For me it's less of an issue of how good the actual navigation is, but how you use it. Built-in nav needs you to enter an address or find POI. 99% of time, I google map search for where I want to go by name and off it goes. Navigation by address is obsolete in my opinion.

 

I agree 95%... the last 5% being residential addresses

But you're very right, I rarely use addresses - I name a place (ie, Home Depot) or a type of place (omg I need gas)

 

I watched enough Top Gear episodes and talked with a few owners to know that the Sat Nav was a weak point on the Aston before buying mine. So when I was looking for a Vantage I was thrilled to find one that had not been built with the Nav at all! Just a really clean sloping dash line. I think that over time the nav screens on all cars will be the biggest eye sores! On an Aston, it's about the only weak link for a timeless look as our cars age and becomes classic. For the many others that do have the screens- thank heaven that they are hidden and aren't always visible for all to say; Good lord! what is that huge speak and spell that you have mounted in your dash!?

 

I agree. My current Aston doesn't have Nav and I prefer it that way. The waterfall looks so much nicer without the screen's trap door which, frankly, looks a bit gimmicky and dated to me now.

Unfortunately, my new Vantage will come with Nav as standard. The only saving grace is that the screen can be used by the, also standard, back-up camera.

Since it doesn't really matter now, I guess I can reveal that my next big car project on my current Vantage was going to be modifying the center stack. My plan was to remove the 6-CD changer and make a new faceplate (by modifying an OEM one from a wrecked car) so that the area above the AC controls was replaced by an integrated iPad mini (which would fit perfectly in landscape mode). The iPad would be connected to my Dension iPod integration kit and act as the media player, Nav, etc.

Kind of a moot point now. Shame, really. I think it would have been a good project. Maybe one of you will dare to take on the task.

 

I was going to order a new MBZ without a nav screen, but now the manufacturers are integrating more functions that require a screen!

 

I have 2006 disks that I use now. If someone doesn't want them PM me please, or post in the classifieds. Thank you.

 

Most smart phones have an extended screen feature. I may look into integrating Bluetooth/Wifi unit wired into the screen. It would be nice to project Google maps onto the screen. I installed a bluetooth unit on another vehicle and it was relatively simple. However, as we all know, nothing is simple with AM.