I did take the time to learn about my nav unit; I do like it. I did not like the idea of having to choose between the nav or 6 disc player so I added a plug and play changer which is controlled on the nav screen. Best of both worlds.

 

I find it very easy to see and read. But then I can see where I'm going in the daytime. The NAV is mainly useful at night when it is harder to spot landmarks or read small and ill placed road signs or building numbers.

 

I bought my first Garmin in 1997. I upgraded to newer ones over the years and would always have it on the dash whenever I was traveling. When I picked up the C6 at the NCM, I obviously had it. After spending almost an hour training on the factory nav during the delivery I was confident the factory nav was better. I kept both on driving home but then the Garmin went into the glove compartment. I still use it in rental cars but I much prefer the factory nav because it is so powerful and integrated into the car. Plus, when making turns the factory nav doesn't go flying around the cockpit.

As Talon said, the factory nav is a very good unit but not as easy to learn. Once you spend the time to learn how to use it, it is far better than the Garmins, IMHO. But if you can't be bothered spending the time to learn how to use, it is really sucks.

So, if you want to take the time, first read the manual. Then play with it because there are a lot of features not covered in the manual. Take a break occasionally and read all the treads here. But do NOT believe everything you read here about it not working and telling you to go the wrong way and not having streets. Many of those comments are coming from people who never took the time to learn the "features" and were telling it that is what they wanted. Incorrect routings come from not properly selecting from the dozens of routing options. Missing streets seem to be not narrowing the selections and then "misspelling" the name.

And finally, to answer the last questiion, no, I am only aware of one firmware upgrade and that was for the early 2005s and could only be done by a dealer. But there is really no need for firmware upgrades on any piece of hardware after you get it right which should be within a year after first release. Once you have hardware released to production it really should be doing what it was designed to do and that seems to be the case here. Maps are different.

 

Congratulation on your new vette! Hope you enjoy every moment.

 

 

Did you adjust the brightness and contrast? I also bought a Nushield anti-glare screen cover ( http://www.nushield.com/ )which helps some but I'll agree that when the sun is just right the screen is impossible to see just as any fixed position screen would be. Haven't you noticed that at certain times of the day and angle of driving the DIC and even the dash gauges are impossible to see because of glare?

Not only will it show POIs but it will give you distance and direction listed in order from closest to farthest. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1569347979-post22.html

Yes, it does. Page 7. From other threads I know that you already know this but you can select from over 100 preset destinations while driving. You just have to have entered them before or while you were stopped. No, you can not type in new addresses while cruising down the highway. That has never bothered me. If I really want to change my mind on where I'm going and start from scratch entering an address, I'll pull off the road or at least wait until I stop at a light.

 

Just read the manual and you won't be as frustrated as same of the folks here are. It is is not as intuitive as Garmin, but it does do everything the Garmin does, you will just need to consult the manual.

Also, and in my mind the biggest advantage of factory nav is the heads up display, it's awesome.

Enjoy your new ride and don't forget to wave.

 

I have two Garmins for my motorcycles, and factory units in my Mazda CX9, Cadillac CTS and Honda Goldwing. I've also had one in an Infiniti M45 and two Corvette factory units.

The Corvette and Mazda tie for the worst. They are very unintiutive to use. The aftermarket units are so much better than any of the factory units that it makes me wonder what drugs the auto makers are on. I know their units are made by Garmin (typically) but the automakers work with them to make them meet their requirements.

The Corvette unit will be okay if you use it a lot and learn it's features. My complaint is that I did not use it a lot, and the functions were not intuitive. Every other units I've had has been much easier to use by just playing with it.

The best example I have it to start a route. You put in whatever data to set a destination. Then there are two icons on the bottom of the screen. One is to start navigating the route, the other is to set a way point. Neither icon looks like anything that means anything to me, and I was always guessing at which one to push. EVERY other unit I've had uses simple words like "Nagiviate route", or something similar rather than some icon that means not a damn thing to me.

No, I'm not happy with the Corvette units - but they are better than nothing because I hate stuff hanging from my windshield.

 

 

Great points. The HUD display is very nice.

READ THE MANUAL ON THE FACTORY NAV AND YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW GOOD IT IS.

