So I need to decide if it's worth it for the built in NAV system. I want to make sure I have this correct. The NAV system:

1. Is not touch screen
2. Does not show 3D maps
3. Will not let you program a new address while moving
4. Eliminates the possibility of a MP3 input without buying a kit
5. Will not let you get live traffic on the map
6. Is over $1000 extra

however:
1. Allows you to see the sirius/MP3 information that the standard stereo does not

It is also my understanding that the standard, 1CD radio will not play Mp3 discs and will not show song info from the sirius radio or from a MP3 player.

So I'm trying to decide between these 3 options:
1. Full blown NAV system, will burn my MP3s onto CD's and load up the 6CD charger. ~$1300
2. Standard radio with sirius, will hook up my IPOD through the input jack, and buy a Garmin nav system that gets live traffic updates through the sirius radio. ~$600
3. 6CD/Mp3 radio with sirius but no Nav, buy a garmin as above, ~$900.

I prefer option 1 but so many complaints about the nav system. Please advise!

i like the nav....sure its not the top of the line and doesnt have some of the extras you want, but it is factory installed, warranty, and works well.....just my .02

So I need to decide if it's worth it for the built in NAV system. I want to make sure I have this correct. The NAV system:

1. Is not touch screen
2. Does not show 3D maps
3. Will not let you program a new address while moving
4. Eliminates the possibility of a MP3 input without buying a kit
5. Will not let you get live traffic on the map
6. Is over $1000 extra

however:
1. Allows you to see the sirius/MP3 information that the standard stereo does not

It is also my understanding that the standard, 1CD radio will not play Mp3 discs and will not show song info from the sirius radio or from a MP3 player.

So I'm trying to decide between these 3 options:
1. Full blown NAV system, will burn my MP3s onto CD's and load up the 6CD charger. ~$1300
2. Standard radio with sirius, will hook up my IPOD through the input jack, and buy a Garmin nav system that gets live traffic updates through the sirius radio. ~$600
3. 6CD/Mp3 radio with sirius but no Nav, buy a garmin as above, ~$900.

I prefer option 1 but so many complaints about the nav system. Please advise!

I have no complaints about the Nav in my patriot.
Some features that seem great but arnt all they are cracked up to be.

Touch screen. No matter how clean your hands are you leave smudges all over the screen. Your constantly having to clean it. If glare hits it and smudges are there its hard to see sometimes.

3D. What's the point? What does it do that a 2D one doesn't do? I think you get a better prospective of the streets around you as long as you set it to turn when you do your streets always adjust to your turns. You can see more of the area around you with 2D.

Traffic, Thats a nifty feature, but sat radio has traffic for my city. I flip it to that for a min and get all the info I need. In my city we also have billboards that flash traffic info wrecks, and drive times ect. So the Traffic nav depends on your city really.

Adding an address while moving is dangerous. Put your addresses in before you leave the house and cancel if you want to they are stored in your recent routes. If you want to go to it while driving you can. Its in the mobile menu to pull up recent routes.

Our car has an aftermarket nav that's touch screen, has traffic, and a choice of the 3D view. It was put in the hole for our old radio we had taken out. I honestly like my patriots nav better. It looks like it belongs there not added in. I wouldn't know where to put a portable nav in the patriot for me. Some people put them on the dash but the way the dash is on the pat there really isn't a place to put it without it getting in my way to see. The stickers get in my way. Taller people are probably not going to have this problem.

A few things I like about my patriots nav is the volume and how it fades the radio to one side when the nav speaks from the other. You can always hear it no matter how loud your radio is on. I like you can program maintenance schedules. I have it set to tell me when I need to have my tires rotated, oil changed ect. Shows radio info. I have the I pod connection kit and I love the way it works with it. It all comes down to the things you like and what features you have to have and dont have to have. I personally find the joystick and enter easy to work with but I have gotten used to it.

I have a Garmin sitting on my Dash. I have absolutely no complaints about it.

The NAV unit is neat, but the cost is an issue.

What about the Pinoeer AVIC-D3 (http://www.crutchfield.com/S-31mOrIGQEYT/cgi-bin/prodview.asp?I=130AVICD3)?

http://www.navigadget.com/wp-content/postimages/2006/11/AVIC-D3-069.jpg

here is a nice review: http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/2006/11/20/pioneer-avic-d3-with-ipod-connection/

not bad for $700... you can beef it up by adding some awesome accessories!
add:

iPod cable $30
Satellite radio $100
Bluetooth phone kit $170
Steering wheel controls $70

thats just over $1000 for full blown NAV system!

I too love my Garmin Nuvi350. It's small & portable. Plus the maps are detailed and accurate... More POI's, features and it almost 1/2 as much money!

just one thing to add to the cons for aftermarket or portable nav no evic integration....

I paid 2K for the factory nav in my Acura TL would not trade it for the world. I am getting factory Nav in my Patriot I have seen the demo in my friends 300c and I can live with it's short commings save reprogram while driving and there is a hack to fix that which I will employ.
Almost all of these systems use the same map data and POI database (navtec) so you will not see much difference between the maps and POI's just how that data is presented and the number of features a systems has, and that all boils down to personal preference....

My friends have a Quest with a nav that is 3d drives me nuts cannot tell any thing about the road ahead and turns are hard to figure out without paying attention to the voice prompts...but they love it.

So look at them all and pick the system that you can live with and that you are most comfortable using that is going to be the best bet no matter the cost because that will make you the safest driver while using it.

So I understand you can't enter a new address while moving...what about looking for nearest gas stations? Do you have to pull over to do that? It would be kind of hard if you were on a highway.

So I understand you can't enter a new address while moving...what about looking for nearest gas stations? Do you have to pull over to do that? It would be kind of hard if you were on a highway.

mine is set to show me gas stations. You can set these on the map to show all the time. They show little icons like shell, chevron ect. You can set other things to show all the time also.

I use my Treo 700 with TomTom GPS. I can put the antenna in my shirt pocket and walk right up to the front door of the business I am looking for. I have not had a built in Nav. unit, but it seems limiting to me.