key in picking a nav unit.

As a toy the Z1 gets a 10 as a nav I give it an 8.

 

Sorry Doc, it did not come out the way I intended...was in a hurry between meetings when I posted that. I meant to say that the nav unit is great if you want one that looks cool, not if you want to look cool.

BTW, I am only comparing the Z1 to the Garmin 2610 system I have. I have not used any other navs so I do not know how good they are. All I do know is that I spent all afternoon today driving around town pitting the Garmin against the Pioneer and time and time again, the Pioneer just picked the dumbest routes. The funny thing is that there is no rhyme or reason for the route it picks. Sometimes it send you on these really off the wall small roads that lead in the wrong direction, sometimes it puts you on the big roads and sometimes on the Interstate. I am juest really dissappointed to see that Pioneer's latest and greatest $2,400 Navigation system can't keep up with a three year old $600 Garmin system. I guess I just expected more for my money. To me a nav is about more than helping me find someplace when I am lost, it is about helping me find the most efficient route to get somewhere. With the Garmin, I have rarely been sent on a dumb route (happens every so often). With the Pioneer, unless the destination is right off the interstate and you are close to said Interstate, it does a terrible job. At first I thought the Portland Metro maps in it were screwed up, but I have never been on a road it does not recongnize. I seriously cannot imagine what it could be other than bad software.

But on top of the Nav, no one should have to spend that kind of money and then be forced to find ways to hack the system so that you can use the most basic functions when moving. Even your passenger cannot do a destination search on the thing. I cannot tell you how many times I have been going down the freeway on a trip and wanted a Wal Mart or some other destination and simply typed it in on the touchscreen and found it. With the Pioneer, you have to pull off the freeway and engage the parking brake to do the same thing. Ridiculous. It is bad enough that the government tries to protect me from myself, but there is no way I am going to put up with a business doing it...I just won't buy their product.

Anyhow, I am off my soapbox. I simply did not liek the unit for the reasons above. Your mileage will vary.

 

That's the thing about Garmin...I have used it all over the country and, as long as you update maps every 2-3 years, it works reliably everywhere. I guess it makes sense, since that is what Garmin does. Maybe I expected too much. If I did not have the Garmin to compare it to, ignoring the "can't do nothing when moving" crap, I might have liked the Z1.

It just sucks that it does not work since I have been waiting for the dumb thing to come out since I heard about it 7 mos. ago. I really wanted that Bluetooth integration. Oh well.

 

May be the install, but if you goto sites like amazon.com and look at reviews of the Garmin there are many who even disliked the garmin giving it 1 star, so it might depend on the individual.

 

I pulled it out today to look for this; no void sticker and I don't see anything to hint their might be something hidden.

I will take the whole unit apart soon and if I find somthing like this hidden I'll post otherwise my PAC TR-7 showed up today and it's going in instead.

 

Update: PAC TR-7 worked flawlessly.

Very good walkthrough found here: http://www.avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=143

 

Thats for the N3 bypass, similar to the N2 bypass but no solder required . Looks like you got your Z1 bypass working. Im wondering if i should drop the $1300 on the Z1 or not. The eclipse units sound fantastic (which is what I would primarily use it for) but cant hit the broad side of a barn with their nav since its map quest based.

 

I went pioneer over eclipse only because of Nav Traffic. I'm in Los Angeles most of the time and hate the surprises.

 

I love Eclipse unit and sell it at work regularly

 

Sean,
I could not agree with you more. Why pay this much money and have to hack it to work the way you want it. If anything there should be an switch or setting to allow the user to decide. We all have a need to change route or address while in route and having to pull-over to change an address is like pulling over to look at a $1.50 map-- except this map cost $2k plus--.
I must say that if not for the other features (ipod, Sirius, Bluetooth) i would have stuck with my N2.
As for Pioneer Navigation software-- it sucks! plain and simple-- TeleAtlas software is outdated-- and Pioneer as an innovator should also consider NAvTech which is offered in most if not all factory and aftermarket Navigation radios (clarion to name a few).
This is not to say Pioneer does not make good products, but come on..get with the program.

 

Ya, I ended up having mine removed and going back to factory. I may do an aftermarket deck sometime in the future, but I doubt I will do one with Nav. Looking at putting in one of the Double DIN screen decks that does not have NAV support. I really love the larger display and the extra features that come with the newer decks as well. And that Z1 was so darned good looking...just raised my blood pressure too much to use it.

Shan

 

Where's the best place (read as "least expensive and trustworthy") to buy a Z1?

Jay

 

Try www.pricegrabber.com

choose avic-z1

then look for the best price by a seller with the best rating.