 

I don't care how long you spend trying to learn how to use the factory NAV, it will never equal a Garmin. I have a 09 with the latest v5.0 disc. My Garmin hasn't been updated in the last two years and the data base is still more complete then the factory NAV. It dosen't matter how "powerfull" the factory NAV is if the data base is always out of date, compared to a Garmin. In addition, an update disc for the factory NAV is $199. You can almost buy a new Garmin for that price(an update for the garmin is cheaper then that and you can download it from your computer. Can't do that with the factory NAV). As for as the intergration of the factory NAV with the HUD, it dosen't do much. What good is the interface if the data base is out of date. Also, with the Garmin I can position the unit to prevent glare on the screen, can't do that with the factory NAV, and that is a big problem when the sun is behind you. If the glare is such that you can't see the screen, what good is it. If I'm driving down the interstate and want to use the POI to find a gas station or a restaurant, what good is the "powerfull" factory NAV if I can't see the screen to go through 5-6 steps to find a destination. I have also found that the Garmin is much more accurate in knowing my location in regards to where I need to turn, etc and will tell me the steet name so I can look for a street sign instead of trying to read the HUD or NAV screen to find out the street name. I have the factory NAV only because the car my dealer had in stock was equiped with it and since I was buying the car using GMS I couldn't wait for a special ordered car to be built. $1750 wasted, in my opinion.

 

I have my new C6 and already have 75 miles on it

09 Cyber Gray Cpe 3LT with the Dual Top option, Navigation and Chrome Spoked Wheels.

50.5K out the door.

And thanks so much for the informative posts regarding the Navigation.

Done Deal --- I am going to stick with the Garmin Zumo model.
I have both the Bike and Auto brackets and can switch back and fourth in seconds.
Two reasons for this,

I can adjust the Zumo directly at my Mug and the Resolution & Brigtness of the factory unit doesn't even compare.

The Zumo is just so bright and Vivid.

That said, I have one more beat the dead horse question...

1st to 4th shifting really sucks!

Searching this brings me to two fixes,,,,

One,,,,,a plug in fuse for your fuse box.
The other,,, A disconnect type alteration at the transmission plug in.

Is there a general consensus on which is the best?

Thanks again, my head is still buried in my Onwer's Manual! I'm loving this!

 

 

I had the factory Nav unit in my '06 vert. The tie in to the HUD was great. I actually liked the NAV over what I got with a Pioneer AVIC-D3. That said, the angle on the screen was terrible. The D3 was better. Additionally, the radio sucked. They are supposed to be MP3 disc compatible. They are, if you have a maximum 18 songs per folder, 36 maximum folders and the MP3 burn is encoded with version 1.0 of some burn protocol. As an FYI, the CD burn protocol is no longer distributed. 99% of PC's do not support this burn method. Next, it wasn't loud enough with the top down and you cannot integrate an iPOD into it. One of the main reasons why I ditched it.

Hope this helps.

 

The resolution and brightens really do it for me.

I'm not debating whether it is as powerful and feature rich as the Garmin, I just love the rich and bright colors of the Garmin.

It looked good on the way home, but after I put the Garmin up it was a serious wash out for the factory unit.

My Window Sticker also states three months of Satelite free though I can't seem to get it to work?

The dealer said the Satellite radio was good to go, not just Satellite ready.....

I have a Kenwood Satelite Reciever and Subscription in my Pick-up so I know what to look for.

There is not much in the manual for Satellite tuning with this radio.

I should have asked more questions about it during delivery.

My saleswoman ....OK I spent most of the time looking at her...

 

So if you were buying a new C6 today... would you get the NAV option???

 

I went with the Cags eliminator. Around $20 and takes about 10 minutes to install, after the trans and exhaust cools down. It's a lot easier to install if you have a lift( I do) then on your back. You might stop by a muffler shop when they're not busy and see if you can use their lift for $5 or so.

 

I can't say that I would.

I'm in my 40's and recently went the reading glasses route.

Bringing the Zumo closer to my line of vision, along with the brightness, really helps the few of us that cant reverse this aging thing

 

i hate the nav and its made by a company called denzo

 

I ordered the NAV (3LT) in my '07. I use a Garmin in my daily driver. Yes, the Garmin is easier to use. Would I order a NAV if I were to get another Vette? Yes. There is something to be said for factory equipment. The compromise is that it doesn't make EVERYBODY happy ALL of the time.