Navi Update

I dropped off my car to the dealership to do the trunk kick software update and there was also a map update for the navi. Ill post up the bulletin number if its printed on the receipt. Dont forget to unlock the glove compartment since they need the USB port.

"SIB 65-22-12 NAV MAP UPDATE"

Old Navi Version: 112111.2.18
New Navi Version: 112121.2.18 (2013-1A)

How much are you paying for it? When I had my '09, I would keep getting emails trying to sell me nav updates for $249.

My thinking is, since I am paying $3,000 for the tech package including navigation to start with, I should get the damn updates for free.

By the way, I am getting a '13 with nav. Does anyone know whether there has been any improvement in routing in the OEM Nav during the past four years?

Also--I read something about a "gray market nav upgrade solution". Can anyone point me in the right direction for that?

Originally Posted by chasfh

How much are you paying for it? When I had my '09, I would keep getting emails trying to sell me nav updates for $249.

My thinking is, since I am paying $3,000 for the tech package including navigation to start with, I should get the damn updates for free.

They didnt mention a cost. I didnt get the update since I left my glovebox locked.

I just got my 2012 335i with Nav. I have to say that it is a POS compared to a $200 Garmin. I assume that I have the latest maps. One stupid thing is that when you want to find a restaurant all it does is put a "icon" all over your map. No name no phone etc. The Garmins that I have had, give you all of them in your area, the name the phone.

Originally Posted by pitzerwm

I just got my 2012 335i with Nav. I have to say that it is a POS compared to a $200 Garmin. I assume that I have the latest maps. One stupid thing is that when you want to find a restaurant all it does is put a "icon" all over your map. No name no phone etc. The Garmins that I have had, give you all of them in your area, the name the phone.

Did you try using the My BMW app on iPhone and sending addresses from that straight to your car's nav? I was afraid it would be bad for searches compared to an average smart phone. I just hope it does its basic function well and that is guide to a destination.

Originally Posted by pitzerwm

I just got my 2012 335i with Nav. I have to say that it is a POS compared to a $200 Garmin. I assume that I have the latest maps. One stupid thing is that when you want to find a restaurant all it does is put a "icon" all over your map. No name no phone etc. The Garmins that I have had, give you all of them in your area, the name the phone.

There's a Points Of Interest feature in iDrive that is very comprehensive, and using the Search feature brings up returns as accurately as Google.

And on those returns, they're sorted by distance to travel and have names, addresses, and phone numbers.

BJ

With the Nav, can you save your favorite destinations for re-use? I know that you can send addressed via Google Maps (which I will use a lot) and have read that they show up as info messages. With my Garmin, I can save the destinations I look up as favorites, and even create folders for organization. I use my Garmin mostly when I'm out of town, so I create folders for each city, but there are default folders for catagories like Entertainment, Transportation, etc. Just wondering if the BMW nav has this functionality to save destinations and arrange them.

Originally Posted by dzaborn

Just wondering if the BMW nav has this functionality to save destinations and arrange them.

Store, yes; organize, no. Destinations can be stored as contacts in the vehicle. You can't create folders and sub-lists. An icon alongside each entry in the Contacts list tells you whether the contact is stored in the car or a paired phone.

Originally Posted by pitzerwm

I just got my 2012 335i with Nav. I have to say that it is a POS compared to a $200 Garmin. I assume that I have the latest maps. One stupid thing is that when you want to find a restaurant all it does is put a "icon" all over your map. No name no phone etc. The Garmins that I have had, give you all of them in your area, the name the phone.

POS is pretty strong but I agree that it's lacking in a few areas. For example, if you want to direct it to "S Main Street" you can't just put in "Main" and have it pick it up, you need to know exactly how it wants the street spelled, which is cryptic at best and apocalyptic at worst.

However, the saving grace is the smart phone integration that allows me to send an address I look up in google to the car... that's pretty much exclusively how I now use the navigation, and it works quite well... for whatever reason, the car never has a problem mapping something that it received from Google... google probably sends them the actual raw GPS coordinates and lets the car figure out how to get there.

