kak39

I'm wondering if the Nav+ is worth it to try to buy aftermarket and if i'd be nervous having such a system in my car visable. If i had a TomTom or something else I'd probably take with or hide, but NAV+ not really an option.

Any ideas on some options in this area?

so.cal.sparky

it is worth every cent I dont know how i got by with out it. and i dont know about bolting a tom tom to my audi with that big dongle to my wind screen

psuaudiguy

id rather put that 1400+ into an exhaust or other performance upgrades...nav not worth it to me

street_b

it's paid for itself in all the time i've saved not being lost or looking up directions.

lowdef

2nd

jlive1980

i love it, i say its worth it

kak39

I wouldn't plan on busting out the thing unless i was on a trip or something.

AUDIHenry

* Easy to use after a month or so, once you get around to learning its features and quirks.

* Awesome for door-to-door directions. I'm in real estate, so this is a great feature.

* Great for when you're looking for food/gas/etc. near your current location. For example, you'll be in a foreign city and desire some food. What's available? Your nav will tell you!

* Using overhead view feature to find nearby streets, businesses, freeways, shortcuts, etc. Sort of like a typical map, except virtual.

* Resale value, if you're keeping it.

I honestly don't understand how anyone can get a new car without a nav. Sure, it's a bit pricy, but the peace of mind it gives you is worth every cent. You will discover the world around you in a whole new way. Get it, you'll love it.

P.S. I've had my car for 20K+ miles since new.

Silver Stealth

I had the BOSE Symphony II head unit and swapped it out for the NAV Plus (RNS-E) unit.

I like the nav system but what I love is the huge difference in sound quality from the same speakers. It really is noticeable.

The SD card slots are brilliant. I have two 2GB cards and so I dump a lot of songs from my iPod onto them. Once you figure out how to format your playlists properly, it's just like working your iPod.

Do it. You won't regret it.

Razzy

I have NAV+ in my A4 Avant and I have A TomTom (GO 700) for my MINI Cooper. If you live in a large city any kind of NAV can be indispensable. For example the other day our boy broke his arm and I was taking him to the ER. I got disoriented (never admit to being lost) in the medical center. A couple of button presses on the NAV and I was where I needed to go.

NAV+ vs. TomTom

NAV+ pros: Integrated into the dash. More intutive interface (compared to TomTom). More recent maps. Relatively large screen (our TSX screen is larger).

NAV+ cons: Expensive. Quirky interface (I am still reading the manual). Not portable. Expensive map updates ($200).

TomTom pros: Portable. Has rechargeable batteries and operates without a power connection (you can program routes before leaving the house). Integrated bluetooth works well. Touch screen makes data entry easy. Cheap map updates ($75 for the US or 7$ per city). USB interface makes updates easy with a PC.

TomTom cons: Small screen. Quirky interface (some basic options are burried three levels deep). The latest maps for my city are 4+ years out of date (even after purchasing the most recent city map from TomTom). Obstructs windshield. Windshield mount is huge yet not very sturdy, the TomTom shakes and is hard to read at times.