Navigation systems are sort of like insurance; you don't use it very often, but when it comes into play, you're really grateful you have it. Both also happen to rather expensive. Honda charges a $2,000 premium to equip the 2006 Honda Accord Hybrid with navigation. Alternately, you can look at it from a financing perspective. If you buy an Accord with navigation and finance via a five-year loan, you'll be paying about $40 more a month...
Wondering whether or not to buy? The system in the Accord is a good one, though I get annoyed with legal disclaimer screen that appears every time I start the car. Personally, I think I'd skip buying a factory system. If I decided I wanted navigation later on, I could always get an aftermarket system.
Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor, Edmunds.com
heydave says:
12:26 PM, 09/21/06
I own an '05 Accord EX 6-speed coupe with the Nav system. I agree with your annoyance of the Nav system. I called Honda to see if my dealer could bypass the legal disclaimer screen. No deal. I had to learn to live with it. [Another annoyance: tremendous glare bounces off the Nav screen when the sunroof shade is retracted or the sunroof is open.]
I did not want or need the Nav option; through a bit of negotiating and some savvy, I paid less than $2k for that option. However, now that I have the Nav system (and although the system is not perfect), I wouldn't want to live without it.
fdisk78 says:
01:44 PM, 09/21/06
I debated about the factory nav system -- but I ended up getting the Garmin Nuvi 350, and could not live without it!
rennf says:
08:06 AM, 09/22/06
I splurged and got navi on my '05 Acura TL (said navi system presumably being near-identical if not completely identical to that found on the Accord). Even now I'm of two minds: as Brent put it, you don't always need it, but there are times you're VERY glad you've got it. The primary reason I went with the factory option was the overall integrated look - I didn't like the idea of an obvious 3rd party add-on stuck on my dash in a car like the TL. Who knows what would happen to my car's feng-shui. :) Anyways, I'm still on the fence for my next car. I agree $1.8-$2.2k is a lot to pay for it, and after several years in the same city your need probably goes down, unless you travel in that vehicle a lot. (I was new to my current state/city when I bought the TL, yet another reason to pop for it.) Guess I'll see how price trends develop over the next few years and cross that bridge when I get to it!
ahightower says:
09:39 AM, 09/22/06
I'm curious what the resale value is like on nav systems. I think they're overpriced, but I really prefer built in to aftermarket. So if you get your money back, might as well enjoy it. Especially if you lease, it ought to add very little to the overall cost of ownership, right?
06james says:
11:13 PM, 09/22/06
$40/month is totally worth it to this family. Honda's nav is also among industry's best. If you think you'll use it, it's a mistake to skip this unit for a suction cup.