GPS upgrade 2009 MMH

[mmdlcab]

I did search this forum for topics related to this but could not find any info directly related to this.

I checked with my dealer and he tells me there is a GPS map update upgrade for my 2009 Mercury Mariner Hyprid, but that it's $330.00!! He said it's a cd or dvd I have to order through the parts department. That price just seems waaaay too high to me. In my old garmin days, i think i paid 75.00 for a gps upgrade disc and that was only 2 or 3 years ago. Can anyone tell me if they have experience with upgrading there GPS map data and what it cost you? I've tried to go to the navetq website but it seems to hang / crash both of my browsers each time i get there. For my area (austin tx) there are many roads not in my current GPS and I'd like to get details on what has been updated on the map data, and any other options for getting this update rather than paying 330.00 to the dealer. That just seems way out of wack to me. I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone that has done this?

 

Thanks in advance

CAB

Edited February 13, 2010 by mmdlcab

[GaryG]

I have not looked into it yet for my '09 FEHL Nav but it sounds like to much money for me to consider. You always have the internet and an iPhone to use for far less money if the street is not updated on your system. You spend no money for updates on Windows and many other programs you have on your computer so I would wait till a major program change for the entire hard drive that would give me much more than a few streets before spending that kind of money.

Edited February 14, 2010 by GaryG

[mmdlcab]

I have not looked into it yet for my '09 FEHL Nav but it sounds like to much money for me to consider. You always have the internet and an iPhone to use for far less money if the street is not updated on your system. You spend no money for updates on Windows and many other programs you have on your computer so I would wait till a major program change for the entire hard drive that would give me much more than a few streets before spending that kind of money.

 

Thanks for the info, and I totally agree. At that price, I wont be upgrading. It never even dawned on me until yesterday to look at the info screen on the gps unit itself. There is a phone number there for you to call. I'll call that on monday or tuesday. I figure no one is answering the phone on weekends. I don't know if I would get a better price over the phone, but it's worth a phone call. At 300+, I aint upgrading at this point. Even if I were to upgrade at some lower price level, i would still like to find out what areas they have upgraded. If all the upgrades are or areas outside of where I drive, then the upgrade has no value to me, at any price.

 

thanks

Edited February 14, 2010 by mmdlcab

[Walt]

I checked with my dealer and he tells me there is a GPS map update upgrade for my 2009 Mercury Mariner Hyprid, but that it's $330.00!! He said it's a cd or dvd I have to order through the parts department. That price just seems waaaay too high to me. In my old garmin days, i think i paid 75.00 for a gps upgrade disc and that was only 2 or 3 years ago.

 

Wow, and I thought the map CD collection for my 2007 at $200 was outrageous. And I too remember that an annual update for my portable Garmin is like around only $75.

 

IMHO, part of the problem is that Ford doesn't offer upgrades; just full packages. And Ford prices them as they do any factory part.

[mmdlcab]

Wow, and I thought the map CD collection for my 2007 at $200 was outrageous. And I too remember that an annual update for my portable Garmin is like around only $75.

 

IMHO, part of the problem is that Ford doesn't offer upgrades; just full packages. And Ford prices them as they do any factory part.

 

Just a fyi for anyone following this thread. I saw the link below in something else that came in my email in-box today.

 

www.navigation.com

 

It's apparently a link to Navteq's store. I was able to look up my GPS in my 2009 Mariner and select the upgrade. Their price on the site was 199.00. Not counting whatever tax or other stuff might be counted in when you actually place the order. Now, $199.00 is a heck of a lot better than the dealers $330.00 price, but still seems a little high to me. You would need your Application # (?) I found it on the INFO screen in the GPS display. Just press the info button.

 

I'm looking for anyone else that might have done a factory installed GPS upgrade this way? Kinda hoping someone else has done this before me so that I'm not the trailblazer. At 200, I'll consider the upgrade, but also don't want to screw anything up in my car. I assume they just send you a CD or DVD and the upgrade is similar to what I used to do with my Garmin. That upgrade was pretty much of a no-brainer.

 

I did finally get around to calling that customer service number I listed above, and all they did was point me to the dealer. I asked if there was any other option, and they said no. Harumpf!

 

And the straight plain old Navteq website still hangs both my FireFox and IE browsers. What the heck did they code into that page.

 

Thanks

cab

[CoalMiner]

I don't think you're ever going to get it for less than the $199 on NavTeq' website. I am saying this because I follow the standalone GPS market pretty closely, and map updates for OEM installed devices are almost always more costly than similar map updates for standalone devices, Garmin, TomTom, Navigon, etc., etc. BTW, it's not just the map updates you're getting, it's more the POI databases that are updated. That is supposedly how they justify the high cost of updates.

 

One 'strategy' to address the high cost is this: Only get the updated every two years. In doing so you spread the higher cost over two years. Of course, weigh how long you'll own the vehicle and if you're willing to live with whatever is missing (new POIs or new roads or streets) or is incorrect for 24 vs. 12 months.

 

Having been through map updates for various (i.e., many) Garmin and Navigon standalone GPS devices, don't tget your hopes up that a brand new road or a recently opened restaurant, store or other commercial facility will appear on an update. The updates don't work this way, sometimes new retail/commercial facilities appear, and sometimes stores that have been open for five years still do not appear. In my experience, it's a piecemeal/hit or miss proposition.

[mmdlcab]

I don't think you're ever going to get it for less than the $199 on NavTeq' website. I am saying this because I follow the standalone GPS market pretty closely, and map updates for OEM installed devices are almost always more costly than similar map updates for standalone devices, Garmin, TomTom, Navigon, etc., etc. BTW, it's not just the map updates you're getting, it's more the POI databases that are updated. That is supposedly how they justify the high cost of updates.

 

One 'strategy' to address the high cost is this: Only get the updated every two years. In doing so you spread the higher cost over two years. Of course, weigh how long you'll own the vehicle and if you're willing to live with whatever is missing (new POIs or new roads or streets) or is incorrect for 24 vs. 12 months.

 

Having been through map updates for various (i.e., many) Garmin and Navigon standalone GPS devices, don't tget your hopes up that a brand new road or a recently opened restaurant, store or other commercial facility will appear on an update. The updates don't work this way, sometimes new retail/commercial facilities appear, and sometimes stores that have been open for five years still do not appear. In my experience, it's a piecemeal/hit or miss proposition.

 

Yup, thanks. All good points. I kinda figure i wont find anything better than 200, but it would be nice. grin. Hey, we can dream. Now if only I were not the first one to do this to the 09 mariner. grin. It will prob be a couple weeks before I make the order. I can hope for the best.

[cobrajet_carl]

Yup, thanks. All good points. I kinda figure i wont find anything better than 200, but it would be nice. grin. Hey, we can dream. Now if only I were not the first one to do this to the 09 mariner. grin. It will prob be a couple weeks before I make the order. I can hope for the best.

 

Silver State Ford lists the DVD for $181.09, with a suggested list of $219.61.

Edited March 16, 2010 by cobrajet_carl

[Donaldo]

I see Garmin now has lifetime, quarterly map/POI updates available for their devices for less than $100 now. No disc needed! I think the reason that these disc-based OEM updates are so expensive is that in another 2 years or so the market will be dried up and people will get their GPS from cell phones or other portable devices. Or people will just be able to download a fresh map to their in-dash GPS wirelessly. It's sort of like like installed cell phones in cars...there's no need anymore for the additional expense.