E70 SatNav Aftermarket or OEM
 

Still await delivery of our E70 3.0D X5 in September here in Australia.

Considering updating it with a satnav system.

On the E53 we had - A mate had a similar car and purchased a mark 4 system and installed wiring harness, satnav unit, antenae and reprogrammed the unit to work - including dvd whilst driving

What can be done with the new E70 - keen to persue and do homework for fitment post delivery.

The upgrade to the satnav, reversing camera etc was something like another 8-10K ontop of the purchase price - and I am not keen to line the BMW dealerships pockets again as luxury car tax, stamp duty etc is a killer

ANy info links would be appreciated

cheers
O

You're probably not going to get anything that will fit in the dash and look original. I've checked on Crutchfield (big aftermarket stock of car electronics) and NOTHING made for the E70 or it's fiber optic bus. I skipped the factory navigation (I can hear the clicking of tongues already) and opted for a big screen Lowrance unit after I read about some of the problems with the first factory units. I understand most of the problems have been addressed and the factory unit is very good now. So, personal choice, if you like everything neat and in the dash, the factory is the way to go. If you don't mind a dash unit, which you can easily upgrade to the next generation of GPS gadgetry when it comes out, then that's the way to go.:boogie:

I would still prefer to use the LCD etc already in the dash. I guess I am looking for components that can be -"bolted on" to work with the existing system.

I only have the std radio - so I am considering what I will require to upgrade to DVD and satnav - utilising the dash LCD unit - whether it be BMW - or non OEM products

O

It's almost obligatory to have SatNav in the Uk.....at least if you want to be able to sell your car afterwards. Non Sat Nav equipped cars would be sold for almost a bigger discount second hand than it costs to spec it on a new car.

Not so in the U.S. Here's an article from USA Today:

....navigation isn't worth much in a used vehicle:
•Used-car buyers are looking for bargains, not technology, says James Clark, senior manager of consulting for ALG.
Clark's example: A high-end 2007 Acura TSX sedan should be worth 55% after three years without navigation, 53% with. The $2,000 navigation option winds up adding no more than $600 to the value of the 3-year-old car, he says.
"Navigation could be like cellphones built into cars in the '70s and '80s; those big, blocky phones that nobody has now. Everybody has a small, personal cellphone," says John Krafcik, vice president for product development at Hyundai Motor America.

I sold a 2003 Honda Accord this year w/factory NAV and 50k miles for $16.5 in Georgia. I thought I came out pretty good. 2 of the 3 serious offers specifically said they were looking for an Accord w/factory NAV. It is important to note that in 2003, the Honda/Acura nav was years ahead of most (if not all) the competition.

Tim

From a UK perspective, anyone that buys an X5 without sat nav is a mug. Who is going to buy a luxury car without sat nav?? Why would you want to buy a new car and then mess with the electrics. If you don't want to line bmw's pockets, don't buy an x5.

I own a 5 series (E60) with aftermarket nav (TomTom910), and an X5 (E70) with built in Nav.

Although I like the neatness of the built in nav, I have to say that in terms of usability and functionality, it is absolutely crap. No points of interest, no 7 digit postcode, no street level road names (only "major" roads), its PAINFULLY slow at calculating routes. Compare this to the TomTom, full worldwide maps with full postcode, every street name, very very fast, points of interest including speed camera alerts (updated monthly), ability to change voices, display options, etc etc etc. The list just goes on and on.

I agree that people in the UK would not want an X5 without Satnav. BUT, 95% would probably want this satnav to be a TomTom and not the built in crap outdated rip off satnav that BMW are still selling.

If I were to buy a 2nd hand BMW, I wouldn't bother to see if it had satnav or not. I'd fit a TomTom regardless even if it did have it built in. When I buy a new car, I always trade my old ones in, so options make hardly any difference to the sale price at all. If you sell your cars privately, then it would probably make sense to pick some of the more obvious options such as satnav.

Mess with electronics? As in, sitck a suction cup to your window and plug a wire in to the 12V output?

Ahh! The clicking of tongues!

It's a personal choice. I've seen some folks keep the factory stereo forever and others replace it as soon as they got home. Same with wheels, tires, etc.
If you like a clean look, keep the factory stuff. If you like modding, experimenting, the latest stuff, whatever, then go with high end aftermarket.
After about a year, after the initial scare of a new car wears off, most people start installing hard wired radar detectors, window tint and (gasp!) other stuff that didn't come from the factory.:whistle: