[jlwatts]

After working with the Rav4 Limited hybrid’s GPS unit for almost 3 months I am somewhat disappointed in the lack of certain features. I have actually mounted my Garmin 2595LMT in my Rav to compensate. Here are some of the features important to me that I can’t seem to find on the Rav unit.

--- Sorting the address book entries according to distance from my current location.
--- Voice access for either the entries in the address book or previous destinations.
--- Voice access for specific names of local POIs.
--- Voice access to recently found locations(history).

Not having these features severely limits my GPS’s hands free access of destinations.

Maybe others have found some ways of accessing these features or other features that might facilitate the “hands free use” of the GPS unit.

 

[rdgrimes]

Toyota uses the best 2 year old technology that money can buy. Get used to it.

 

[Boldlygo]

I was disappointed in the maps on my new RAV4. I had updated my previous car's (Lexus CT200h) maps less than a year ago and it finally showed a fairly new significant road (about 4 years old) near me. But on the RAV4 it's missing!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could connect the car to our home WiFi's and just update the maps like you can with a portable GPS!!!

 

[AmanteNJ]

Instead of Toyota giving us a mediocre GPS software they should just add mirror link capability for android phones or carplay for apple.

 

[internalaudit]

^ That's true.

I got a refurbished $99 2599LMTHD Garmin GPS unit on ebay yesterday. There maybe ebay bucks or ebay coupons in your inbox/spam folders.
Garmin GPS Navigator: nuvi 2599LMT (Refurb) or 65LM (New) - Slickdeals.net

 

[MTL_Sienna]

My GPS kept getting lost when finding an address, sometimes taking me about 5 km further away from my destination. The dealer told me to upgrade the GPS would be over $200. My old portable GPS cost a hundred dollars, has free lifetime upgrades and hasn't failed me yet.

My advice, avoid paying for Toyota's ridiculously bad GPS. It's a scam and they know it.

 

[rdgrimes]

In fairness to Toyota, one should consider that the nav system has to integrate into a complex and finicky head unit with hardware-limited potential. Likewise, updates have to be fully vetted for bugs and unintended effects before distribution. And the stealership wants to get paid for installing an update.

 

[MTL_Sienna]

In fairness to Toyota, one should consider that the nav system has to integrate into a complex and finicky head unit with hardware-limited potential. Likewise, updates have to be fully vetted for bugs and unintended effects before distribution. And the stealership wants to get paid for installing an update.

When you pay $35,000 for a car that has out of date software right off the lot, making sure the cretins at the dealer level get paid is the least of my concerns. Toyota has known this issue for years and chooses to do nothing. Sorry, absolutely no pity for the dealer or Toyota.

 

[rdgrimes]

You don't have to have pity. Point is that its never as simple as it seems. Bottom line with ANY car maker is that if you want top of the line technology you need to provide that yourself.

 

[jlwatts]

^ That's true.

I got a refurbished $99 2599LMTHD Garmin GPS unit on ebay yesterday. There maybe ebay bucks or ebay coupons in your inbox/spam folders.
Garmin GPS Navigator: nuvi 2599LMT (Refurb) or 65LM (New) - Slickdeals.net

That's a model very similar to my 2595LMT (free lifetime maps.) I temporarily mounted it right below the seat heater switches. So far it seems to be able to receive the satellite signal ok. I'd prefer to use the Rav unit, but it is just not as capable using voice commands for hands free use.

 

[Wheathead]

I just updated our highlanders navigation dvd. You can get copies off of eBay for cheap. Mine was 20 dollars plus 4 for shipping. Works perfectly.

 

[internalaudit]

That's a model very similar to my 2595LMT (free lifetime maps.) I temporarily mounted it right below the seat heater switches. So far it seems to be able to receive the satellite signal ok. I'd prefer to use the Rav unit, but it is just not as capable using voice commands for hands free use.

It has hd traffic in cities that have it. I bought it for that reason when visiting the US as prepaid roaming plans are costly ( will just use one and share with family members) and T-Mobile tweaked its prepaid plans to screw infrequent users.

I still have a 755T but I have to download maps off torrents and it doesn't have the hd traffic or pinch to zoom feature that come in handy because sometimes the Garmin GPS won't reassess whether taking a nearby highway makes most sense when it has already provided an alternate recommendation.

The Bluetooth can come in handy on my beater car with no BT functionality.

 

[AmanteNJ]

Using Waze on my phone is reliable than trying to figure out the in-dash navigation.

 

[CB91710]

In fairness to Toyota, one should consider that the nav system has to integrate into a complex and finicky head unit with hardware-limited potential.

Doesn't seem to be a problem for Pioneer, Kenwood, JVC, and Alpine.
Heck, the GPS/Nav unit is a standalone box that is attached to the Entune head unit... it's not even in the same housing.

Likewise, updates have to be fully vetted for bugs and unintended effects before distribution.

Waze doesn't seem to worry about that (yes, I'm an editor and beta tester) >

 

[CB91710]

Using Waze on my phone is reliable than trying to figure out the in-dash navigation.

I've been beta testing Android v4.x for the last few weeks.
I think they finally fixed the reliability issues.
GM owners should be happy with the new version :wink

 

[AmanteNJ]

Its just very helpful using Waze's multiple route options. And road hazard, vehicle/police on shoulder and other live updates on your route is really a big plus. not only friends can update their ETA with the app you can even share your destination when traveling with a group. So many features on a very simple app and not to mention they are up to date on bugs and fixes.

 

[CB91710]

And road hazard, vehicle/police on shoulder and other live updates

Don't get me started on those.
Here in LA, they are spammed badly... friggin thing never shuts up, and 99% of them are BS.
People reporting cops that are moving (um, no help to people behind you), "vehicle on shoulder" is so far off the road that they're almost in the next county and NOT a hazard.
Oh ya... and blue sky but someone saw a water drop on a leaf in a parking lot, we get "Rain", and I've "not there" flagged 20 Fog alerts on one 40 mile trip to work when visibility was never less than 1/2 mile.
Californians are stupid.

Problem is even if you set it to use the phone's speaker and not BT, it switches to BT on a phone call, so the call is constantly interrupted (and the party on the other end can hear it).

We keep begging for "granular" control so we can shut off the audibles for individual alerts. Thank God they got rid of the audible "Heavy Traffic" alert.