JoesC5

When it gives you voice prompts, does it tell you the name of the street, or just to turn right in 200 feet?

Does it show you what lane you should be in for a turn?

Does it show you a split screen ground level photo of the upcoming off ramp you are supposed to exit on?

Does it show you the speed limit for the street you are driving on?

Does it give you an audible and visual warning if you are in an area where speed cameras are in use?

Daekwan06

Yep.

I'm probably one of the most tech savvy guys on this forum (its literally my job) and I still want an actual NAV system in a vehicle I'm driving. I have & use TomTom, Apple maps, Google maps on my iPhone but it is still no near as convenient as a built in touch screen NAV system. While I agree the smartphone NAV 'apps' will always be the most up to date, I dare you to try using a smartphone NAV for GPS in busier downtown cities where you MUST keep your eyes on the road at all times. As a person who has lived & worked in either DC or NYC for the past 18 years.. I can tell you first hand that the one second when you take to look down at your phone to see where that turn is coming up, is going to be the exact second someone walks into the street.. a car door opens.. or the car in front of you slams on brakes.

Theres also the fact that entering in destinations or making route adjustments on a 4"-5" smartphone screen is going to be more difficult to do than on a 8" touchscreen thats sitting dead smack in the center of the dash. That GPS use drains the battery of a smartphone very quickly and that you must keep that smartphone charging up when being used alot for GPS. God forbid you drop, water damage or misplace/lose your smartphone.. on a trip or vacation (something which occurs alot).. good luck depending on phone GPS to get you around or back home if that happens.

The NAV in the C7 is even more valuable than in other vehicles, because it provides HUD directions on the windshield and again in the drivers dashboard & center console. That's also in addition to the spoken directions & voice input navigation. There is no way I'd spend $60,000 on a car like the C7.. and then cheap out looking to save $700 on the NAV option. Since I'll be financing anyways.. whats an extra $700 on top of the loan.. maybe another $1-2 a month?

Glen e

My consulting job takes me to about 20 cities a year in a rental car. So I have to take my nav with me - had a Sony, then a Garmin Nuvi and finally my iPhone. My iphone is the easiest with SIRI and very accurate.

never had a problem using my iphone - I don't ever look at it when in nav mode - just listen to the voice telling me what to do. Nav in cars is very nice as it's integrated, but if you want a system that will get you there, and don't care about getting the integration, a phone works just fine....

george vee

Came part of my 3LT package and I like it.

Daekwan06

Definitely agreed that this is the best of both worlds. Google really is the best mapping software available. And its always up to date.

Their traffic calculations may be iffy.. but their mapping & POI are the best in the business.

r1owner

I would get factory navigation if it were me, but I still run Waze on my smartphone to let me know where the constabulary are sitting.

JoesC5

Couple of days ago I was looking to program my Garmin(and I have the factory NAV in my 09 Z06) for a friend's address down in Arkansas, that I had not been there before. I first used Google Maps on my desktop so I could get a satellite view. Google had no record of that address. I then went to Bing maps and they had the address as did MapQuest. I then entered the address in my Garmin, and it found it in a couple of seconds.

But, I have found that Google is the most up to date with it's satellite views(but still a year, or so, behind).

b4i4getit

They still make paper maps for you guys.

b4i4getit

This is why I said the current in dash systems are obsolete. It will become mainstream in all cars to interface the smartphone to the cars display screen. GM should have allowed for this.

JoesC5

I always throw in some paper maps when I go on a trip, in addition to my GPS.

Jpiatchek

The print for us old guys is too small and we can't remember long enough to not look it while driving! Hard to see while busy sliding around corners. Take the car NAV any day.

Daekwan06

Not sure how you label it obsolete and assume it will be mainstream anytime soon, when practically nobody else is doing this. Name one other manufacturer besides Audi who is actually using Google maps in the OEM navigation systems in vehicles? Even then, the Audi-Google partnership is new and only available on their absolute latest vehicles and requires a monthly data subscription to Audi-Connect (or wifi hotspotting your smartphone). If your Audi is two years old, chances are its not available in your vehicle. Possibly not even available in the newest model of your car.

The same problem with using NAV on a smartphone (everybody uses a different app for NAV), is the same problem with smartphone integration in vehicles (everybody uses a different mobileOS & smartphone hardware). There is NO standard for implementation. It gets even worse when you look at the longtime agreed upon partnerships between vehicle manufacturers & NAV service providers who purposely want to continue their proprietary method of NAV & driver interface in their vehicles. GM uses Cue/MyLink, Ford uses Sync, BMW uses iDrive, Audi uses MMI, Benz uses Mercedes Command. Just like the Congress cannot agree on a budget, good luck getting these manufacturers to agree on a single interface & standard for integration. You are literally talking about Google & Samsung & GM all agreeing on a standard. If we are lucky, something like that MIGHT be in place 6-8 years from now when the C8 gets introduced.

Even if a full integration could be standardized and agreed upon between both auto & smartphone manufacturers.. Do you really think that auto makers & NAV service providers are that anxious to replace the lucrative, cash cow "technology packages" that are currently offered as upgrades in all vehicles. If guys are already bytching about $795 being too expensive for NAV on the C7.. Wait till they see the $3000-8000 options required to include NAV on German vehicles.

About the only exception is something like possible agreement between Apple (who is one of the few to control both the software & hardware on all their devices) and one of their long time partners like BMW. BMW's have natively supported iPod/iPhone charging and music playback since 2004. That's a decade of native Apple integration in BMWs. And while Apple has announced a much more open "in-car" push (http://www.digitaltrends.com/apple/a...ree-and-ios-7/).. and even integration with newer GM vehicles including the C7 (http://gmauthority.com/blog/2013/06/...l-as-partners/).. I still haven't seen any real world use or reviews about it. Just a bunch of handshaking and press releases.

Trust as a person who love to find a way to fully integrate the huge 8" touchscreen in my car, with the tiny 4" touchscreen on my iPhone, I've looked at all the options that are currently on the market (to include the Pioneer "APP" radio) and the tech is just not there. About the only way to get Google maps to show up on the OEM touchscreen system in your car, is to go out and purchase an $80,000 Audi. And thats just not going to happen. Atleast not for me.