[Rakey]

Well we've had my girlfriends R56 MCS for a while now, but the last few days I have had a chance to really experience living with it myself and driving it myself.

Over the last couple of days I have been exploring a new area which I didn't know so really had to rely on the R56 Sat Nav to get me from place to place, so this is based on those experiences of how the system works.

I have to say that if we were speccing the car again that even though the Sat Nav does improve the look of the car that both of us are in agreement that we would not spec the current Sat Nav again This is said with great pain, as I have had the built in Sat Nav on both of my MINI's and also on the GF's last MINI too, so its an option that I have always loved to have in a car.

I know others have said that they really want a split screen option, but I would have to say that this is essential. Whilst using the nav the guidance of the map view is frustrating and annoying, the lack of information a total let down, which results in you taking the wrong turning more than once on a journey.

The purpose of sat nav is to assist the driver to get to where they need to, without them having to change the screen, as this is dangerous to take your eye off the road or hands off the steering wheel.

By having the map screen on during guidance, you have no directional arrows on screen to tell you which junction you need to take, there is no information about what the road is that you are on and which you are going to take next, there is no information to tell you the time to destination, you are totally relying on the voice of the nav and trying to hear her clearly and remember her last command. And the fact that the voice now has an unclear American accent where you struggle to tell if its said first or third exit is even more frustrating whilst driving.

The controls are different, but you can get used to this change, the map colourings although not been map styled, as in green for land, blue for water again can be accepted as a styling feature and could be lived with if only the system problems were resolved.

The old Sat Nav system although it was very basic, really was designed with the use in mind, all of the things which you needed whilst driving were there on screen, and you could use the nav easily with the voice deactivated, even though the voice is a good feature and much clearer on the old system. It was very much the function that was the key to how it operated rather than the look of it.

I know MINI have invested in the Sat Nav system for the second gen MINI by it been MINI specific, but I really don't think the people that designed it have considered how it is used, or even got any feedback on how the customer used the previous nav and what they like or desliked about it.

Its a total annoyance and I found myself cursing it more than actually listening to its useless instructions, which lead to me feeling stressed behind the wheel and having to resort to having a road map in the car to get to where I needed.

We even tried the non map view option but again the lack of clarity in the voice and the lack of warning of a change in your journey made this almost as frustrating as the map view

So this leaves us totally disapointed in the second generation navigation, and hoping that MINI will considered urgently reviewing the software to add in the missing features, or to at least give the user the option select and set up the nav in the manner that they need to have it for it to be a useful tool.

This upgrade cannot be hard for MINI to make, as the system has all this information already, its just a case of bringing it all together on the screen, even just by adding the arrival time on the map screen, and having the junction indictors which appear when not in map view appear over the map screen would be a good first step.

Otherwise it is purely a decorative option which I shall not add to another MINI in the future after having had it on the last 4 cars we have purchased, and something that I strongly recommend that other buyers do not invest in

[jbz]

I was considering this option for my next MCS because I agree it looks better than the speedometer only. I have a Garmin IQUE 3600 now that has all the functions you complain about. It is also possible to configure the screen exactly the way you want it.

I have never operated an in-car nav system before and I was under the impression that it is similar to the Garmin. I can even choose between American and British accents.

As this in purely sofware it should be easy for MINI to change.

[Olly.]

Certainly sounds like a bit of a flawed system, its the most basic of options thats missing. As you say for the money you certainly expect more.

Lets hope MINI address it with a software fix shortly.

[popey]

I only got to use mine once, well more of test. I have to say I wasn't over impressed but it seemed OK and not much better then OK. Disappointing for the amount of money it costs BUT. I would spec it again just for the look of the dash. Yes it may sound like a stupid statement but you can buy a pair of shoes for £20 but if I like the look of some LV's at £400 I would save up and get the ones that look best to me.

[Richard Crofts]

I think the original was either a straight pull from the Range Rover system or a close copy The new one does suck IMO.

my advice buy TomTom either on your PDA, or Smart phone...or get a TomTom ONE/GO/500 etc. Far better, far cheaper and TBH not that fussy to put in and out when needed.

[Purple Dave]

Quote: Originally Posted by Richard Crofts (original)

I think the original was either a straight pull from the Range Rover system or a close copy The new one does suck IMO.

my advice buy TomTom either on your PDA, or Smart phone...or get a TomTom ONE/GO/500 etc. Far better, far cheaper and TBH not that fussy to put in and out when needed.

