Navigation systems

[ArchangelF16]

So I just spent a week down in Florida for Spring Break (without the wrx ) driving a rental Ford Taurus. It sucked big time but the only redeeming feature was the navigation system that came with it. We used the thing all the time during the trip and it convinced me to get one.

If any of you could recommend a nav system and why I should get it that would be great. I really like the Eclipse-type touch screen ones since I'm not particularly fond of the flip out stuff. I have a couple questions for any of your recommendations:

1) is it DVD or GPS based and what are the advantages/disadvantages of each?
2) can a passenger use it while you're driving?
3) price
4) ease of use or quirks the system might have
5) differenced between the Eclipse systems (if there are any worth noting)

I’ll probably upgrade the rest of my system later. Nothing too extravagant, just maybe a single 10” sub and new speakers. I’m looking for sound quality over volume.

Any help is appreciated

[WRXSIG]

for like the sweet alpine ones theyre like 1700+

[Darrell]

I'm waiting for a all-in-one double-din unit that competes with the Eclipse AVN2454. I'd like to install everything in the dash as one piece and be done with it.

The Pioneer AVID-D1 is double-din, but I think it still has the separate control box and it won't play DVD movies

[kmcd]

I can be of some help...

Now my best friend has the Alpine (I don't remember the model number) unit.
It is a single din, DVD based system. He uses it with the older AlpineVideo/DVD
player that is not a touch screen. We have used it many times and it has never let him down. He just needs to get an updated map disk.

I just bought the Pioneer AVIC-N1 unit just this week. This is a single din Video/DVD/Navigation system. It is a touch screen, and I like all the extra features.

I checked out the Eclipse unit, liked all the features, but I was not interested in a double din system.

I even read an article in Car Audio & Electronics where they reveiwed these three systems and their opinion was evenly based, there was no best or worst.

I say contact the manufactures to send you data on the navigation systems, then locate the dealers that sell them and take a look at it in person. Some shops have in store demos that you check out. One shop I went to had a customer with the Pioneer system, they called him, had him come to the shop to show off the system to me.

Just do your research, from all of mine, you can't go wrong with these three.

[Adampops]

I also like the looks of a double-din unit. The eclipse units look sweet, but also look into the kenwood.