- A survey of factory-installed navigation systems by market researcher J.D. Power uncovers a "high incidence" of owner-reported problems.
- The highest satisfaction rating was given to the Garmin system installed in the Dodge Charger.
- Owners report the greatest number of problems with routing quality and system usability.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, California — A new study of factory-installed navigation systems indicates continued owner frustration and issues, with routing quality and system usability most frequently cited, according to J.D. Power and Associates.
The market-research firm's 2011 U.S. Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study said the Garmin system installed in the Dodge Charger won the most favorable rating from consumers, followed closely by the Hyundai Mobis system in the Hyundai Genesis Coupe.
The study, now in its 13th year, measures ease of use, routing, navigation display screen, speed of the system, voice directions and voice recognition, as well as the number of reported problems per 100 systems.
The company noted that routing and usability continue to be paramount issues on current navigation systems, adding, "For nearly 10 years, the importance of ease of use has been emphasized by owners, and the continued high level of problems in this area begs the question: Is the industry listening to how owners want to interact with their system?"
Ranking at the bottom of this year's list was the Denso system supplied on the Toyota RAV4.
Inside Line says: Still plenty of room for improvement.
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dizzi says:
04:19 PM, 12/20/2011
The MOST stupid article (picture) and title ! They put a car with clearly one of the BEST NAV systems now and negatively title the article .... I just do NOT get IL ????
Maybe a picture of the lowest ranked " Continued Owner Frustration " vehicle Toyota's RAV4 ?
"Ranking at the bottom of this year's list was the Denso system supplied on the Toyota RAV4."
Guess that would have pissed BD right-the-hell off. Ooooooo ....
J.M.O... I could be wrong .
revn says:
07:59 AM, 11/29/2011
I'm not sure how similar it is to the Genesis' nav, but my parents have a '11 Tucson with the nav system and it seems to work just fine from my limited experience with it. Good resolution, gets you to where you're going.
I just use my phone's GPS and Google Maps if I need a nav system. Never had an issue with it, and it was way cheaper than buying the ~2k or whatever nav package for my car.
duck87 says:
07:38 AM, 11/28/2011
Nevermind standalone GPS units- for the most part I find Google Maps Navigation on my phone to be the easiest thing to use, especially with voice control.
biglee13m says:
03:56 PM, 11/27/2011
I'm using the Elantra NAV(similar to one in the Sonata.) Its guidance is pretty good and it's also very easy to use and understand.... but.... the actually mapping looks to be very subpar. I'm hoping Hyundai to update it sometime soon.
how about damn Goolgle map for all nav?
dogeman1161 says:
10:10 AM, 11/27/2011
As someone who deals with the frustration of customers on a daily basis, I must admit that the Garmin system is one of the best. The early Navtech systems caused many headaches for us in the service side of the business. The biggest problem is updates, not getting them but getting the right one, seems there are many compatibility issues with the early systems. My guess in the near future most of them are going to be like an old CB radio hanging under the dashboard, useless and somewhat obsolete. Anyone want to share stories about the other Telematics headache...yes TELEMATICS is the new term we call all of the navigation and communication systems on a car nowadays, it used to be just a damn radio. The other headache is Bluetooth, most people haven't the foggiest idea of how to connect or use the system, I actually have had people get upset because they have to purchase a new phone to work with their car. I will admit that the blue-tooth issues are far easier to fix, if the phone is not on the compatibility list, well then its function will be limited.
kbd_e90 says:
04:49 PM, 11/26/2011
I own a BMW with the latest I-Drive, and it has simply become second nature to myself, and my friends. I commonly use the voice-recognition feature, as well... it has been awesome. The traffic updates, album art work cover graphics, and 3-dimensional viewing features are pretty cool as well. It was definitely an expensive option, but I feel the price is justified given the features and options the I-drive provides. A 'Nav' system I hated recently using was in my friends Range Rover Sport. The touch screen was painstakingly slow to respond to any input options and it was almost puzzling to operate. I really love BMW's evolution of I-Drive. I did not mind the original version, either, but it was a little disorientated compared to the new version. I also find it funny when my friends see my car and go 'Oh Boy! I-Drive.. what a pain' and then they learn how to use it and wonder to themselves why they were ever biased... Oh, right, automotive journalists and random reviews :-X
bassrockerx says:
08:42 PM, 11/25/2011
cars need to move twords either an open source system or something that is way more standardized
kipster says:
06:58 PM, 11/25/2011
My POV has a factory GPS (Dodge) in it, and since I travel on business a lot and use rental cars, I also have a portable unit. I love both.
I one complaint I have is the price gouging they want for updating the maps on a DVD-driven factory GPS unit. Mine uses Navteq Maps and cost $200. I can buy a nice portable unit that uses the same maps and includes lifetime updates for around $100. How does that make sense?
mce63 says:
03:30 PM, 11/25/2011
My 2010 Subaru Legacy Nav was outdated the day I bought it. A year later they offered an update for several hundred dollars. Compare that to a lifetime Garmin map upgrade for <$100. The Legacy uses a system made by Kenwood but I don't think Kenwood is keen on supporting it. You have to dig really hard to find any information on the system. Subaru barely wants to acknowledge that the nav is part of the car when it comes to support.
What I like about the system is the decent integration of bluetooth and iPod support with a screen display to use. With a simple touch screen and steering wheel controls, this works with minimal distraction.
If these OEMs don't want to support their systems or make updates reasonable priced, they should just open the source code so real GPS companies like Garmin can create upgrades. Otherwise, I'll probably go with an aftermarket install next time.
narenji says:
12:52 PM, 11/25/2011
rednsx... amen man! things like stability control, abs, airbags have tangible safety benefits. but im with you on gadgets that just make things more complex. navi is something i never really wanted in a car. your smartphone does a better job and phones update themselves... compared to expensive routes to update your car navi.