BMW getting out of the navigation disc business

[Terri Kennedy]

All of the disc-based navigation systems are marked "FINAL Version -- No Additional Updates Will be Available for This Product!" on http://store.bmwgpsmaps.com.

I suspect that's because people are fed up with the poor quality of the BMW maps (despite the maps being produced from the same data TomTom uses), combined with the price ($199). As I told the rep when I demanded a refund a couple years ago, "I could buy a whole touch-screen GPS and throw it away twice a year for what you're charging for inaccurate maps".

I'm hoping that once BMW no longer offers these, TeleAtlas will sell them direct for less money (and hopefully with more accuracy).

[rumatt]

I was never ok with the idea of having a GPS built into the car. It just has bad idea written all over it.










.

[John V]

Originally Posted by rumatt

I never ok with the idea of having a GPS built into the car. Did just has bad idea written all over it.

Yes.

[dan]

Originally Posted by rumatt

I never ok with the idea of having a GPS built into the car. Did just has bad idea written all over it.

best grammar ever








(i think pintnight may have hacked rumratt's account)

[clyde]

Maybe it was typed with barfingers?

[nate]

$199 is stupid expensive for those crappy maps.

Are new BMW maps saved onto an onboard hard drive? That's how Audi does it. The maps are updated when the cars are serviced.

[rumatt]

Originally Posted by clyde

Maybe it was typed with barfingers?

I'm going to try to blame this on autocorrect, but I may or may not have had a couple of drinks.

[Terri Kennedy]

Originally Posted by nate

$199 is stupid expensive for those crappy maps.

Yup. Working discs might be available on eBay for a lot less.

Are new BMW maps saved onto an onboard hard drive? That's how Audi does it. The maps are updated when the cars are serviced.

Yes, they're stored on the hard drive. No, you don't get them for free. You can pay the dealer to do it, or download the map data from somewhere on the Internet and pay for the VIN-specific keycode needed to load them.

[robg]

Originally Posted by Terry Kennedy

Yup. Working discs might be available on eBay for a lot less.


Yes, they're stored on the hard drive. No, you don't get them for free. You can pay the dealer to do it, or download the map data from somewhere on the Internet and pay for the VIN-specific keycode needed to load them.

Right- you can download the data for free or buy a USB stick from BMW w/ the data for a few $. Dealers will try and charge several hundred for the "FSC code" (license key) to enable the maps, but you can buy them for around 60-70 on the internet IIRC. Very easy to DIY. Still robbery, but not quite as bad.

Also, I think I read that they are finally getting w/ the 21st century and will now provide free over the air map updates.
Here it is:
http://www.bmwblog.com/2015/01/06/bm...vigation-maps/

Based on the description, it sounds like they may offer that capability on existing cars but somehow I bet it will only available in conjunction with new cars. That article was very light on info. For one, the 3G telematics in the current cars aren't fast enough to download a whole mapset in any reasonable time.

When BMW concedes on making some electronic capability free or standard you know the horse has been beaten to death.

Terry- I believe the pre 2007 nav systems used data from Navteq and not teleatlas correct? Did they switch suppliers for the older systems as well when they went with TeleAtlas? Too bad, as those were better maps. I remember Nokia bought Navteq or something and didn't really follow what happened with it.

[FC]

I heard Land Rover charges $200 for updated maps. Luckily my 2013 came with the latest at the time. I think the prior update was 2010 or 2011. The good thing about MA is that there aren't too may new roads. Of course, the brand new hwy to montreal (from the US border to 35) is not in the map.