Golf 7 GPS upgrade

I just picked up my lovely Golf yesterday. Its a se 2ltr D 150bhp.
The cost of the factory GPS was so high I didn't do it and I am interested in anyone who has done the upgrade themselves. I presume the main control unit in the main dash has to be changed or is it like other makes and a plug in additional unit is all that is needed.

Ken Baker

retro fitting in the mk7 is going to be virtually impossible due to the parts housed in the glove box. you would have been better off biting the bullet and getting at least the discover nav from new/factory. I don't think it's going to be as simple as previous VW's.

GPS

Thanks I agree with you after reading up on the subject and chatting up a couple of techs in the business. Oh well not to worry.


Ken

IMO, the built in GPS units sold by Volkswagen are so lacking in capability/features in comparison to stand alone units, I wouldn't waste my money.

I have an RNS510 in my current Mk.6 Golf and in comparison to my Garmin 3790LMT it's pretty useless. I didn't even entertain the idea of a Volkswagen unit for my Mk.7 currently on order, the Garmin GPS on the Garmin friction-mount on top of the dash does a much better job and is in a much more practical location.

The in built sat nav may not be as good in your opinion but I think it's good and easy to use. I don't like having trailing wires in the car and hate anything sitting on the dashboard or windscreen. if you keep the VW software and maps up to date then it's a cracking piece of kit which also plays radio, mp3's, cds and dvds which I don't think your garmin does.

mcmaddy said:

The in built sat nav may not be as good in your opinion but I think it's good and easy to use. I don't like having trailing wires in the car and hate anything sitting on the dashboard or windscreen. if you keep the VW software and maps up to date then it's a cracking piece of kit which also plays radio, mp3's, cds and dvds which I don't think your garmin does.

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Excuse me - I merely gave an opinion and at no point said you had to follow my example.

No, my Garmin GPS doesn't play radio, mp3's, cds and dvds, but it does a better job as a GPS, plus Volkswagen supply the kit to do the rest.

DW58 said:

Excuse me - I merely gave an opinion and at no point said you had to follow my example.

No, my Garmin GPS doesn't play radio, mp3's, cds and dvds, but it does a better job as a GPS, plus Volkswagen supply the kit to do the rest.

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Rob,

I can understand why you are keeping your old Garmin against your experience with the old VW RNS 510.

I would however be interested to know what particular features make that Garmin model far better than the new VAG Discover Nav system ?

I suppose the practicality issue of a standalone unit against the other is subjective at the end of the day

Totally agree about the sat nav. Even though my 1.4 GT has the Discover Media I rarely use it for navigation. Don't get me wrong, as an entertainment system and Bluetooth phone unit it's great.
I've used a TomTom 730 for a few years now and I can't find anything better. I can set multiple waypoints, I can install any POI's I like, I have a camera database installed from Pocketgpsworld.com which even reads out the cameras to me, and I can pre-program itineraries on the PC using a program called "TYRE" (Trace Your Route Everywhere).
I have the TomTom mounted on a Brodit mount made specifically for the mk7 which sits just above the Discover unit over the right hand vent, so I can remove the TomTom easily if its not required.
Oh! I almost forgot, the TomTom also has a Bluetooth remote.
Steve

Brodit mount:

And Brodit mount with TomTom 730:

DW58 said:

Excuse me - I merely gave an opinion and at no point said you had to follow my example.

No, my Garmin GPS doesn't play radio, mp3's, cds and dvds, but it does a better job as a GPS, plus Volkswagen supply the kit to do the rest.

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Why the terse reply?? Don't worry I won't be following your example! You gave an opinion and I gave mine simple as that. Do people actually realise that the vw maps are supplied by navteq who supply the maps to many of the standalone sat have you can buy off the shelf! Maybe your problems with the rns510 you experienced are down to it being out of date and your garmin up to date. Don't get sniffy when someone offers up a difference of opinion and experience.

Both my Garmin 3790LMT and Volkswagen RNS510 are fully up to date. To give an example of how they differ, the RNS often gives the instruction "Stay on the AXX for a very long time" - it's not even capable of giving accurate measurements, slightly different from the precision of the Garmin.

During the lifetime of the Mk.6 Golf, VW dealerships offered a head-unit incorporating a Garmin Satnav with the same features are the nüvi 3790T, this was a was better and more versatile unit that the Volkswagen RNS510.

I don't have personal experience of the Volkswagen Discover unit, nor am I likely to at the ridiculous price Volkswagen are asking for it - bearing in mind that a Satnav seldom makes much different to the resale value of a vehicle, it just doesn't make sense to buy it when superb navigation is available in a stand-alone Satnav costing £2-300. Also bear in mind that with the Garmin unit you can plan more complex routes on PC/Mac and transfer them to your Garmin, something you can't do on most Satnavs. It's even possible to set up routes with photo POIs etc.

I totally echo what Essjay says about POIs etc. - I found my Garmin nüvi 3790T amazing in Europe last year with such things as lane directions and even photos of individual junctions showing which lanes to take etc.

Mcmaddy obviously knows best and has money to burn, but I don't. The maps are one thing, but the features of a particular Satnav are something else - give me a stand-alone by choice.

DW58

I can say I have kinda same opinion on built in Satnavs. I will add one more advantage that wasn't mentioned here and to me it's quite an important one. Transferrability. When upgrading your car or using a hire car (holiday etc) you can still use your mobile unit, you can't do this with the built in navigation. I don't want to continue an argument, just wanted to point out the main difference. For me personally, it is not worth the extra money.

Burso - couldn't agree more. I used my own Satnav last summer in Europe, using it in three different hire-cars each of which was fitted with built-in Satnav. It was so much easier to use my own familiar unit which had been pre-programmed with many of the routes used and POIs needed for the three week trip, plus I'd often work out routes on my Mac the night before a day out and add these to the Garmin unit by cable.

I can see the attraction of a built in unit - the convenience is good plus the larger screen, but I just can't weigh this up against an inferior list of features in terms of the Satnav functionality.

In my opinion a perfectly good sat nav, decent sized screen, no trailing cables, no flat batteries, no need to hide away when not in use. Next instruction directly in front in the MFD. Admittedly, could have been higher up, but I'm dead chuffed with it.

Doden said:

In my opinion a perfectly good sat nav, decent sized screen, no trailing cables, no flat batteries, no need to hide away when not in use. Next instruction directly in front in the MFD. Admittedly, could have been higher up, but I'm dead chuffed with it.

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Agree, Its just disappointing that some of the comments on the new VW Discovery are clearly still based on no experience of it and its features.

Cost and portability considerations are of course a personal choice.

I would say to anyone considering it actually try it out.