Hi:

I am trying to decide on the following two options:

1. Factory NavPlus navigation
pros: factory look, less proned to theft
cons: pain-in-the-xxx data entry, no touch screen, and path calculation seems very slow (agree?)

2. Permanently mounting / hardwiring a Garmin c550 probably in the empty space in front of the shifter
- I can hardwire the power and use the Garmin external antenna
pros: The Garmin c550 is the best GPS I have used and I have used MANY over the years
cons: More tempting to a would-be-thief, smalle screen, not line of sight

Suggestions?

Also, have you found the path calculation slow on the NavPlus, compared to modern units in the market today.

The NavPlus technology is a few years old, correct? The Garmin c550 has SIRF III which is much more sensitive for navigation around concrete jungles, super quick path calculation, touch screen, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Paul

 

I spent about 6 hours researching nav's both installed and after market (stick to your windshield type). I went with an after market (Garmin Nuvi 350) because it was better performance than any factory navie I read about (including Volvo's). Also, I liked being able to pop it out of my car and put it in a buddy's or a rental, or take it out in a new town and see what's around (shopping, landmarks, sites of interest, pubs, etc.) while eating or having a beer. Nuvi just came out with a new one, about $100 more, but with a slightly bigger screen. I love the compact size of mine and mount it right next to my rearview mirror (A3 Sline 3.2), so its plenty easy to see.

I strongly recommend this route.

Also, I like it so much , I've offered to let friends borrow my Nuvi... once you try it you'll wonder how you survived without it (you know this already).

Good luck whatever you do.

 

i vote for factory...I HATE having that damn power wire dangle down my winshield and into the power jack. permanent install defeats the purpose of being 'portable'.

 

Definitely a personal preference. I don't like the suction cup/cord thing, but for a roughly $2500 savings I certainly considered it.

And I'm glad I went with the Audi factory Nav. Definitely cost was the biggest consideration. I know I could get a Nuvi or other portable that would work just as good, with probably improved Ease-Of-Use with a touch screen.

But the factory Audi Nav is pretty good. And it provides so much more. It's not touch screen, and it takes a little getting used to looking for destinations by flipping buttons and ***** back and forth. The navigation function is top notch, the screen is a good size and location. Calculating a route takes time in any navigation system. I have a hand held Garmin and it takes several seconds as well. There is nothing wrong with this. It just means it's doing a thorough job of making the best decision for you. I wouldn't think any route calculation would take more than 15 or 30 seconds to calculate and there is nothing wrong with that.

But the 'more' is what's really cool about the factory Nav/Sound system. It integrates with many car functions. Phone Prep, the signal strength of your cell phone always shows up at the bottom of the screen no matter what option you are on. The radio (FM, AM, Sirius) stations show up on here. CD/MP3 lists show up here and you get a 6 disc CD changer and the two SD card slots with the option as well.

 

I have a garmin c330.. I am going to order an extra power cable and use that to hard wire it into a good spot. So there will be no wires showing but I will still have the factory cable in tact. For 349.99 from circuit city it was hard to pass up