Got Nav? You May Sooner Than You Think
By Nebojsa Nedeljkovic
OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation Service Line Manager
I personally know that one of the most frustrating driving experiences is getting lost. Unfortunately, it happens to everyone on occasion and no one enjoys going in circles, wasting time and gas. OnStar has always understood this frustration. That's why we have provided route support as a part of some of our service packages from the beginning. Now we will provide navigation to even more GM customers.
In-vehicle navigation systems are a pretty cool feature if you've ever used them, but until now they were mostly available on upscale vehicles or as an expensive aftermarket purchase. Last year, 1.2 million vehicles were sold in the U.S. with factory-equipped nav systems. Next year, GM will significantly increase that number. We'll equip 2 million vehicles with our own advanced system called OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation.
Take a wrong turn? Doesn't matter. Turn-by-Turn can get you back on the right track. Stop on the way? OnStar knows. And because we think everyone should have this, we're going to make it more affordable by offering Turn-by-Turn standard for the first year on a number of GM retail vehicles sold in 2007 including nearly all Buicks and Cadillacs. Additionally, Turn-by-Turn will also be available on many other GM vehicles through a $100 optional OnStar package upgrade during the initial year of service.
With Turn-by-Turn, drivers just hit the familiar blue button that connects them to the rarest of technologies these days: a real, live person. After the driver tells the OnStar advisor where he or she wants to go, the advisor sends turn-by-turn directions to the vehicle that are announced in real time through the vehicle's stereo system, allowing the driver to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. As the simplest and smartest nav system in North America, OnStar will help you find your way.
That's powerfully simple technology, but what else would you expect from OnStar?
Check this out for more info about this cool new service from OnStar.
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This is great technology. Much better than a integrated Nav system that you need a DVD or have to update frequently.
I’m not sure that voice -only Nav is going to be a real hit. I think most people who want Nav want it for the visual.
I must admit, as nice as this sounds, it’s quite pricey. Autoblog quotes the price after the first year at $299, and points out that within a couple of years, you will have spent enough money to buy a nice aftermarket nav. system. I think that OnStar should be standard equiptment on ALL GM cars (an advantage offered by NO car Co.) with safety and security for free (I have it ordered in BOTH my OnStar equipped vehicles, and have only used it ONCE). Even if you extend that offer to original owners only, that would be an advantage over every car co. hands down, would make for GREAT publicity, and would probably be cheaper than any rebate, or 0% financing.
This is a great first step toward bringing a nav system for the masses, but experienced users will know that it won’t substitute for a true nav system with a screen. A good display is much more useful in my opinion than a voice, especially when you make a wrong turn or are in the tight confines of city streets with lots of little roads and multiple turn sequences. Plus, how do you ask it to repeat an instruction in case you missed it the first time?
I’ve used it. it’s so easey to get anywhere.
talking to machines if fun.
This is great. I would probably use it over an after market navigation system.
As long as companies like Honda offer navigation units with screens in cars like the Civic – GM will continue to get flack (rightfully so) for not offering Navigation units in cars like the G6, Malibu and Aura. GM offers Navigation units in 2007 GMT-900, Lambda, Theta, Sigma and G-Body vehicles. It is time that GM embrace the navigation untis on the Epsilon cars.
Onstar is great for unlocking the car or notifying EMS in the case of a crash – but this will not substitute the use of a screen based navigation system.
GM – the battle is against the perception and as long as Honda, Toyota and the like offer screen based navigation units then GM had better do it. The corporate radio can be replaced by a navigation option as seen in the GMT-900 trucks – why not offer it in cars like the Aura?
I agree with road warrior. In my experience there are two methods to navigate: The Hansel & Gretel “breadcrumbs” method which relies on following land marks, and reading maps with an overall orientation of your surroundings.
My guess is that this will appeal to breadcrumbs people but not map people.
If you add a screen with google map type capability you should satisfy both types.
-Keith
OnStar and XM radio are excellent OPTIONS for the customers want and need them. Personally, I don’t need them, I don’t want them and therefore I don’t want to pay for them. Yet, as I look out on GMBuyPower.com most the vehicles come with the first year OnStar include in the price and XM radio with 3 months service for an extra $195.
We had OnStar for two years on our 01 Montana and never used it once. We haven’t had it the past three years and never had a time were we wished we had it. We plan ahead and know where we are going before we leave the driveway.
As for XM radio, why is it on most of the vehicles I look at when searching dealer inventory? I don’t want it!
Skip the XM and give me a delete credit for OnStar and maybe I wouldn’t need a cash back incentive.
I had an opportunity to experience turn by turn and compare it with Lexus and Honda navigation systems. I have a difficult time looking at a screen especially when I am in an unkown area and trying to deal with surrounding traffic. Turn by turn is a move in the right direction for GM.
They do have to get the pricing right. OnStar emergency service should be as essential to their vehicles as seat belts and included in the price of the car.
