Which aftermarket 2DIN Navigation system?

[grahamtwatson]

So I'm just about to close the deal on a really nice '02 Cabriolet. :jump:

It's got the standard setup for audio, and I want to move the AC controls down and put in a 2 DIN in dash Audio/Navigation system. But which one? Both the Eclipse and the Pioneer units look good, but it's difficult to work out which is the better one to actually use on a day to day basis.

if you've looked into this and are willing to pontificate in public, I'd value your 2c worth...

Oh, and thoughts on upgrading speakers, positioning bass units etc would also be appreciated.

Cheers,

Graham

[djantlive]

Kenwood or Eclipse have good double DIN units offering touchscreen nav. you may want to add BT or XM also.

Pioneer has only flip screen I think.

[willgt-s]

I've been looking into this as well. If you don't mind spending $$$ to get the best, the Pioneer AVIC Z1 has all the bells and whistles. Hard drive to store the nav maps and music, voice command, 7" screen, BT, etc. The Eclipse units are also nice, The AVN5945 has a HD but only a 6.5" screen.

Although the Kenwood unit (I forgot the model) is a double DIN, you have to use an external box to get the navigation function.

Pioneer also makes a less expensive double DIN unit, the AVIC D2, that doesn't have as many features as the Z1. It's DVD based, rather than having a HD, no BT, no voice command, 6.5", etc. It also can't play DVD movies, which I thought was weird since the nav is DVD based.

I think it really comes down to going to a stereo store and messing around with the different models. Pick the one that's the easiest to use, for you and has the features you want.

For me, the added functionality of the Z1 wasn't worth the difference in price, so I'm going with the D2.

I could go on... I've spent way too much time looking at these things recently.

[brucem]

I would def. lean towards the Eclipse units for the car. Great looks, easy to use, great sound quality. I have had 2 of them in other cars. Just got a new one for my 996 (ANV5435). Speaker wise, i would look at Focal, they make a great setup for Porsche cars. Bass wise.. alot of options, just depends how much space you want to lose. If you are in the SW,west coast, or PNW part of the US i have some references for you also

[capt601]

Earlier this summer I put in the Kenwood DDX-6019 and have no regrets. The ease of use has been great and sound quality awesome. It has one of the biggest screens in use - 6.95". I also put in the focals and the whole system sound great now. The extra box for the nav is not really a problem and to update it you just download from Garmin's website the updates on to a SD card and simply insert it and the update is done.

capt601

[sibex]

Hi.

Just finishing up installing a Pioneer AVIC-Z1.

This is a double din radio.

I think this is the best unit for our vehicles.

It integrates well with this car.

I have bluetooth and TV tuner and they work reasonably well.

I will provide images and some further info later .

[grahamtwatson]

Hi.

Just finishing up installing a Pioneer AVIC-Z1.

This is a double din radio.

I think this is the best unit for our vehicles.

It integrates well with this car.

I have bluetooth and TV tuner and they work reasonably well.

I will provide images and some further info later .

Any pics or info yet? I'd love to hear how it went....

[kmayer]

I just researched this for a few months, and ended up with the top of the line Alpine head unit and the blackbird nav with docking station. Since the 996 is primarily a summer driver, this allows me to use the nav in my other cars as well.

I think you’ll find that all systems have pluses and minuses, and you really need to figure out what features are most important to you, and then make the decision. For me, quality of nav, ipod interface, sound quality, and user interface were most important.

[DiscobayJoe]

I'm planning on doing this the "hard" way. I plan on building a Car PC running StreetDeck.

Any NAV system I'd be interested in would need to have Gesture-Based inputs. Sofar I haven't seen any commercial units that compare to StreetDeck.

Check it out:

http://www.streetdeck.com/features.php

Unfortunatly, there are no good turn-key solutions for this yet. Next year the Infill G4 could be the hot ticket:

http://www.infill.co.kr/english/product/g4_style.asp

[jacksomer]

So I'm just about to close the deal on a really nice '02 Cabriolet. :jump:

It's got the standard setup for audio, and I want to move the AC controls down and put in a 2 DIN in dash Audio/Navigation system. But which one? Both the Eclipse and the Pioneer units look good, but it's difficult to work out which is the better one to actually use on a day to day basis.

if you've looked into this and are willing to pontificate in public, I'd value your 2c worth...

Oh, and thoughts on upgrading speakers, positioning bass units etc would also be appreciated.

Cheers,
Graham

If you want full ipod functionality the 2din Alpine is your best bet