Initially dissapointed with nav system

[flynbya2]

Do you need, can you get a class on how to operate this system?

I own a portable garmin nav system that is quite simple to use,this modern marvel in the cx-7 seems to have lots of dead ends in the menu.

I have set down briefly with the manual only to become very frustrated trying to figure this thing out.(pissed)

Things like setting home,for example,or after you arrive at a destination,in the Garmin it is stored as a recent find

I don't even see that option here,is it really this difficult to figure out?
If it is......then I have wasted my money 'cause my wife will NEVER be able to figure it out........even if I do

Sorry, just a bit frustrated right now......Love the car!....HATE the nav!... at this point anyways(peep)

Why, I am even having a difficult time reading the darn manual.....their little icons they use are so darn small you can't hardly see them(RTM)

Also,what about the calibration? My home addy#'s are 3013,but when I am there,the nav says it is 3097.there IS NO 3097 on my street

 

[mixmasterlove]

Mark it as a memory point 1st-----then edit it in the address book to make it home.

 

[CXRabbit]

Maybe you're just overthinking it?

I haven't found it difficult to use at all. Setting "home" took a few to figure out, but like mixmaster said, save as memory point and then go in to edit and set as home. The voice command system works fairly well, and setting destinations is very easy. POI's aren't the most up-to-date, but I found it's including quite a lot of them, more than I expected.

As for calibrating, there is a way to do it. I haven't played around with that, but if you go to Menu -> Navigation Setup you'll see "Calibration" listed there.

 

[flynbya2]

Maybe you're just overthinking it?

I haven't found it difficult to use at all. Setting "home" took a few to figure out, but like mixmaster said, save as memory point and then go in to edit and set as home. The voice command system works fairly well, and setting destinations is very easy. POI's aren't the most up-to-date, but I found it's including quite a lot of them, more than I expected.

As for calibrating, there is a way to do it. I haven't played around with that, but if you go to Menu -> Navigation Setup you'll see "Calibration" listed there.

Well,
I did try to calibrate it,but that is very innacurate as well

Moving cursor over said spot which only moves in certain increments

therefore you can't quite get it perfect,I guess that's why my addy shows incorrect

But how dissapointing..............No problemo on my Garmin.....why with this??

If you take the time to enter the address,sure it works fine I guess,But when I went to poi's none showed up......it was like it was wanting me to enter one's that I prefer


what a PITA

 

[CXRabbit]

When you hit the POI button you then select 5 categories you want displayed. For example, for local driving I have gas stations, restaurants (all), ATMs, shopping and groceries. Press "show" and they'll show up on your map. I haven't had to touch it since setting it up that way either. By default, when I start the car it's showing those categories of POIs.

If you want to change those categories, just hit "POI" again. Certain voice commands will also display POI's. Say "I'm hungry" and restaurants will be included.

Could there be more POIs? Sure. But this is a DVD based system, 2006 version 1 (at least that's what mine is). I was using a harddrive-based laptop solution prior which did give more information but was not as convenient, and I have no problem (yet) with the limitations of the one in the CX-7.

Was you Garmin better? I don't doubt it since they put some of the best ones out on the market. So what made you decide to go with the tech package? I don't mean this to sound rude (but it probably will anyway), but a little research would have yielded you these answers prior to purchase and you could have stuck with your Garmin... not sure why you didn't. I know for me, I wanted everything integrated into the car, so I accepted some of the tech package limitations -- but I also researched it's basic functionality before buying the car.

 

[flynbya2]

When you hit the POI button you then select 5 categories you want displayed. For example, for local driving I have gas stations, restaurants (all), ATMs, shopping and groceries. Press "show" and they'll show up on your map. I haven't had to touch it since setting it up that way either. By default, when I start the car it's showing those categories of POIs.

If you want to change those categories, just hit "POI" again. Certain voice commands will also display POI's. Say "I'm hungry" and restaurants will be included.

Could there be more POIs? Sure. But this is a DVD based system, 2006 version 1 (at least that's what mine is). I was using a harddrive-based laptop solution prior which did give more information but was not as convenient, and I have no problem (yet) with the limitations of the one in the CX-7.

Was you Garmin better? I don't doubt it since they put some of the best ones out on the market. So what made you decide to go with the tech package? I don't mean this to sound rude (but it probably will anyway), but a little research would have yielded you these answers prior to purchase and you could have stuck with your Garmin... not sure why you didn't. I know for me, I wanted everything integrated into the car, so I accepted some of the tech package limitations -- but I also researched it's basic functionality before buying the car.

No offense taken,I know I sound like I can't find my thumbs

The Garmin is much simpler to use as all the commands are sequential,meaning there is little to no guessing as it leads you to the next screen.

I find myself trying to guess what button to push next with this one.It is almost as though each screen is a dead end essentially.When choices are not highlighted at times,and are at others it can be a bit confusing( At least this is what I noticed yesterday when trying to decifer this thing)

As far as research goes,I have never used this nav before,I guess when I asked if they were easy to use,and replied to with "VERY" I assumed it would be as straight forward as what I have been using,,,,,,,which I don't have to think about at all.
My wife wanted a nav system,and I wanted her to have it.,......and wanted it incorporated into the vehicle,so yes we went with it.The fact that it is voice operated also sounded like a HUGE plus!

I just didn't realize I would have to take a class to operate it

Any place that you go with the Garmin originally,you can save as a "favorite",but even if you don't it is stored as a recent find.
I am not sure how many it stores, but it is a lot
I do not see these kind of options here...

Am I alone here on this? Noone finds this difficult? Instructions clearly written? Manual easy to read?

The thing is, if it isn't easy to use, it won't get used

And as far as being totally current,well I expect that and can live with that aspect of it.But my address being someone else's doesn't sit well with me

I will just take a day out with a magnifying glass to try and figure this puppy out with the manual I guess

 

[CXRabbit]

That's the thing Fly, I do find it easy to use, at least so far. "Memory Point" and "POI" are always on the screen, so telling it to display POI's or to story a memory point (similar to "favorite" I would guess) is as easy as pressing those buttons. I don't know how many memory points it will store, but there are different categories of things in your address book.

I didn't read the manual at all, except to look up the voice commands. It could be that the Garmin is easier, but I wouldn't know. My only frame of reference is laptop based systems.

 

[B1GHAM]

thats weird... Ive driven cars with other "factory" nav systems, and I have to say the CX-7 touchscreen is by far the EASIEST Ive ever used. I was using it like Id used it all my life in a matter of minutes.

Go testdrive a BMW 745Li w/ nav and when you get lost, go back to the CX-7 youll see what I mean ...

hang in there, youll get it, and feel lucky that you got a CX-7 and not something more complicated.

I will agree with you, though, portable units are much MUCH easier.

(speaking of CX-7s... theres one on the showroom RIGHT infront of my office, and all I can smell is the leather... mmmmm)

 

[flynbya2]

I am hoping that it will come around for me too...

Like I said,more playing with it may help,but I am still disappointed in it at this point

And for chrissake,look at the manual and try to read some of the simulated screen symbols.

Some of them I cannot read with a magnifying glass!,no exaggeration either

I am taking a break from it for a while,I will conquer it a bit later

I now have a little hope seeing others feel it is easy............Thanks

 

[CX7_Scott]

It's all been second-nature to me... not sure why. I have not needed to crack the manual yet. I was actually surprised at how easy it is to use.