Navigation Map A5

[Bryan Burch]

Got in to the social site--decided to work this time. There are several map related suggestions, some going back to 2010. Does IVT respond to these suggestions, or close them when they are adopted? How does this work?

[acdii]

That $700 is for more than just maps, it includes the tie in to the entire vehicles system. Except for one thing, all it takes is the activation code and the flash card. All MFT equipped cars have the hardware already installed. The rest is software. From what I read a while back when I was looking to maybe update my 2010 maps, the DVD included some updates to the navigation firmware, but I couldn't confirm that to be true. They do include the Gracenotes that updates the album database for Sync.

 

Still not worth $200 to update it unless you can update more than one car if you own multiple Fords. Since I have two 13 models with NAV being able to update both from one would be great, but we know that will never happen.

[Bryan Burch]

I don't know about that acdii. My titanium came with the MFT, which has all the system tie-ins in place. The navigation option gives me a $700 SD card and puts me on some VIN registry that says this vehicle has the navigation option. I wouldn't be so vocal if the navigation was at least as good as current portable navigation units.

 

The facts are:

 

The UI isn't intuitive--in fact it is just slow and unresponsive.

The maps are old from the factory.

It cost money to upgrade the maps.

The navigation is outperformed by the free Google maps on my android phone.

 

I should have got the heated steering wheel or the sunroof instead.

[Waldo]

The fact is that automotive companies make their profits on options. Of course it doesn't cost Ford $700 to put navigation on a vehicle, but that profit offsets the losses everywhere else. Getting 10 percent of the people to pay $700 for navigation offsets the losses of putting a required emissions or safety device on every car, for example.

 

Bottom line is that if Ford were to charge less for navigation, they would have to charge more for something else. Garmin doesn't have that option in their business model.

[GrySql]

I received my $50 Ebay A5 card today and it looks, smells, shows and acts like a OEM MFT Map update. I have yet to try it on the highway and will keep the old A4 card in the glovebox for a while.

Next week we leave for a 5,000 trip and I intend to use it for destinations and report here.

Now I'll sit in the car for an hour or so inputting destination data.

 

BTW, not that I thought it would, my right display still does not work with POI's, the main screen does.

Edited May 7, 2014 by GrySql

[hybridbear]

I don't know about that acdii. My titanium came with the MFT, which has all the system tie-ins in place. The navigation option gives me a $700 SD card and puts me on some VIN registry that says this vehicle has the navigation option. I wouldn't be so vocal if the navigation was at least as good as current portable navigation units.

 

The facts are:

 

The UI isn't intuitive--in fact it is just slow and unresponsive.

The maps are old from the factory.

It cost money to upgrade the maps.

The navigation is outperformed by the free Google maps on my android phone.

 

I should have got the heated steering wheel or the sunroof instead.

Just be glad you aren't driving a Toyota! Have you ever used their Entune system or their Navigation system? It looks like it's from the early 2000s. MFT is much better than the other systems that I've had some experience using (Toyota's Entune, Chrysler's U-Connect & Honda's system). Those three were all less intuitive than MFT for me. I've always found MFT to be extremely easy to navigate and very intuitive, which is a bit of a shock for me since MFT is built in partnership with Microsoft and I'm an Apple fan.

 

The fact is that automotive companies make their profits on options. Of course it doesn't cost Ford $700 to put navigation on a vehicle, but that profit offsets the losses everywhere else. Getting 10 percent of the people to pay $700 for navigation offsets the losses of putting a required emissions or safety device on every car, for example.

 

Bottom line is that if Ford were to charge less for navigation, they would have to charge more for something else. Garmin doesn't have that option in their business model.

Great point. Ford has a different business model than Garmin and thus you can't really compare the two.

[hybridbear]

I received my $50 Ebay A5 card today and it looks, smells, shows and acts like a OEM Sync Map update. I have yet to try it on the highway and will keep the old A4 card in the car for a while.

Next week we leave for a 5,000 trip and I intend to use it for destinations and report here.

Now I'll sit in the car for an hour or so inputting destination data.

 

BTW, not that I thought it would, my right display still does not work with POI's, the main screen does.

Have you looked into sending the destinations to the car through Sync Services? I'm not super clear on how it works but I believe you can put in addresses online from your computer and send them to the car much more easily that typing on the MFT screen. Just an idea. I'm sure that Kim can clarify further.