Quick points:
Nav systems have the following disadvantages relative to OnStar:
1) Need to read an owners manual
2) Need to take your eyes off of the road to view the screen
3) Larger up-front cost when purchasing the vehicle
4) A nav system will NOT alert the approprate agencies (police, fire dept) in the event of an accident (you may only need this once in your life, but when you need it, you may really need it)
5) A nav system cannot unlock your car if you are locked out
OnStar can also do basic vehicle diagnostics. In addition, is it not easier (and more pleasant) to speak to a person – esp in this day and age ?
The screen does seem to convey the presence of the device better to the customer.
Could Onstar offer voice interactive to learn a foreign language for travel?
Many travelers have Onstar already and would probably pay extra for the service.
The person could speak English and Onstar could teach them to say it in another language. Or the person could speak Spanish and OnStar could teach them to say it in English.
Onstar could become a universal translator worldwide.
Onstar could also match potential organ donors who register and feed the information to hospitals.
I like the idea of Onstar for the safety features, but would never use it for navigation. I want a screen-based navigation system so that I can also see the visual directions on a map. That really does help when the streets are so close together that you are at your next turn before the verbal directions are even finished speaking your previous turn.
I have a portable navigation unit and sometimes I am out-turning the verbal directions and have to use the map on the screen.
I hope navigation is available as an option on the Camaro, which I will be buying.
What about the equivalent of a pay as you go option for those unwilling to drop $300 for full service. When I go places I dont need navigation because I simply print out a google map before I leave, but ocassionally when I get lost in car navigation becomes desirable. Is something similar to paying 10 cents per text message on a cell phone a future option?
I have driven GM cars all my life and am a huge fan of them. I have one with On star and have never used it. When it malfunctioned at 40,000 miles it was $700 to repair it to get rid of the voice. Does that make sense?
I took a trip to Texas this summer and found Onstar invaluable for finding different locations. My friend gets car sick if asked to read anything in the vehicle including maps. Onstar took us step by step and the playback feature let us continue to update where we were in the direction. From two people who are directionally challenged – this system gave us peace of mind and we got everywhere we wanted to go without getting lost once.
Another of the most frustrating driving experiences are traffic jams. When will OnStar offer real time traffic overlays and construction updates?
Turn by turn will be great for some, but I’ll take a map anyday!
On Star can have much broader applications. What about having a Home based unit for elderly people to simply wear a push button device or have a push button located within easy reach for help?
18 replies to this. Almost 100 to the “warranty” thread. Does this tell you anything GM?!? Not that many people care about NAV. It’s not THAT big a deal. You want to put butts in cars?
“Steal” the safety tech from Saab and make all your GM cars as safe as them. Increase the REAL warranty by a year. THAT will turn heads. Not some overpriced option that 8% of your buyers are interested in.
In addition, is it not easier (and more pleasant) to speak to a person – esp in this day and age ? – Chris Hayne
Personally, I hate talking on the phone. Give me email or IM any day. Then again, I’m a 24-year-old technophile, not exactly GM’s target audience.
I also loathe monthly fees, so if I ever do buy a GM car, I won’t use OnStar. Of course, if I could pay-per-use, that would be another thing. $15 bucks to unlock my car or get directions is worth it to me.
As much as I love Onstar and it is an Excellent feature that only GM offers, a screen based Nav is so much nicer. It just has that “cool” factor that a voice cannot compete with. I want to touch the screen for Audio and be able to “SEE” where I am going. Experts say more than 75% of people are visual learners, and communicate more effectively through what they see than what they hear. I know I’m that way.
GM you have a great opportunity to lead the market with excellent Sceen-based NAV systems, and they should be available in almost every vehicle. I hope this is only a stop-gap move before you can mass release true “NAVS”.
A $100 price for the package would be attainable to many thatn tha Delphi TNR800.
So an indash Nav system is available if that is what you really want, but I tell you – OnStar is an absolutely useful feature. When my wife takes my son somewhere I have really good piece of mind knowing that immediate action will be taken in the event something bad occurs with the vehicle.
The OnStar Phone as I call it is really useful. If you have Verizon service it is especially useful. OnStar has a phone feature that allows to store the numbers that you want to store and call them via voice commands while your sitting and or driving in your car. You and share Verizon minutes if you have that cell service or you can buy minutes to use in the car. I have Verizon so minutes is a good deal for me – if you purchase the minutes outside Verizon it is a little more expensive but either way, the OnStar Phone feature is really good.
Monthly email diagnostic reports on your vehicle is also very cool. Each month I get an email report that takes me through the current situation with my wife’s and my car. It give me all the usual stuff like mileage and fluid life, but it also give me a report on the other major systems in my cars – air bags, heat/air, etc. If you’ve got a quality or warranty issue it also gives you an alert and let’s you know what kind of action to take. You can also hit the blule OnStar button and get them to run the diagnostics and tell you what, if anything, shows up and what to do.
Then there is the directions stuff and I’ve used that quite a bit. That is pretty good too, and it is pretty quick.
I’ve had both. The indash Nav with the DVD gets a lot less use from me than the OnStar service.
Bob