Factory Navigation

Just wondering for those that have the factory navigation, how well do you like it? Would you recommend it over a windshield mounted one as far as the quality? I don't want the windshield mounted ones anymore so I would like to hear how everyone like the factory one. Thanks.

I have no complaints about it so far. The user interface is intuitive and voice recognition seems to work well. While taking it for a drive the other night, it picked up heavy traffic on my route and asked if I would like to adjust...I chose yes and it took me on a nice, quick detour around all the gridlock. You'll find those features in a windshield mounted navi as well; but it's nice to not have to worry about low/dead batteries, charging cable, carrying case, windshield mount, or the stereo/road noise possibly drowning out route instructions. In-dash navi would help resale value, too, when the time comes for that.

so there is voice command for the nav? cool the dealer wasn't sure about that

Well that's good to hear. None of the dealers around me have any models with the navi to look at and I'm tired of the aftermarket one we have. Was just curious how it compared before I make the decision to order it.

stromdriver said:

so there is voice command for the nav? cool the dealer wasn't sure about that

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Yes...Pretty accurate too!

TomTom is the navigation leader in most of Europe and Australia. I'm sure the US has their own leader, and I'm not sure how TomTom compares.
I've used numerous GPS units from various suppliers; some European, American and Australian. I've also had them side by side for comparison.

Many years ago I bought a TomTom, but returned it because there was another brand that seemed to have clearer maps and more features.

Worst decision ever. Using the GPS I replaced the TomTom with, I realised how great the TomTom actually was. It's directions are more clever and the most important thing is that it's very user friendly and quick to enter data (essential for car navigation, because you don't want to waste time entering destination data).

I migrated to TomTom on the iPhone and found it to be the best investment ever. On the iPhone, map updates are free and consistent. Traffic is enabled as well.

The system in the Mazda has most of the features, although in Australia the traffic portion is disabled. Aside from that, I'm VERY glad that Mazda chose TomTom. It's MUCH better than any of the older Mazda systems, and most other manufacturers in-car systems. I've used systems in the BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, VW - it's better than all of them. The only system that could probably compete is the system in the VW.

Another advantage of the in-car system is that it's so well integrated, that warnings for fixed speed cameras is always on. If it helps me avoid a single speed cameras in an area I don't know over the life of the vehicle, it will have paid for itself. The chance of that happening is 100% - because in it's first week, it's already warned me of a new camera.

i have to say i'm unsure of quality of the nav yet
map doesn't seem to have lots of proper address, like my parents, they've had their address for over a decade but tomtom didn't recognize it, along with the address of my wifes hair place
then the voice recognition, sometimes it works ok, sometimes its absolutely horrendous, today it wasn't getting the full number, the right street, or right city at the same time, multiple times in a row
i'm wondering if there might be a microphone problem because the couple bt calls i've made the people have said it sounded like it was windy, but didn't have any windows open (in fact opening the windows had little impact on the sound quality)

how do the updates work for us? i heard we get one free map update

stromdriver said:

how do the updates work for us? i heard we get one free map update

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I just did my update today.....Easy enough..

1) Put your memory card in your home computer
2) Download TomTom Home (it will prompt you from the SD card)
3) follow prompts and it will search for potential updates to your program/map data
4) Download the appropriate stuff...Took 15 minutes (slow internet)
5) put the card back in the car and let the system initiate. This will take 5+ minutes
6) done

Modshack, what version level does your map and your program now show in the CX-5 Nav unit?

GAXIBM said:

Modshack, what version level does your map and your program now show in the CX-5 Nav unit?

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Ummmm...No idea! The Card was date stamped 2012, but apparently there are revisions every 3 months or so. It did update some firmware as well as the Map database...Was a long revision number. I didn't write it down. I could look at the unit, but the wife generally has it all day..
Keep in mind I bought my unit as an accessory...No telling how long these have been in the distribution channel so there may have been a few revisions since the card was originally burned..

stromdriver said:

i have to say i'm unsure of quality of the nav yet
map doesn't seem to have lots of proper address, like my parents, they've had their address for over a decade but tomtom didn't recognize it,

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I can't speak for maps in the US or Canada, but in Australia maps are not managed by GPS manufacturers. A single company makes all the maps, does the corrections then pushes the maps out to the vendors.

That said, vendors can take up those updates at whatever speed they like.
TomTom is the most pro-active updater of those maps in Australia, with map updates every 4 months and user submitted corrections on a daily basis.

The maps is so up to date that an expressway that is opening a year into the future is already programmed into the maps, then typically available within weeks of the expressway opening.

With TomTom, it's extremely hard to have map data that's older than 6 months in the major cities.

I have a 2014 Touring with no Tech Package. Can I purchase or have navigation added into my head unit? I remember the salesman told me that's possible during the test drive....

I don't have a problem with it. Most complaints I hear are about the lock-out safety system, but I'm glad it's there since most American drivers are too stupid to pay attention while driving. I wish we could make texting lock-out, too.

Phillip808 said:

I have a 2014 Touring with no Tech Package. Can I purchase or have navigation added into my head unit? I remember the salesman told me that's possible during the test drive....