[GrySql]

Have you looked into sending the destinations to the car through Sync Services? I'm not super clear on how it works but I believe you can put in addresses online from your computer and send them to the car much more easily that typing on the MFT screen. Just an idea. I'm sure that Kim can clarify further.

Yes, thank you for the suggestion, I tried that last year and it worked. As I remember it was kind of a cumbersome way of doing things.

I only have about a dozen to input, not my whole Contact's list.

 

• Wouldn't it be nice if the MFT had an option to import all my iPhone Contact addresses into the Nav database along with my phone numbers, what a time saver that would be.

 

Edit: I entered all the needed destinations and the A5 card had no trouble finding any, even a new address in a new development street in De Moines, IA. The new A5 card looks promising.

Edited May 7, 2014 by GrySql

[Bryan Burch]

The fact is that automotive companies make their profits on options. Of course it doesn't cost Ford $700 to put navigation on a vehicle, but that profit offsets the losses everywhere else. Getting 10 percent of the people to pay $700 for navigation offsets the losses of putting a required emissions or safety device on every car, for example.

 

Bottom line is that if Ford were to charge less for navigation, they would have to charge more for something else. Garmin doesn't have that option in their business model.

 

That really doesn't make sense to me. If I ordered my car without navigation, I save $700. They would not have charged me more somewhere else, just because I didn't buy the navigation option.

[FordIVTteam]

Got in to the social site--decided to work this time. There are several map related suggestions, some going back to 2010. Does IVT respond to these suggestions, or close them when they are adopted? How does this work?

 

Good question, Bryan.

 

The website is not specific to In-Vehicle Technology suggestions. It is open to all new ideas about Ford vehicles and products. The In-Vehicle Technology team will not review these ideas; however, our product development team will go through these ideas to get a better understanding of what the customers would like to see and get inspiration for future development opportunities.

 

Kim

[hybridbear]

• Wouldn't it be nice if the MFT had an option to import all my iPhone Contact addresses into the Nav database along with my phone numbers, what a time saver that would be.

I agree. That is the one advantage to using Apple Maps on the iPhone instead of Google Maps as well. With Apple Maps I can find addresses from my contacts. Google Maps doesn't have access to my contacts.

[Waldo]

 

That really doesn't make sense to me. If I ordered my car without navigation, I save $700. They would not have charged me more somewhere else, just because I didn't buy the navigation option.

 

It's based on percentages, Ford knows a certain % of people will pay $700, and that's what the whole business plan of a vehicle is built around. Essentially you are subsidizing those who didn't buy the nav.

 

Ford considers the total revenue of all vehicles that will be sold and divides it by the total cost of all vehicles sold. That's how they make their plans and set their prices..

[acdii]

 

That really doesn't make sense to me. If I ordered my car without navigation, I save $700. They would not have charged me more somewhere else, just because I didn't buy the navigation option.

Read what he said again. The $700 helps offset costs of devices in all cars. The people who buy nav help offset other costs to keep the overall costs down on the car. What Waldo said makes perfect business sense. Its what Cell phone companies do, they sell you a phone for 1/4 the cost of it, and make up the difference from every one in the packages.

 

He beat me to it.

Edited May 7, 2014 by acdii

[Bryan Burch]

You guys sure do defend an overpriced, hard to use, and out of date navigation system with gusto! It's cool. Maybe it makes you feel better about your purchase. I just feel ripped off about the whole thing.

[srogers]

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the MFT had an option to import all my iPhone Contact addresses into the Nav database along with my phone numbers, what a time saver that would be.

 

.

You can add contacts from your phone to MFT. On MFT choose Phone/Phonebook/choose a contact/options/Set as destination or save to favorite destination.

[srogers]

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the MFT had an option to import all my iPhone Contact addresses into the Nav database along with my phone numbers, what a time saver that would be.

 

.

You can add contacts from your phone to MFT. On MFT choose Phone/Phonebook/choose a contact/options/Set as destination or save to favorite destination.

[Easy Rider]

I've had several GPS units over the years (Yes, I'm a gadget freak!). I still have all but one of them.

 

Given the price and the backing of Ford, I hoped that this one would be somewhat better.......but it isn't.

 

Just like all the others, it too has a fatal flaw (make that at least one. I've only had it a few weeks.)

