Her eis what I got. I have until Sep. to buy and learn to use a Nav system. It must serve a few purposes if it's going to mount in the dash. I wouldn't mind a portable one if it does exactly what i want.

if it goes in the dash, it has to be compatible with my ipod. i don't want to have to control the songs from the ipod either, i want to be able to control it from the headunit.

i want a good interface, and do not want to have to pre program anything like you have to with some handheld ones. i want it to be 100% self sustaining essentially. (yes i can still charrge it, heh) the interface must not be stupid. I am pretty savvy when it comes to using this stuff. i sell toyota and the service dept comes to me when they have questions about the nav units in our cars.

i want to be able to get bluetooth at some point for the cell.

i don't want to spend 2000$. really i would like to spend about 4-500$. i know that sounds crazy, but honestly i think if i know what i am looking for and keep my eyes on the ball, i might pick up a used one or something.

my thought is to get the alpine blackbird, and then later on upgrade the headunit to the w200 screen they made. is there a better alternative?

your thoughts?

 

Magellan Roadmate 700 if you're only looking to spend a couple hundred. You'll never find something you want unless you spend what you don't want to spend

 

go with the garmin or tomtom. they both have some prety nice units out right now. tomtom 510, or tomtom 910. also garmin c340 or maybe garmin quest2. but it really depends like he said right above me! ^_^ you get what you pay for!

 

thats mkind of why i liked the idea of the alpine, you know, do a little at a time, rather than wop out 2k.

 

if you look in my profile, you should see a pic of my new alpine w200 headunit, i bought that cause i have plans to get the Blackbird and have a dvd and nav system for a total of 1600 in the end, cause i got the headunit for 900 and the blackbird is 700 i believe, so like you said, you get to piece it together as you get the money rather then forking out 2000 all at once.

 

I have the Garmin nuvi 350, and really like it a lot. Of all the one I tried, I found it the easiest to use. The nuvi 360 is being released this month, I think, and it adds bluetooth functionality. I already had a bluetooth headset, so that wasn't as much a concern for me.

 

Click the link in my profile to see what i'm using for navigation and mp3s. hint: it's a laptop! lol

pro's and con's for this setup as well as for the stand-alone gps units - but regardless, i went with what im using now because it's a lot more 'upgradable' in terms of doing other things - backup camera, watching movies (passengers only, of course), etc,
- sh00k

 

I picked up the Cobra Nav One unit for about $650 with a $100 rebate from Cobra. Portable so I can switch vehicles depending on which car the family takes or just me in the box. No discs, no pre-programming, no charging. Just plug and play with the cig lighter

Use it a lot locally and recently through Ohio and Penn for along weekend trip. No problems at all. I didn't get the optional traffic reports, but not sure how i would like that since sat radio seems to give me all the traffic I need.

Good luck & happy hunting.

 

I am an Authorized Alpine dealer and we unloaded or entire stock of other brand portable nav units. The alpine unit is the best hands down I have had customers that have other brands borrow it and replace there unit with it.

 

nybody know of an in dash on that I can get for cheap that works with my iPod?