RNS510 cost-justified?

[chylld]

Not to rain on your parade...

i don't disagree with any of your points i will add a couple few more upsides for the rns510:

1) dead reckoning, i.e. navigating in tunnels - super handy to have and my previous car (bmw with business nav) had this. that said, it regains gps lock within a second of coming out of a tunnel, if you know the brief moment of sunshine between the harbour tunnel and the ED, that's more than enough to relock

2) startup time - as above, gps lock is fast... however it takes almost a minute for the thing to boot up and be ready to use in the nav software.

3) no integration with vehicle speed for speed-sensitive volume

my requirements were that it performed the basic functions satisfactorily and looked good most of the time, and for me personally paying almost twice as much for a nicer interface that i'll rarely see/use wasn't justifiable. however, the above 3 points are just starting to rear their ugly heads so there is merit in retrofitting an rns510 - but only if it's near/under $1000.

a question about rns510 retrofit - does it come with a puck-style gps antenna, and if so, where do you install it? what about compass?

[Syd118TSI]

2) startup time - as above, gps lock is fast... however it takes almost a minute for the thing to boot up and be ready to use in the nav software.

Haven't timed it but it's a lot faster with current firmware.

a question about rns510 retrofit - does it come with a puck-style gps antenna, and if so, where do you install it? what about compass?

Yeah puck-ish (mine was rectangular), easy to mount inside the dash and has no problems with signal from there. Compass works fine.

The hardest part of the install for me was mounting the microphone. I'd say in the R you'd probably already have a microphone mounted.

You'll have to factor the cost of the bluetooth unit into your reckoning, something I'd forgotten in my previous post... so there is a bigger diffference in cost than I had first accounted for! From memory the bluetooth unit cost approx $400, though I'm pretty sure they can be picked up a fair bit cheaper nowadays.

In terms of the install once you have the microphone installed the rest is just plug and play in the dash stuff providing you order from places with the correct adapters. Once it's all connected to get the full integration you'll need VCDS to basically inform the car of the new additions.

Would be a good idea for you to check out a car with the full RNS510 integration.

[chylld]

The hardest part of the install for me was mounting the microphone. I'd say in the R you'd probably already have a microphone mounted.

You'll have to factor the cost of the bluetooth unit into your reckoning, something I'd forgotten in my previous post... so there is a bigger diffference in cost than I had first accounted for! From memory the bluetooth unit cost approx $400, though I'm pretty sure they can be picked up a fair bit cheaper nowadays.

annoyingly my R doesn't have bt/mic MY12 has it standard, and i assume i was getting an my12, but it was only an my11.5.

Would be a good idea for you to check out a car with the full RNS510 integration.

might check one out on sunday to have a play. another friend also had it but upgraded to a $2k aftermarket zenec ze-nc2010 which functionality- and looks-wise is between the ebay and rns510 units.

[Syd118TSI]

annoyingly my R doesn't have bt/mic MY12 has it standard, and i assume i was getting an my12, but it was only an my11.5.

You might find that the mic may still already be cabled in despite the lack of bluetooth, easy to check by popping the trim off (using a credit card or similar) in the interior light cluster.

might check one out on sunday to have a play. another friend also had it but upgraded to a $2k aftermarket zenec ze-nc2010 which functionality- and looks-wise is between the ebay and rns510 units.

Yeah, that way you can make an informed decision about what suits you best. I doubt that the Zenec unit would have the same integration with the MFD as the RNS-510, and not sure on the integration with OPS. Sure that it has a bigger suite of features including media playback etc... so make sure you check out an RNS510 coupled with a bluetooth unit. Would be happy to take a video for you if you can't see one.

[chylld]

You might find that the mic may still already be cabled in despite the lack of bluetooth, easy to check by popping the trim off (using a credit card or similar) in the interior light cluster.

Interesting... if I do find a mic there, I wonder where the cable is? Maybe it was one of the ones that I unplugged from the back of the RCD510 but didn't fit into the eBay unit... but yeah I'd still need the bluetooth unit itself which is a bit of a bugger.

Yeah, that way you can make an informed decision about what suits you best. I doubt that the Zenec unit would have the same integration with the MFD as the RNS-510, and not sure on the integration with OPS. Sure that it has a bigger suite of features including media playback etc... so make sure you check out an RNS510 coupled with a bluetooth unit. Would be happy to take a video for you if you can't see one.

afaik the MFD integration is comparable, i.e. it displays media info and nav directions provided that you use VCDS to tell the car it has nav. OPS integration is complete even on my eBay unit, it ain't the prettiest but it is much easier to read than the RCD510's unit.

