recommendation for new mazda mx 5

[jason8939]

Hi guys I'm newbie here

I'm just wondering I bought new mazda mx5 not Gt so there is no touch screen thingy.

I asked dealer to upgrade OEM navigation but they said it has to be built at the factory. So they can not do OEM as its hard to do in Australia. They can only do the aftermarket one.

Any recommendation for the navigation guys?
Do you think I can buy only parts and take it to the mechanic shop to install?

[taminga16]

Jason,
Send a PM to davekmoore.
Greg.

[Odd]

Mmmm.....my wife has navigation in her CX5
In my opinion it's bloody dangerous....and a pain in the butt

Satellite is not always available....and you can't program destination till it is
then...when it appears....you have to stop to program it, or its a dangerous distraction

If I get a ND....it won't have Sat Nav.....or it will be disconnected
iPhone is all I need

I suppose for 40 years...I've worked out where I'm going before I get in the car....then just go there
don't need a computer screen to give me directions....when it is working, I often ignore it and go my way anyway
which is usually the quickest...

[radar]

Mmmm.....my wife has navigation in her CX5
In my opinion it's bloody dangerous....and a pain in the butt

Satellite is not always available....and you can't program destination till it is
then...when it appears....you have to stop to program it, or its a dangerous distraction

If I get a ND....it won't have Sat Nav.....or it will be disconnected
iPhone is all I need

I suppose for 40 years...I've worked out where I'm going before I get in the car....then just go there
don't need a computer screen to give me directions....when it is working, I often ignore it and go my way anyway
which is usually the quickest...

Gotta say I'm not technologically advanced cos I didn't even know sat Nav was on my iPhone. Until it fired up and started talking to me cLike you I would not need any form of sat Nav knowing I got a perfectly good system included on my phone.

Can also read a map ~ didn't need flight crew license and cross country Navex to learn to map read.

[davekmoore]

Hi guys I'm newbie here

I'm just wondering I bought new mazda mx5 not Gt so there is no touch screen thingy.
It says GT in your sig though?

I asked dealer to upgrade OEM navigation but they said it has to be built at the factory.
Your dealer was correct.

So they can not do OEM as its hard to do in Australia.
Australian models are; 1.5 Roadster, 1.5 Roadster with MZD, 1.5 GT, 2.0 Roadster and 2.0 GT.
All get the full MZD screen including GPS except for the car you ordered.
It's not just hard to add MZD to a standard 1.5 Roadster after it's been built - it's impossible, regardless of which country you're in.

They can only do the aftermarket one.
They probably can't do that either as it would make a horrible mess of the dashboard on your Roadster. Even if they could, it would probably be a lot more than $1,000 and would probably void the factory warranty on at least your wiring loom.

Any recommendation for the navigation guys?
Too late for you, but for others considering a 1.5 Roadster, also consider paying only $1,000 more to get the full MZD screen including GPS etc. You'll need to have the factory build the car including it as it can't be added later.

Do you think I can buy only parts and take it to the mechanic shop to install?
No. Although I can't anticipate what aftermarket companies might come up with later. Again, $1,000 seems a bargain for a factory fitted system with Mazda warranty and updates.

Or get a holder for your iPhone or other phone with GPS on it. I use tom tom on my iPhones. Fits great in the fixed quarter panel on my SE were I can also see the lap timer for when I'm on the track. Would have to go on the windscreen on your ND.

[Mr Morlock]

Not sure about space or clutter in the ND but the simple solution for Satnav is a purpose built portable unit from one of the well known makers like Garmin Tom Tom etc. These units are very competitively priced- often under $150 and come with lifetime maps and easily upgraded without cost. Factory units often cost more for updates. The days of maps and street directories are in steep decline and no one can keep up with changes in Capital cities. Knowing where you are and where to go is a lot less stressful with a Satnav and I would only use my phone if the Satnav was not in the car.

[hks_kansei]

I agree with Morlock here, the separate units I find tend to be better in function than inbuilt ones, and more easily upgradable re: maps etc. (or the entire unit if you want)


Factory units these days tend to be integrated pretty well into the dashboard, which means adding one after the fact can be a very difficult, and costly, task.


