Buying a Z4 with sat-nav

[rhys4]

I think its all to do with whether you liked Geography at school .I just love having a map in front of me when I am driving , not used it yet to find out how to get from Ato B. As most people say you know how to get to 99% of your destinations without instructions.Another point I just hate having all the wires etc that come with the hand held systems

 

[Dr Phibes]

I'm with the pro SatNav camp.

The dash looks 10x better with it.
I have a TomTom too (for my other car) and the BMW system is just as accurate as the TomTom.

Don't get me wrong - the TomTom has been invaluable since I had it, but it is a PITA when it drops the signal - something that has never happened the the BMW system in my Zed.

As others have also said, it is far more than just a navigation system. It's nice to have the computer readings on display too.

Love mine

 

[eagletower]

Hi

I noticed on a z4 with a sat nav, that the owner could bring up all the trip information. Mpg , etc on the screen. Is this possible with all Sat navs?

Yes, with satnav you have more board computer functions available to view.

That's worth considering when it comes to buy mine shortly. Problem is for insurance reasons i need a 2.5. I want an auto, and the 2.5 Autos rarely seem to crop up with loads of options. It seems like it's only 3.0 that comes with electric memory seats/ sat nav etc.

 

[SixShoota]

The Sat nav in my Z4C 57 plate works a charm. I've used a Tom Tom for years and prefer the BMW unit. Haven't bothered getting a new disc for it.

It actually knows the road names I.e. "Join the M40".... rather than "join the motorway", Also like the way it dips the stereo audio to speak.

I call her Big Momma

 

[Boogle]

Of the people who prefer the BMW unit, have you all used either Tom Tom or cheap sat navs to compare it to? I've found Tom Tom units awful, universally. Navigon and Garmin are massively superior in my experience.

 

[pvr]

I use both for trips, like the meet yesterday.

I have a TomTome 1 XL Europe, but it is a pain to really see which road you need to take at a 5 way junction for example. The arrow covers sort of 2 or 3 of the junctions

Not to mention that the TomTom does not know restaurants etc whilst the BMW has the Falken system built in (Had trouble locating the pub with your TomTom yesterday, Flimper? )

The TomTom only fell of the windscreen once, so not too bad I suppose ...

(oh - and the BMW one got us to the pub ...)

 

[mmm-five]

I have a TomTome 1 XL Europe...

That could be part of the reason for thinking all TomToms are rubbish then, as the cheaper models have less features than the more expensive ones. My current TT730 has hundreds of POI categories on it, with thousands of POIs, including restaurants, public houses, Little Chefs, Tourist Board guide, massage parlours, etc. and if I want any more it's a very simple (free) download from the TomTom app, or directly via drag'n'drop to the unit from elsewhere. It is also regularly updated with speed cam and road speed limit warnings. If you want up to date POIs on the BMW system you have to pay for a complete new map DVD at £100-£150.

The BMW system doesn't even have any way to add POIs, nor does it have an itinerary planning feature, nor does it have any way to utilise personal map changes when you find a road has new turn restrictions, roundabouts or junctions. The only feature the BMW system has that the TomTom lacks is the ability track your location when you lose GPS signal in a tunnel (that's the only time I've ever lost signal on my TomTom, never lost it in city centres), and most of the tunnels I use only have one exit anyway :thumbsdown:

BMW nav in my car this morning wouldn't show me the route to the office - although it did suggest I'd arrive at 11:45am (arrived at 9:45am) - and I'm not going to sit there trying to reset it for 30 minutes. Instead I stopped at the motorway services and used my iPad to quickly check for traffic problems on the highways agency website instead. Looks like the last remaining use (traffic reports) I had for the built-in system is now gone, and when I upgrade the TomTom later in the year (I'm on a 3 year replacement cycle) I'll get one with the HD traffic system.

...but it is a pain to really see which road you need to take at a 5 way junction for example. The arrow covers sort of 2 or 3 of the junctions

Maybe your's just needs configuring properly, as mine displays the road name/number you need to take in the top right corner of the screen, and it also tells me which exit to take (i.e. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) - usually I make a mental note of the road number as it's displayed and then glance at the signs approaching the junction, butI can count to at least 5 so can normally find the exit without needing to know the name

 

[pvr]

Don't the newer / better TomToms prevent you from loading the ITN files though?

