How would you rate the sat nav? (RNS510)

[scurup]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about purchasing the gti.. I was wondering how good is the sat nav relative to Tom Tom, iphone apps etc.

I heard it doesnt show you where the speed cameras are? I heard it drops out on a few areas outside the metro region? Is it worth $2500 for the convenience?

What are your thoughts?

Cheers!

[wdong]

i want to know it as well, seems not many ppl getting that system

[Maverick]

Hi guys, I'm thinking about purchasing the gti.. I was wondering how good is the sat nav relative to Tom Tom, iphone apps etc.

I heard it doesnt show you where the speed cameras are? I heard it drops out on a few areas outside the metro region? Is it worth $2500 for the convenience?

What are your thoughts?

Cheers!

The RNS 510 is the best unit available from any car manufacturer without a doubt. Version 3 maps will do speed zones and you can add speed cameras yourself. It has voice control and a lot more. It's worth every cent.

You can see screen shots etc and information on features on my website.

[scurup]

The RNS 510 is the best unit available from any car manufacturer without a doubt. Version 3 maps will do speed zones and you can add speed cameras yourself. It has voice control and a lot more. It's worth every cent.

You can see screen shots etc and information on features on my website.

Version 3? I'm assuming it is preinstalled on the new RNS510 if you buy a new gti?

[pologti18t]

The RNS 510 is the best unit available from any car manufacturer without a doubt. Version 3 maps will do speed zones and you can add speed cameras yourself. It has voice control and a lot more. It's worth every cent.

You can see screen shots etc and information on features on my website.

$2500 is good value for an electronic street directory? To put it into perspective that's the price of a good quality LCD TV or high end laptop.

[Corey_R]

$2500 is good value for an electronic street directory? To put it into perspective that's the price of a good quality LCD TV or high end laptop.

It's good value compared to other integrated sat nav systems from other manufacturers, especially considering the screen size and features.

Though I agree, it'd be nice if there wasn't such a premium for it over the RCD510. I also feel that car manufacturers need to step up and do something about the excessive costs for updated maps. Companies like Garmin are now offering 2 or 3 years of map updates for free with the purchase of one of their devices. It's not uncommon for car manufacturers to charge more than the cost of a new portable GPS for the updated map DVDs for the integrated units - which is simply a disgraceful situation.

But I still plan on getting the integrated Sat Nav as it's so much more of an elegant solution than a portable GPS unit

[pologti18t]

Have you seen what Suzuki does overseas? It's teamed up with garmin to produce an "integrated" system when the garmin portable unit slots into the dashboard when it is then powered and controlled via the normal steering wheel controls. All this for less than 1/2 the price of a "fully" integated solution. The benefit is you can take the unit out an use it.

[Corey_R]

Yeah - I think that idea is rather promising, especially if you can control things via the car's controls too etc.

But still, it's far more limited in function than the RNS-510, even though as a GPS the Garmin units are probably 2nd to none.

[Idle]

It's good value compared to other integrated sat nav systems from other manufacturers, especially considering the screen size and features.

Where it works, it works very well — I find it very good around the newer suburbs that have grown up in the 25+ years since my retirement (spent about 35 years in a business that entails city-wide pickup and delivery), although I usually don't set it up unless/until I'm outside my comfort zone (ie 'lost!')...

Having said that, it does fall down somewhat once you get outside major cities and less remote country areas. Farther out, mostly, if I don't know the way the satnav doesn't either, and even closer in you have to use it with caution. Sometimes it will direct you through an intersection, roundabout etc. that doesn't exist, or turn you down a street with no exit.

Back roads I used to ride my bike on 75 years ago often don't show up.

A good aid, but far from infallible.

Major drawbacks:

Initial cost — you couldn't conceivably call it good value and like all such devices it will depreciate to almost zero in nothing flat.

Many features less intuitive than they might be.

Maps — I think they could have done better than Sensis (or used a better version of Sensis — I think they exist), and the cost of updates through your smiling (fiendishly grinning?) VW dealer is nothing short of horrendou$$$ (of course, this is why different makers use proprietary front ends...)

Maybe double the cost of a current street directory could be justified, though I doubt it — they use the same data sources and a CD or DVD is far cheaper to make and distribute than a book.

[niulf]

RNS510 is nice system, but I still would not pay $2500 for that.

[scurup]

Thanks for your replies (its great to hear such constructive replies), but how would you rate it against a stand alone gps unit in terms of functionability (map views, lane guidance, avoid traffic routes etc.), map coverage and speed of route calculation.

I think in car GPS features are always behind stand alone units because they don't have the incentive to keep up to date relative to other manufactureres, unlike Tom Tom or Navman which strive to out-do each other.

I hear the new GPS app by Google is coming out which is more intuitive and incorporates their 'street view' maps. This would be handy if you have a andriod phone or an iphone...and its free.

http://www.google.com/mobile/navigation/#p=default

[Corey_R]

Maps — I think they could have done better than Sensis (or used a better version of Sensis — I think they exist)

I'm surprised to hear this as Sensis is what powers Where Is, Tom Tom and Garmin. So it seems strange that the latest version of the RNS-510 software would have a heap of streets missing which are included on Tom Tom and Garmin or Where Is etc.

[Idle]

As I said, it's fairly good in metropolitan areas, but falls down once you get out a bit.

Case in point, check Link Rd, Briagolong, VIC (or Woolenook — sort of outer suburb of Briag.)

Google maps has it in detail (even shows the subdivisions), Whereis can direct you to it.

Sensis (supposedly latest in May '09) on my RNS510 can't find it — the nearest it can find is Landy St, which is some few K's away.

On the Mornington Peninsula, between the Frankston and Moorooduc freeways, my unit shows (and gives spoken directions for) one more roundabout than actually exist.

It was probably planned (why, I know not — it's a quite minor T junction,) but abandoned due to the long promised (but still not happening) joining of the two freeways.

Others have reported similar discrepancies elsewhere, particularly in WA.

Since Link Rd has existed for a very long time, and the freeway extension has been on the drawing board for quite a while, I can only assume older maps are being used.

[Corey_R]

Hmm, well that's a bit suspect. As I said, Sensis is what Whereis uses. So if Whereis can do it, then either those streets are newer than May 09 or the maps actually going onto the VW Navigation discs are older than the date would imply.

I would seem silly to selectively remove what had been added?!

[Idle]

Hmm, well that's a bit suspect. As I said, Sensis is what Whereis uses. So if Whereis can do it, then either those streets are newer than May 09 or the maps actually going onto the VW Navigation discs are older than the date would imply.

I would seem silly to selectively remove what had been added?!

Agreed, it would be a bit silly.

I don't know how old Link Rd is, but I do know it existed before WW2.

I get the impression that Sensis have more than one set of maps available — maybe VW went for the cheapest?