I love the traffic feature on the car too.... I get a head up view of traffic on the split screen on my way to the office and can take an alternate route if it is showing that the traffic is backed up... I never had it so easy with portable GPS units for that sort of thing.

Originally Posted by chasfh

Also--I read something about a "gray market nav upgrade solution". Can anyone point me in the right direction for that?

There is a thread on another forum that is referenced in this Bimmerfest thread: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...ghlight=amazon. My post is #3: "The total cost, including $19.99 for a Sandisk 32GB flash drive from Amazon Prime, was MUCH less than $245.00."

To add to that, the actual data can be sourced for free or very little. It's the code that is required that can be expensive, depending on how you obtain it.

Do those files work for 2012 F30?

Does anyone who have this know if it includes 190 Tollway extensions in DFW area?

Originally Posted by pitzerwm

I just got my 2012 335i with Nav. I have to say that it is a POS compared to a $200 Garmin. I assume that I have the latest maps. One stupid thing is that when you want to find a restaurant all it does is put a "icon" all over your map. No name no phone etc. The Garmins that I have had, give you all of them in your area, the name the phone.

This is a real pet peeve of mine.. I recently bought my daughter a nice used car and a $200 Garmin for her.

The Garmin is great for her, no doubt, but I personally think those things are for teenage girls, and all the Dads have a nice fully integrated Nav in their cars.

You gotta admit that the large screen at the center of the dash is like 10,000 times better than those tiny screens on those cheap plastic things.

Seriously, I have never had a challenge using the Nav in my e90, and i used it all the time. I am sure the newer Nav is much better than ever.

Originally Posted by krash

This is a real pet peeve of mine.. I recently bought my daughter a nice used car and a $200 Garmin for her.

The Garmin is great for her, no doubt, but I personally think those things are for teenage girls, and all the Dads have a nice fully integrated Nav in their cars.

You gotta admit that the large screen at the center of the dash is like 10,000 times better than those tiny screens on those cheap plastic things.

Seriously, I have never had a challenge using the Nav in my e90, and i used it all the time. I am sure the newer Nav is much better than ever.

This old "$200 Garmin" argument just doesn't fly anymore.

Believe me, this used to be my biggest advice to anyone five or six years ago. That a brand-new Nuvi would blow away any stock navigation system. Because that used to be the absolute truth. But real navigation innovation stopped around 2006 and since then it's all been very slight degrees of improvement, nothing to revolutionize the experience like the old days.

I find the BMW navigation system fantastic. I use it quite a lot, and find that it is incredibly accurate, incredibly clear, and very easy to use. Not to mention, no Nuvi can re-create the HUD experience which is a major major win for BMW. Navigation innovation stalled so badly that it has no value anymore. Google maps and Apple maps give you turn by turn directions and all the bells and whistles that you could ever get from a new Garmin for free.

Any downside to navigation systems built into BMW products is completely countered and then surpassed by the upside of how well integrated it is. The days of standalone navigation have been relegated to kids fresh out of college who simply can't afford a car with an integrated navigation system. They'll use their smartphones and be happy.

I'm not sure what that other poster was talking about. I believe he simply doesn't know how to use iDrive navigation by his example.

BJ

I finally got my Navi updated for free. I updated the first post with the version info.

I find that the nav makes some odd route choices. I only notice this locally in familiar areas, but it will try to send me to a smaller road to make a left onto a major road where there is no traffic light rather than a slightly shorter distance on a road where there is a traffic light for the left.

As for the traffic - I learned that it can be surprisingly accurate. It was warning me of an issue which I opted to ignore as the road looked clear & Iwas only a mile from my destination with no great alternate routes. I was watching for the spot of the warning, didn't see an accident or anything, then realized that the traffic light was out (as I was cruising under it!).

I am very happy with my Nav unit. I love it's integration with the HUD. It does a great job and the traffic seems very accurate. My only complaint is that the traffic does not have different icons for slow versus stop and go versus accidents.

I have a Nuvi in my other car and the traffic integration in my unit is poor. It shows an icon for traffic but you have to go to a separate screen to see the traffic.