That is the only use I have for the system, hence me buying the £100 version just so I can route the car trips in Europe and the UK.

As your system is under warranty, should you not get it replaced? Never have those issues you have with locking / resetting etc.

 

[mmm-five]

Don't the newer / better TomToms prevent you from loading the ITN files though?

That's why I'm waiting to upgrade until later in the year - and if an iPad version comes out in the meantime I might not bother at all (I'll be able to have movies on the move too)

As your system is under warranty, should you not get it replaced? Never have those issues you have with locking / resetting etc.

It won't do it on command though and the dealer can't replicate the problem. I've been 'advised' that I may incur a diagnostic fee next time (4th time) I take it in and they don't find a problem, but it's booked in to diagnose constant PDC tone as soon as it's put into reverse, so it'll give them chance to diagnose both bits

 

[mmm-five]

Despite the PDC beeping constantly since last Friday, now that I'm due to take it into the dealer in the morning, it's stopped and has reverted to normal operation

 

[pvr]

Did the detailer warm the sensors up by any chance?

 

[sandere85]

@last post

if your mode of operation is truly like that,you,d be better off not getting out of bed :evil: ever! :lol:

ive got the bmw sat nav and its great,works fine,does not freeze up or someting like that.

even got speedcam warnings ,just needed to update the firmware .
you can get the latest map dvd,s from a lot of sellers for just peanuts
even (with the right software)you can customise your own map dvd with added poi,s etc

get it !

get it now i say!!

 

[mmm-five]

Did the detailer warm the sensors up by any chance?

It's due at the dealer's tomorrow morning, so it's just started working of its own accord.

 

[gannet]

I've found the TomTom ONE v1 I have faultless up until yesterday when it couldn't find the pub

I have recently stopped using the TomTom because of the frankly extortionate fees they continue to charge for traffic information etc. That coupled with the fact that my phone (HTC Desire HD) with Copilot Live is just as good and FAR cheaper.

Don't have any problems with windscreen mounts as I have a dash mount for both cars... and its on my phone and also never had any GPS problems with either TomTom or Copilot...

That said I've never used the BMW system...

 

[pvr]

Well, Srhutch and myself can sell you a nice brand new monitor for about £500 so you can try (you must be quick as Flimper was desperate on sunday )

 

[gannet]

so that was the wheeling and dealing going on in your office yesterday morning

if I had trusted the copilot directions rather than TomTom the pub wouldn't have been a problem

 

[mmm-five]

I'm not really in to downloading/buying dodgy software (despite being a Scouser), and I assume that every time I want to add a POI or update to the latest speed cams I'd have to buy/download/burn a new 'hacked' DVD.

Maybe I'm using the system too much, but I tend to drive to new clients and new client sites all the time, and can cover anything from 0 to 2000 business miles a week.

Mine had the v32 firmware installed by the supplying dealer in 2008. I've also bought a 2010 map as an update to the 2007 one that was provided. If I have the 2007 map in then the crashes/freezes/errors are reduced but not totally eliminated.

It's not that it bugs out every trip (possibly only 30% of the time - but as you don't know which trip is going to kill it, you have to have a back-up), but the one thing that tends to kill it is the diversion around traffic jams/accidents when they show up on the screen. The failure to plot a route probably happens in 20% of cases, and the losing its way happens about 75% of the time that it tries to plot a diversion. The other thing that kills it in about 30% of cases is ignoring its suggested route when I know better than it does (especially when I know which routes are better at different times of the day - as does my TomTom, which also learns your preferred route if you keep diverting from what it recommends).

I wonder if the pretty female service advisor will come with me for a long drive to see if we can get lost :evil:

 

[aquazi]

(oh - and the BMW one got us to the pub ...)

Shame mine didnt... well maybe it could have it, except i couldnt even program it to find penn road under hp10 8.. relied on good old google maps on my blackberry!

 

[pvr]

It was the third one on the list once you selected HP10 8

 

[aquazi]

It was the third one on the list once you selected HP10 8

Thats probably why i got so lost.