For me, i'd suggest just buying a TomTom or similar for $100 or so and replacing it every few years (it's often cheaper to do that than pay for the newest maps)

[bruce]

Buy a Melways (or Sydways, etch). Cheap, easy, don't need to charge it.

(If you have to ask me what a Melways is, can you please hand back your car to the dealership and buy an old Corolla).

[Dan]

I like the inbuilt units over a phone or tom tom. You don't have to clutter your car with an extra device or need pull it out when you use the car and the same screen can be used for other things like a big screen to navigate your songs, show your phone status, track car stat's etc..

The other cool thing I like about inbuilt Sat Nav is the ability to track distance from the wheel sensors while you are in a tunnel, a few times in the long tunnels in Sydney it's shown me exactly where to turn off even in stop/go traffic (I think normal GPS' in phones use an estimate based on the speed you entered the tunnel at). I upgrade mine with the latest map packs so I don't have trouble with the maps being out of date.

Voice controls are also useful to cancel navigation, go to the nearest petrol station, make calls etc..

The only thing I find missing is the ability to get real time traffic information like Google maps gives.

Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

[Mr Morlock]

Melways etc are just about moribund and it costs more anyway- i.e. buy a new one each year- would not be surprised if it stops getting printed. I have a Melways now over 10 years old and well out of date but a Garmin / Tom Tom is virtually always up to date and it actually navigates not just finding a route page by page. Many people cannot read maps and its a pain pulling over to work out where you are and what road you are on. Its also easy to simply attach the Satnav to a bean bag mount and saves sticking on the windscreen. Garmin and others also gives traffic updates Additionally you can easily plan a long trip and save destinations in favourites etc and call them up wherever you are on the route and it just plans the distance etc. The great thing with Satnav is that it can get people out of their comfort zones and be able to drive their car in unfamiliar surroundings i.e. gives people confidence. I am amazed how good and how affordable the technology is - even being able to key in restaurant names for a direction- way beyond a maps capability. I know many blokes who reckon women cannot read maps but have learnt that many of the blokes cannot read them either. You make your choice. PS a Satnav was $500 10 years ago and a new one with more features is now less than $150

[davekmoore]

I agree with Morlock here, the separate units I find tend to be better in function than inbuilt ones, and more easily upgradable re: maps etc. (or the entire unit if you want)
Factory units these days tend to be integrated pretty well into the dashboard, which means adding one after the fact can be a very difficult, and costly, task.
For me, i'd suggest just buying a TomTom or similar for $100 or so and replacing it every few years (it's often cheaper to do that than pay for the newest maps)

All good, as long as you don't mind a screen mount and a separate power cable.
Or add tomtom or similar to your mobile phone and get a dedicated holder/charger. My iPhone setup means I can use all the phone functions and apps as well as the tomtom GPS.
Still not as good as the MZD setup in all bar the base ND though.

[smy0003]

The power cable and window mount annoy me to the point of not using a gps.
I used to use a garmin around five years ago to deliver pizza (I miss that job, funnest 8 dollars an hour ever) and it was great. Speed camera warnings and speed limit warnings, I can't imagine all the things the new ones must do.
If only they would come up with a neater mounting system.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[rjastra2]

I usually get one of these to provide a mount for a phone.

http://www.brodit.com/

[miata_adam]

Definitely just get an standalone TomTom. How often do you actually use your GPS? It'll be way better than OEM and much cheaper!

[davekmoore]

Each to their own, I say.

I use GPS several times a week and even have it active when I don't need to input a destination - just so I can see speed limits and what direction the road goes ahead.

The iPhone with tomtom in a holder/charger/gps signal booster, hardwired for sound to the head unit and with hardwired 12v (both through the door up to the fixed 1/4 panel glass) on my SE works great for GPS, music, internet radio, lap timing and more. The suction thingo does need to be taken off and thoroughly cleaned every month or so.

When I get an ND it will either be one with MZD (including GPS) as standard or I'll pay the $1,000 to add it if I buy a 1.5L Roadster, simply because it's built-in, decent value and has a proper sized screen (compared with the iPhone 4S I presently use, since there isn't enough room for my 6 Plus).

By the way, if I promise to keep BARMY and make him still more hardcore as a track-only car, how much stick will I cop from my fellow forumites if I get an ND with an auto gearbox as my DD?