Off Road Navigation Part 3
One of the most popular navigation systems among FJ Cruiser owners is the Pioneer AVIC series. We took a look at the AVIC Z3, since it’s the closest to Kenwood’s flagship system (the 8120, below).
The Pioneer is a multimedia powerhouse. It plays DVD’s & MP3 files, but it really shines with it’s 10GB hard drive for music. After inserting a regular audio CD, the unit can rip the files into MP3 format and add them to the built-in library within a few minutes. You can then pop out the CD and your songs are ready to go. This is a great feature for anyone that doesn’t want to carry a large CD collection around. If you’re an iPod user, the additional iPod adapter will allow access to all your playlists and music seamlessly. The Z3 even displays album artwork from your iPod on the screen.
The navigation system covers the US, Alaska, and Hawaii and includes 12million points of interest. It includes highway information for 50 cities, and detailed maps for 60 cities. The Z3 has a very cool 3D map view that includes 3D buildings in some areas. This latest version of the AVIC line also uses Point Addressing, which provides far greater accuracy for point-to-point navigation than in previous models. If you decide to add the traffic information module, the system shows both traffic icons and traffic flow lanes that display current traffic conditions.
The voice command feature is included with the Z3, but we found that more times than not it’s quicker (and less frustrating) to operate the unit with the touchscreen. The unit does do a fairly good job with voice directions. It almost always pronounces the names of streets properly. If you add the Bluetooth option, you can pair the Z3 to your phone and use the built-in contacts directory to voice-dial any of your contacts.
The menu system on the Pioneer has many options, but we found it a little confusing. I’m sure once you have the system for a while you’ll get used to where everything is, but we didn’t find the settings/configuration or the navigation menu’s very intuitive. It took us nearly three minutes to find the nearest Shell gas station the first time we tried it. Once the navigation was setup, we liked the map view and the different view options. Additionally, some of the custom configuration options that we like in high-end dash units seem to missing. I was not able to find a way to change the menu colors or add any custom icons.
When the time comes to update the maps on your Z3, it’s a complicated process. All of Pioneer’s hard drive based systems can be upgraded by purchasing a DVD and loading the maps into your system. The Z3 is new enough that updates are not available yet. When the updates are available, they’ll run about $120 and the DVD will require online activation. The Pioneer website states that it may take ‘several hours’ to download all of the map data to your Z3.
For FJ owners that spend 95% of the time on the road, the AVIC Z3 is a very good solution. We wish the voice recognition worked better, and the menu system could be a little easier to use. At a retail price of $1799, it would be nice if Bluetooth was included. Updating the maps also will be a chore as well. Overall, I’d say the Z3 is a fine choice for some FJ owners.
Photos:
{gallery}/issues/2008/oct08/{/gallery}