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Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Benet

I have been looking at some Toyota Verso's about 5 years old. The majority of them seem to have the capability for Satnav but it was never loaded on by the previous owner. So that nice big screen goes to waste. I was told by one seller that you have to register for it with a Toyota dealer which costs approx £500. Is this right? Or is there a cheaper way?

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Benet

In fact I just checked with a Toyota dealer and was told £600!

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Avant

Much cheaper, surely, to get a cradle for your phone and use Google Maps.

Many people find Google Maps better than their car's own satnav, and if the road tests are to be believed, better by far than Toyota's.

It's often surprised me that infotainment systems on many Japanese cars are so poor, but reently I read (was it on here?) that most drivers in Japan use their own systems; so there's no great incentive for the manufacturers to improve theirs.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - RichT54

My C-HR has the factory fitted satnav and touchscreen system. I think the visual representation is OK and the fact that I can plan a route on my PC and send it to the car via the internet is quite useful.

However the problem I have with the system is that it is decidedly underpowered which makes it very sluggish to use. It's often difficult to tell when it has actually accepted an input, so you touch the screen again and then it goes off to a sub-menu that you didn't want. This can be frustrating and definitely not what you should be fiddling with while driving.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - mcb100
As above, use Google Maps or Waze. Even if you did pay the money to get the integrated system up and running, it’ll be outdated compared to a modern one, and possibly not supported in terms of map updates.
Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Heidfirst

it's usually a modular system (it was designed as a dealer fit option) comprising of a head unit plus, if fitted, 1 of 2 different satnav modues (high/low spec).

This means that you can add the satnav later but you require to get the additional hardware (satnav module, cables and GPS antenna). The low spec usually adds ~£600+fitting but you can often pick up the module etc. second hand.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Old.Roverboy

play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.here.app...n

Download Here we go to your smartphone.

Download via the menu the country maps you want,eg All UK or just the bits you want.

Then set to work offline.

Completely free, no adverts, works well.

Should you want if you have data connection it will give live updates of traffic if you want.

I have used since it was originally Nokia maps.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Benet

can often pick up the module etc. second hand.

Is it something you can buy like a radio? This kind of thing https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/164073141558?

Thanks B

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - madf

Do NOT buy the Toyota fitted system.

Expensive and limited...

(I use a 10 year old Garmin which workd very well.. Perpetual upgraedes in price.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Zippy123

Some built in systems are very good and saves the hassle of plugging in and unplugging each journey.

They also seem to have better reception in cities (big buildings block signals).

Modern built in systems mute or turn down the radio when giving directions and go silent when receiving phone calls, though I believe high end portable systems act as hands free kits for phones.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Heidfirst

In my experience the Toyota systems (& I have had 3 different generations) work well enough. Are they the best, no; are they the worst, by no means. Again, in my experience (many years on the ToyotaOwnersClub forum etc.) the people that complain about them usually haven't taken the time to familiarise themselves with the system or are comparing them to systems like BMW's which is better but is also a lot dearer..

At some point Garmin (as will all others) will declare your system end of life & stop issuing updates.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Heidfirst

More like this www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-YARIS-TOUCH-AND-GO-2-HAR...9? (not saying that this is the correct module - would need to know whether the Verso has Touch or Touch 2 to do that).

Bear in mind though that a system on a 5 year old car will have most likely been designed a few years prior to that so in reality you are talking a 7 or 8 year old system which is an age in modern electronics.

It will however, be a more integrated experience with the ICE system etc. than using a separate stand alone unit.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - gordonbennet

The Toyota handbook section for satnav is chapters long, and it's the most awkward frustrating thing to input and operate even if you use it regularly, works ok once programmed but nothing to write home about.

I second an above suggestion, if you want a real independent from phone satnav buy a Garmin, preferably with digi traffic (not traffic or live traffic or any other description of traffic but Digi Traffic) for less than £200 and you'll have a satnav miles easier to use and bang up to date.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Big John

I second an above suggestion, if you want a real independent from phone satnav buy a Garmin, preferably with digi traffic (not traffic or live traffic or any other description of traffic but Digi Traffic) for less than £200 and you'll have a satnav miles easier to use and bang up to date.

Myself I like the Tomtom range - I tried Garmin for a bit but it used to make some strange route decisions,might have just been earlier mapping but it put me off.

Current version is the Tomtom Go 5200 and it works really well - especially the accurate traffic that I use all the time which is incredibly useful be it for European long runs (possibly not at the moment!) or for my awful daily commute. This device has given me back many hours/days of my life!

I also use the Brodit clip system that is a great way of mounting most models of satnavs to many car models - avoids having a windscreen suction cup mounting which can be poor for visibility especiallly when you are my height(hence bigjohn), the interior mirror of many cars can even be a problem here!

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Heidfirst

The Toyota handbook section for satnav is chapters long, and it's the most awkward frustrating thing to input and operate even if you use it regularly, works ok once programmed but nothing to write home about.

Never found any of the 3 generations that I have used awkard to input or operate. Similarly, I only find it frustrating when it doesn't suggest a route that probably only a local would know/use or quite the reverse where it suggests really minor lanes or a sleeping policeman infested road. To be fair though, other systems act exactly the same.

My gripes would be that it's slow to boot initially & input can be slightly laggy.

Toyota Verso - Obtaining SatNav on a used Toyota - Benet

Many thanks for all the suggestions. I am quite familiar with using a phone for Satnav but I just thought it would be inelegant to have a button marked NAV that did not bring up any mapping. I accept it would be a few years old. It turns out that if you want a car with the Satnav connected, plus some other features we want, you have to specify the 'Verso TREND' model, rather than ICON.