 

In this case, it is the map "mis-classifying" some things that results in erroneous or extraneous verbal commands.

For instance, travelling down a 2 lane road that was "upgraded" a few years back to 4 lanes and some "left turn to nowhere" lanes were added.

 

The GPS kept saying something like "in one mile, stay on the current road".

It kept doing that about every mile or so for about FIFTEEN MILES. That gets really maddening.

 

At least it isn't telling me to keep right when the map clearly shows that I should keep left, like my Prius does........or to keep left at toll booths like my most recent Garmin does.

 

How and to whom can we report problems with the GPS maps on the Fusion ??

Edited May 7, 2014 by Easy Rider

[acdii]

I just turn the voice and beeps off and use the right hand dash display. Here's one good thing about the built in Nav, you want have to worry about forgetting to take it out of the window and have some low life smash and grab it.

[corncobs]

You guys sure do defend an overpriced, hard to use, and out of date navigation system with gusto! It's cool. Maybe it makes you feel better about your purchase. I just feel ripped off about the whole thing.

Why are you so angry about it?

 

I mean you bought it; you paid $700 for it and it seems like you didn't even look at it before you signed the dotted line.

 

Also it's not like that you are the very first person to complain about certain features and if wanna buy something I do some good research before hand.

If a certain number of people complain about the same thing I either don't consider it at all or I will take a look myself and evaluate it for my needs.

 

$700 is a lot of money for a in vehicle NAV option and personally nothing I would ever pay for not even a 1/4 of the price.

Edited May 8, 2014 by corncobs

[gkinla]

I've had several GPS units over the years (Yes, I'm a gadget freak!). I still have all but one of them.

 

Given the price and the backing of Ford, I hoped that this one would be somewhat better.......but it isn't.

 

Just like all the others, it too has a fatal flaw (make that at least one. I've only had it a few weeks.)

 

In this case, it is the map "mis-classifying" some things that results in erroneous or extraneous verbal commands.

For instance, travelling down a 2 lane road that was "upgraded" a few years back to 4 lanes and some "left turn to nowhere" lanes were added.

 

The GPS kept saying something like "in one mile, stay on the current road".

It kept doing that about every mile or so for about FIFTEEN MILES. That gets really maddening.

 

At least it isn't telling me to keep right when the map clearly shows that I should keep left, like my Prius does........or to keep left at toll booths like my most recent Garmin does.

 

How and to whom can we report problems with the GPS maps on the Fusion ??

 

I leave the voice guidance on continuously so I have it when needed. Most of the time I push the command button and say "voice guidance off" and it stops updating verbally. You can push the right hand OK button on the steering wheel and voice command will repeat the last guidance update. If you want it on just push the command button and say "voice guidance on" and it will then continue updating.

Edited May 8, 2014 by gkinla

[GrySql]

This started off as an interesting Topic about the new A5 map card that was available on Ebay but not on the official Ford Map Update website.

Now look at it, what a mess. :redcard:

 

How about opening another Topic and get it all out of your systems (pun intended).

Heck, there already is a 'Maps Update' Topic started that was coming along nicely.

Or, maybe a new Topic like 'I bought a new 2014 car with a 2012 Nav Map in it', something like that.

 

Then IraF and I and other potential A5 card users can get back to discussing the new A5 cards.

 

BTW, srogers introduced a really important Nav Destination input procedure a few posts back but that got buried in vitriol.

[hermans]

Agreed. I'm interested in hearing about any upgrades with the A5. As with the air intake, thanks for taking the lead with this.

[Bryan Burch]

Why are you so angry about it?

 

I mean you bought it; you paid $700 for it and it seems like you didn't even look at it before you signed the dotted line.

 

Also it's not like that you are the very first person to complain about certain features and if wanna buy something I do some good research before hand.

If a certain number of people complain about the same thing I either don't consider it at all or I will take a look myself and evaluate it for my needs.

 

$700 is a lot of money for a in vehicle NAV option and personally nothing I would ever pay for not even a 1/4 of the price.

I just get more frustrated with my decision every time I look at it or have to use it. I just expected more for my money.

[hybridbear]

I just get more frustrated with my decision every time I look at it or have to use it. I just expected more for my money.

Did you bother to test the Nav system before you decided to buy that $700 option?

[tr7driver]

How can I tell my map version? I thought I saw that on this thread but now I can't find it.