Thinking about getting an RNS510 leads me to another possible upside of it - resale value. RNS510 should be an easy sell, whereas a lot of people will understandably steer clear of the eBay unit

[Aurange_Tiguan]

Interesting... if I do find a mic there, I wonder where the cable is? Maybe it was one of the ones that I unplugged from the back of the RCD510 but didn't fit into the eBay unit... but yeah I'd still need the bluetooth unit itself which is a bit of a bugger.



afaik the MFD integration is comparable, i.e. it displays media info and nav directions provided that you use VCDS to tell the car it has nav. OPS integration is complete even on my eBay unit, it ain't the prettiest but it is much easier to read than the RCD510's unit.

Thinking about getting an RNS510 leads me to another possible upside of it - resale value. RNS510 should be an easy sell, whereas a lot of people will understandably steer clear of the eBay unit

Having used the NC2010 for the last couple of months, I have full MFD and steering wheel use. The notable difference between RNS and NC2010 (my mate has the identicial car to mine, but with RNS factory fitted) is the clarity of the screen. My screen suffers from sun glare and the resolution is lower than that of the RNS. I got my NC2010 for just over AUD$1200 with compatible Zenec reverse camera, shipped from Germany. With integrated BT and the additional iPod cable, I'm definitely happy with the purchase.

Dead reckoning was initially one of the features I wanted for my headunit, and I was keen on getting the RNS. But the only place nearby I can think of where that would be beneficial is in, say, Singapore where their KPE tunnel stretches almost from the CBD to the outer suburbs and has multiple exits and entries that would need dead reckoning to help identify (if reading the signs is not possible!). Perth doesn't have enough high rise buildings to warrant dead reckoning if you take the time to look at the route map and not just listen to directions.

[Lima]

The RNS-510 isn't a better audio system than the RCD-510 - not that I'm aware of anyway. The audio upgrade is the Dynaudio package. It does have a hdd though - not sure if that constitutes a better audio system.

If there's one thing this thread should explain to everyone, it's that each individual justifies a purchase differently. What's of value to me may not be to you, and vice versa.

It cost me $5300 to tick the nav box in my S3 2 1/2 years ago and I've not regretted it once. I've used a portable nav device in my mum's car a few times and they have always felt tacky. Yes, some of the features are nice, but overall I much prefer the factory integration.

After the price I paid for mine I reckon you're all sooking too much, haha. The RNS510 has better features than the RNS-E in my car, so just man up and hand over your cash!

[ian]

It cost me $5300 to tick the nav box in my S3 2 1/2 years ago and I've not regretted it once. I've used a portable nav device in my mum's car a few times and they have always felt tacky. Yes, some of the features are nice, but overall I much prefer the factory integration.

After the price I paid for mine I reckon you're all sooking too much, haha. The RNS510 has better features than the RNS-E in my car, so just man up and hand over your cash!

You paid $5,300 ?? It must of been gold plated, the most ive heard of is $3,500 and that was even far too much,
I paid $950 delivered from Luthiwania and $50 for coding 2 years ago .

[Syd118TSI]

Would probably have been with the Bluetooth unit at the time, which they were charging like wounded Bulls for.

[Finance_Analyst]

Problem is, the $$$ spend is never recouped come resale time. But hey, if you do lots of km, get frequent use, maybe one can put a price ($5k though??).

Personally, the price for an RNS-510 is simply unacceptable and I think the majority of the market agrees and have done the walking and talking by not ordering it.

[Syd118TSI]

5k is quite excessive, but by the same token if everyone considered the car alone in the same manner they'd all be driving 5 year old Hyundai's or the like, after all they provide essentially the same functionality.

Aftermarket prices are much more palatable and the process of installation is marginally enriching and fulfilling when you get everything working at a fraction of the amount of factory price.

[FJ Steve]

I shake my head at well to do drivers in their Mercs, BMTroubleUs etc who, after having spent a tidy sum on the purchase of the car...only to have a $100 TomTom or Garmin stuck to the windscreen.

[entice]

i think the $5K is on a RNS-E. that's the audi unit. very different to teh rNS510

i've seen the new ones in teh A6 and they are magnificent, with a touchpad/trackpad in the centre console for entering stuff.

[Finance_Analyst]

I shake my head at well to do drivers in their Mercs, BMTroubleUs etc who, after having spent a tidy sum on the purchase of the car...only to have a $100 TomTom or Garmin stuck to the windscreen.

Why? At the end of the day, people don't become wealthy by wasting money.

Besides, they probably have done the sums and realise that the few grand on a pointless device which isn't that great as a sat nav unit (anyone every played with the BMW I Drive?) is a smart economic decision.

I shake my head more at ppl who spend $100k on a BMW 320i with all the bells and whistles, when a base model 335i is really not much more after the regulation BMW discounts are factored in......

[chylld]

anyone ever played with the BMW I Drive?

Yes... had BMW business navigation on my previous car. compared to my eBay unit running iGo 9, it's absolutely shocking and nearly impossible to use. it has dead reckoning and fast startup but apart from that, it's relatively pathetic.