And put up with that basic looking dash ..... No way Jose.

I prefer to look at it as a £1500 dash upgrade that gives you Sat Nav free !!!

[Camp-Freddy]

Quote: Originally Posted by Purple Dave (original)

And put up with that basic looking dash ..... No way Jose.

I specced the Nav for looks and hope to come to terms with the incongruencies. I wasn't impressed with the functionality, all bells and whistles without practical substance. If my company wasn't paying for it I would have gone the Tom Tom route.

[DyeLooper]

Quote: Originally Posted by Rakey (original)

And the fact that the voice now has an unclear American accent where you struggle to tell if its said first or third exit is even more frustrating whilst driving.

We don't have bloody accents!! DO WE?

[supa-dupa-cooper]

I'd rather have a portable one anyway....so that when i get annoyed with it, i can throw it somewhere....cant do that with built in

Shame it doesnt seem to have the 'needed' functions though

[jbz]

A reason for the lack of features may be that the processor is on the slow side and that there is not that much memory. This will make a software upgrade unlikely.

I hope that it is not the case. Why is built-in nacv systems so expensive?

[popey]

Quote: Originally Posted by Purple Dave (original)

And put up with that basic looking dash ..... No way Jose.

I prefer to look at it as a £1500 dash upgrade that gives you Sat Nav free !!!

Very very well put

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by Purple Dave (original)

And put up with that basic looking dash ..... No way Jose.

I prefer to look at it as a £1500 dash upgrade that gives you Sat Nav free !!!

Quote: Originally Posted by popey (original)

Very very well put

well you guys might be happy paying out over £1600 for something which doesn't do the job well that its supposed to do, but for us we paid for it as we wanted a decent navigation system, not something that makes the dash look pretty.

I am sure that the majority of people that order it also will do so for its functionality so thats why I thought I'd best make sure they don't feel as let down as we do by this option which is a poor relation to its previous model

I'd much rather give an honest and informative product review on something I have brought or used and try to help others thinking of ordering the same thing, than kept quiet about it because I had spent a lot of money on something that I am not happy with and didn't want to admit that its a poor choice and a waste of money

[AMT]

Everyone goes on about Sat Nav improving the look of the dash.... am I the only one who thinks the standard speedo looks better than the nav version??!

[Rakey]

Quote: Originally Posted by AMT (original)

Everyone goes on about Sat Nav improving the look of the dash.... am I the only one who thinks the standard speedo looks better than the nav version??!

Until using it the last few days I would have said yes the look was improved, but now when I look at it I just see the £1600 of useless pretty TV screen and it annoys the hell out of me, so no, I think the standard dash is far better at the moment along with a copy of a bank statement with £1600 in than the sat nav dash

[popey]

Well everone is entitled to the there own view. If you care to read my previous posts I make as much of an informative review as I can with the limited time I had the car.

As I have said before its about what makes you happy as an individual, If looking at you bank statement makes you happy...... crack on .

I don't have a problem with admitting regret, I have the TV Function remember lol

[mikeythemini]

Another nail in the coffin Martin
Will have to get you a video in module so you can run a dvd so you at least make use of the screen

[Fin]

It's a shame your not happy with the SatNav Rakey. I have never used it in the R56 but I do have it in my R53.

I would have thought a firmware/software upgrade may sort those problems out. Maybe if enough nagging is done to MINI they will sort it out.

[Olly.]

Quote: Originally Posted by AMT (original)

Everyone goes on about Sat Nav improving the look of the dash.... am I the only one who thinks the standard speedo looks better than the nav version??!

Before the car was launched and I was only looking at pictures I would have said the sat nav makes the dash look loads better but now i've been used to the dash for a while I actually prefer the dash without Sat Nav, it just looks a bit more simple and not as busy as the Nav equipped dash.



(not meaning to offend anyone with the nav, just my opinion)

[Washy]

The sad thing for me is I hate the standard speedo/radio controls so much it actually puts me off the car.....could have accepted the 1500 to put the Nav in if it had been any good.... Looks like MINI no 5 will be my last......and that hurts...

[wow]

I was going to get SatNav for aesthetic reasons. I currently only use my satnav in provinces i do not know eg Western Cape and that does not occur often.

I am glad i did not opt for it now and at least i saved myself a ton of money!!!