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yes but you have to ask yourself is it really worth 500 bucks (plus any map updates) considering top of the line standalone gps with lifetime maps are only a couple hundred bucks usually...(let alone the freeness of an android phone with google maps/nav which are an order of magnitude superior to the garbage tomtom module from mazda)

vfrguy said:

the factory navigation, how well do you like it? Would you recommend it

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Having had a '13 GT since August, I would not recommend it. Yes, it gives a more integrated look than a portable Garmin unit. Yes, although the voice control is not truly prime time I have not met one that was, regardless of manufacturer.

Still I have found the Tom Tom would have gotten me lost one one occasion had I allowed it to, and DID get em lost on a second occasion; being able to recover only because I had looked at a GOOGLE map at home prior to departure and so realized where the street I wanted should be in relation to the circle the nav system was sending me. In both cases the areas were established at least 7 years and located in or near the nation's capitol.

Depending on what you buy, non-built-in systems come with for-life map updates. This has become an ongoing cost with the Tom Tom OEM system. I admit that I am not familiar with the systems flogged by other makers and so cannot say whether this is a universal problem.

Finally, when I explore over long distance I'm responsible for the safe operation of the motor vehicle and my co-pilot is navigator. She has pre-plotted the route she wants to take on the PC; taking into account POI and convenient locations for fuel, food, and nature before loading these into a portable nav system. Once on the road local detours are handled on the fly. All this...but NOT with the Mazda Tom Tom. You cannot load into it routes planned elsewhere, and you cannot make changes to the route or plot a new one while underway; you have to stop.

As to getting lost, when we travel we carry paper charts in the same way we have a plotter and paper charts on the boat so we are prepared. Having to pay for map updates feels like a gouge when compared to portable systems. The inability to load other routes and make on-the-fly changes from the other front seat is a deal breaker for us. It is not clear to me whether my salesman would have been able to answer these nav system questions, but I failed to ask them so the fault is mine. Doing it again and given how my family uses a nav system, I would not buy the installed Mazda system nor recommend it to other buyers.

Brian

There is a real problem with the Mazda NB1 as implemented in the US - when the car is moving certain functionality is locked out. You can't manually input an address and if you want to change your route by selecting or avoiding certain roads, you can't do it. It also stops voice control when the car is starting to move. These factors come into play in stop and go traffic as well. You're at a stop sign, start to give it voice command, but as you begin moving, it cuts out and brings you back to the nav screen. Very frustrating.

I really wish Mazda would fix this. It's not a problem with the device itself - I like that just fine. But they have really handicapped it's use, imho.

There is another major problem with the built-in navigation in my 2014 CX-5 that I noticed recently. The "Safety Lock", besides being dumb enough to not allow passengers to enter addresses (even though a sensor for them exists), which I've seen mentioned before, it also engages even when you're in the middle of voice activated navigation. Let's say you start entering a voice command, say "Navigation," "Drive to an address", and you start saying the address. Maybe at this point you have finished saying the address and it's searching, or maybe it came back with a result and you need to make a correction (or confirm). If, during this time, you've come to a stop and then started driving again (ex: at a stop sign or light), the Safety Lock will kick in and reset everything. So your progress in entering the address by voice (which is, as we know, arduous), is gone, and you have to start completely over. And you have to try to get everything entered again before you stop/start moving again, which is ridiculous. This should be easily fixable by a firmware update, assuming they even want to try to address problems such as this.

@x-country-cx5 - have you updated your software recently. I believe the problem of being kicked out during a voice command was fixed in a recent update, although you still cannot manually enter an address while moving.

Be sure you are signed in with the email address you used to create the TT account for your NB1. Then follow the instructions at http://us.support.tomtom.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/6218/kw/update software

so far so good for me... only problem I had was it couldn't get satellite signal 2-3 times during the 8 months I have been using it... but this was easily fixable by pulling the card and re-inserting it to "reboot" the system.

I took a long trip from Quebec to Florida and back this winter, and it was so easy to follow and would bring be back on my route fast when I had to stop for breaks, food and sleep. The only area it had issues with was Washington on my way back, it made be go on one wrong exit because of updated roads that where not updated on the maps... ended up right in front of the white house... my girls where so happy to see the "castle"... I was not so happy.


here are my top reasons why I prefer this to the portable unit I also own (garmin):

- Its always in the car
- Its always charged (no batteries)
- Its stays in place (no need to stick it to anything)
- less risk of getting it stolen/lost.
- Voice directions are clear since the radio/music volume is lowered during speech
- can use it even without setting a destination simply to monitor speed limit/cameras or find parking/gas stations/restaurants...
- clear indications of highway exits and witch lane to be in.
- I use it now and then to give me an idea of my arrival time from home to work and back.
- if there is a lot of traffic to help find me an escape route.
- In the US I could set the units to MPH and miles to make the conversion and stay within the speed limits and follow the distance indicated on the signs.
- fatigue warning reminder to take breaks on long trips... used it a lot for my trip to Florida

Things I wish it had:

- a compass
- a "closest distance to the next gas station" indicator (ex: "95 km" countdown to next closest gas station )
- price of toll roads (to know how much to bring before i leave) ex: "35$US" (countdown of the remaining amount)
- removable safety lock when the passenger air bag is in function.
- bigger screen with more modern graphics
- faster response touch screen

@speedbegone, nice to hear you were happy with it on a long trip. We're planning on using it going from Michigan to Florida later this year.

Looking over your "wish list," it doesn't have a compass in 3D mode, but if you put it in 2D mode, it will orientate so the top is North. That might help.