Performance Data Recorder - Yes or No?
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 4,685
Likes: 78
From: Winter Garden (central),FL,USA
Some people that would be looking to buy a used one may pass if the car doesn't have it--especially a Z51 car that is more likely to be tracked.
I would not have bought a '15 w/o PDR--but I track/Auto-X regularly. The NAV is just a nice bonus to me.
I would not have bought a '15 w/o PDR--but I track/Auto-X regularly. The NAV is just a nice bonus to me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 1999
Posts: 5,353
Likes: 100
From: And then it was said... "let there be blue Corvettes and yellow Camaros" Ft Worth Texas
Cruise-In IV Veteran
St. Jude Donor '09
I use the PDR on every drive. Great tool for recording every facet of your drive, especially if someone cuts you off, etc. Plus it makes good videos of our clubs back road cruises. The video quality now is pretty poor IMO but a software update is supposedly coming out that will make the videos much sharper and clearer.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 5,718
Likes: 80
From: Crossville Tennessee
Another consideration for adding the PDR is you can use it as a dash cam. Uses include crash information, might help with liability there, or defend yourself against a bogus speeding ticket, speed can be recorded. Or possibly to pin liability on unsafe trucker loosing debris on the road. Also can use it for valet mode. Can make recordings of fun trips on roads like Tail of the Dragon. Yeah, its expensive, came with my 3LT though, but a fun toy to play with. Find out how much it costs per month over the life of the loan and see if you can stand the increase in payments. May not make that big a difference. I often start a recording just in case, never to review it if nothing unusual occurs.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 2,439
Likes: 590
From: Tellico Plains Tennessee
Whoa... lets not get carried away here. 
Kidding, of course. Could and would are two different animals. I've owned a C4 since 2000 and though I like the car ... a lot.. I could and would live without it, the C7... I guess I could but I sure wouldn't want to. 
Kidding, of course. Could and would are two different animals. I've owned a C4 since 2000 and though I like the car ... a lot.. I could and would live without it, the C7... I guess I could but I sure wouldn't want to.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 738
Likes: 324
From: FL
If you can use it like a dash-cam, I would absolutely get it. More and more people are running with dash-cams and it can help prove your case in an accident better than 4 witnesses can (ask my wife how we know).
Insurance scammers are on the rise in a lot of countries (they like to cut in front of you then slam on the brakes causing you to rear-end them). Can also be handy for Road Rage incidents which as we all know are also on the rise. And I would think having the PDR in the vette built in would be a better option than having something extra stuck to your windshield (I would prefer it built in, but that's me).
The only upside to a dashcam is if you need to, you can pop it off the windshield and continue recording an incident if it moves out of the viewing area in front of your car, and as another said, the resolution and picture quality may be better as well.
Uhh, just make sure it is turned off if you plan on going over the speed limit. lol.
As far as the nav systems in cars, I don't like them. They tend to be slow, and updates are expensive. I prefer my phone and Sync Services (Ford's Non-nav screen navigation used in conjunction with the Ford Destinations app or calling services and have them plan out a route and download it to your car) and/or Waze. Sync Services is $60.00 a year (first 3 years are free), and map updates on the phone are free, and they are updated more often.
Also, I'm just weird with in-car nav screens cluttering up the look of the interior. I have never really liked them in any car, so i'm probably in the minority on that one.
Insurance scammers are on the rise in a lot of countries (they like to cut in front of you then slam on the brakes causing you to rear-end them). Can also be handy for Road Rage incidents which as we all know are also on the rise. And I would think having the PDR in the vette built in would be a better option than having something extra stuck to your windshield (I would prefer it built in, but that's me).
The only upside to a dashcam is if you need to, you can pop it off the windshield and continue recording an incident if it moves out of the viewing area in front of your car, and as another said, the resolution and picture quality may be better as well.
Uhh, just make sure it is turned off if you plan on going over the speed limit. lol.
As far as the nav systems in cars, I don't like them. They tend to be slow, and updates are expensive. I prefer my phone and Sync Services (Ford's Non-nav screen navigation used in conjunction with the Ford Destinations app or calling services and have them plan out a route and download it to your car) and/or Waze. Sync Services is $60.00 a year (first 3 years are free), and map updates on the phone are free, and they are updated more often.
Also, I'm just weird with in-car nav screens cluttering up the look of the interior. I have never really liked them in any car, so i'm probably in the minority on that one.
Have a Garmin that works great....FREE lifetime maps. Traffic alerts!
So, for me, the PDR/nav is a total waste of money!!!
Race Director
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 10,742
Likes: 629
From: Manheim Pennsylvania
The screen is going to be there whether you have nav or not. Same with most modern cars, what with infotainment systems becoming popular. Wife's Nissan has it. I don't usually display the nav anyway. I prefer to have music titles and such displayed there. I agree with those who prefer a smart phone for nav. Wife and I compared Nissan nav, C7 nav, and Garmin. Garmin won out. We still use phone for most situations.
