We drove our car of the week, the 2009 Mazda 6, for a Meals on Wheels run today.
There was plenty of room in the trunk for the various food carriers, newspapers and beverages that we delivered.
Each route consists of 10-12 locations all within a short range of each other. While one person brings the food to the door, the driver types the next location into the navigation unit.
While the Mazda 6 gives clear, accurate directions -- and no longer has a big red stripe down its side -- it would not remember that we were in Santa Monica. Everytime I typed in the next address I had to type in the city, even though my trips were within blocks of each other. When you're going from 16th Street to 19th Street, you don't need the nav. But when you're trying to find Marguerita from Montana, you have to know where you're going.
Luckily, my partner for the day knew the area pretty well. So, we shut off the navigation and used our own sense of direction.
Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
hybris says:
04:02 PM, 11/23/09
I think at this point you guys maybe have another lemon nav system. First it starts with not remembering what city its in then pretty soon we're back to reinacting Das Boot.
bankerdanny says:
04:15 PM, 11/23/09
How annoying. The GPS on my Blackberry recognized what city I was in when typing, and it doesn't cost what the GPS on the Mazda does.