I also like listening to music and be able to see music titles and such. I have the navigation map displayed (my personal default screen), the station, song title and artist are displayed, left top corner of nav screen. With the navigation page in view you can anticipate upcoming turns on a strange road, trace out side streets avoiding traffic delays without stressing. The navigation system will check for traffic delays (XM provided with appropriate plan) and will navigate around them if programed. The navigation page displayed has saved me many miles just watching side roads and tracing their end destination. I am using roads that avoid major traffic and save miles that I would never have known even existed. Saved, is saving, more than the price of the option.
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Pro
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 549
Likes: 41
From: Kansas City MO
I can easily have both Nav & Audio screen display together on my 2010 CTS; I haven't figured out how to do this on my 2015 C7.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 1,782
Likes: 106
From: Salado TX
I like to see my route and use the nav system as a rolling map, you can't safely do that with a phone, the screen is too small. Plus, its easier to change the view on the nav system with one hand and that isn't easy on a phone either. I haven't used the PDR, but will get around to trying it out one day.
Heel & Toe
Joined: Apr 2015
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Avon Ct
I got a 3, so PDR came as standard. I'm not a track guy, so it's really more of a toy. It impresses the hell out of people when showing off the car. I find I don't use it much. I wouldn't pay $2k for it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 6,813
Likes: 287
From: Toronto Ontario Canada
Nav system and PDR a definite YES if for nothing else -- resale. Is it an expensive toy? Probably, but it's an expensive car (at least in my view) and people who my look at it when you sell it (millennials) will expect at least a NAV system, and the PDR is a neat toy as a bonus to help sell it.
The NAV system works pretty well in my opinion and YES, unless you track the car the PDR is neat, but not used very often. I think I've used it for a couple 0-60 shots and will probably use it once or twice this summer at the 1/4 mile strip.
My car is a 3LT off the lot; so it came with the car, but if I ordered one EXACTLY like I wanted, I'd still get it. Like I said, the nav works reasonably well and the PDR is cool.
The NAV system works pretty well in my opinion and YES, unless you track the car the PDR is neat, but not used very often. I think I've used it for a couple 0-60 shots and will probably use it once or twice this summer at the 1/4 mile strip.
My car is a 3LT off the lot; so it came with the car, but if I ordered one EXACTLY like I wanted, I'd still get it. Like I said, the nav works reasonably well and the PDR is cool.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 276
Likes: 76
From: Florida
Pdr
I like the PDR and have no intentions of tracking the car on a regular basis. It came "standard" as I have a 3 but I don't know if I would have added it as an option. It makes a fairly decent dash cam and the playback through the Cosworth Toolbox is cool. The major issue for me is the green-tinged out of focus image quality which is embarrassingly horrid. Maybe the new software update we have been hearing about will help if that ever materializes.
Instructor
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: Cordova Tn
I have reserved a production slot for a 2016 convertible (laguna blue on black Z51 with 2LT and chrome wheels in case anyone is interested 
). Up here in Canada 
the navigation/performance data recorder is a $2,250 option. I'll never use the navigation and the PDR seems to be a bit of a toy that I'd only use a few times. Is it worth adding to my order?? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
). Up here in Canada the navigation/performance data recorder is a $2,250 option. I'll never use the navigation and the PDR seems to be a bit of a toy that I'd only use a few times. Is it worth adding to my order?? Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Racer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 268
Likes: 10
From: Cape Cod MA
Nav system and PDR a definite YES if for nothing else -- resale. Is it an expensive toy? Probably, but it's an expensive car (at least in my view) and people who my look at it when you sell it (millennials) will expect at least a NAV system, and the PDR is a neat toy as a bonus to help sell it.
The NAV system works pretty well in my opinion and YES, unless you track the car the PDR is neat, but not used very often. I think I've used it for a couple 0-60 shots and will probably use it once or twice this summer at the 1/4 mile strip.
My car is a 3LT off the lot; so it came with the car, but if I ordered one EXACTLY like I wanted, I'd still get it. Like I said, the nav works reasonably well and the PDR is cool.
The NAV system works pretty well in my opinion and YES, unless you track the car the PDR is neat, but not used very often. I think I've used it for a couple 0-60 shots and will probably use it once or twice this summer at the 1/4 mile strip.
My car is a 3LT off the lot; so it came with the car, but if I ordered one EXACTLY like I wanted, I'd still get it. Like I said, the nav works reasonably well and the PDR is cool.
I have some (limited) interest in your PDR.
I will buy the car to drive it. Not let the car drive me (nav). I'll never need a built in nav.
ALTHOUGH, I must admit, having it for resale value I do agree with. As well as being able to say you have it. Plus its a dash cam built in to the car... Very cool if you ask me. I am a techie so I am partial, but its nice to get away from all the tech once in a while.
Is it worth $2000? Maybe, maybe not.
Last edited by Splitter; May 9, 2015 at 08:21 PM.
