Question About Is250 Sat Nav Unit

[normski2]

Can i pick a few brains out there please regarding the Sat nav unit fitted to the iS250 (dare say the is220d MM has the same unit).

1. Am I right in thinking these all run off 2005 data and can not be updated?

2. Or are newer discs available? If they are I do not understand why 09 and 10 cars are running with 05 discs.

3. Is there a postcode entry for destination across all models ie from 55 to 11 reg models?

4. How reliable do you users find this Sat Nav? Anyone used it in European travels?

5. How reliable is the Mark Levinson unit? I only ask this as I have heard of a few problems recently (touch screen, data ribbon breakdown faults ,etc) which have the potential of a £3K cost of replacement. I am sure the sound is exemplary, but then the standard stereo unit with 8 speakers ain't exactly bad IMHO.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I am a bit perplexed by this unit and it's effectiveness.

Thank you very much, in advance for any replies.

Normski

[Sterling]

I have a 2006 car and have the latest May 2012 DVD running the sat nav

[normski2]

Thanks for that. How much were they? Was it a European set?

Do you know if there were any other releases between 05 and 12.

[bluenose1940]

Can i pick a few brains out there please regarding the Sat nav unit fitted to the iS250 (dare say the is220d MM has the same unit).

1. Am I right in thinking these all run off 2005 data and can not be updated?

2. Or are newer discs available? If they are I do not understand why 09 and 10 cars are running with 05 discs.

3. Is there a postcode entry for destination across all models ie from 55 to 11 reg models?

4. How reliable do you users find this Sat Nav? Anyone used it in European travels?

5. How reliable is the Mark Levinson unit? I only ask this as I have heard of a few problems recently (touch screen, data ribbon breakdown faults ,etc) which have the potential of a £3K cost of replacement. I am sure the sound is exemplary, but then the standard stereo unit with 8 speakers ain't exactly bad IMHO.

Sorry to ask so many questions, but I am a bit perplexed by this unit and it's effectiveness.

Thank you very much, in advance for any replies.

Normski

Hiya normski, this is the part number that you need - PZ445-X03EU-0C - This is the latest version (2012) I think that you might get a good price qoute from Andy at Lexus Poole. i must be honest and say that I find my Garmin standalone unit much easier to use. I haven't used it (Lexus) abroad yet, but my cousin used it when he had his 220d and I followed him across France and it got us to where we needed to be.

Touch wood i have not had any problems with my Mark Levinson.

[Sterling]

Search eBay for Lexus E15. I bought mine from the seller in Germany. One for sale currently at £74. I offered and won at £65. Arrived quickly and works perfectly.

[normski2]

Thanks fellas, appreciate the responses.

Sterling, Thank you v much for that. i have checked it and logged it.

Who knows, maybe I will get my 250, it all depends on price. A lot of dealerships are asking way too high for not good gear. Just been to view a 09 £16K car that was utter **ite. C/mon dealers, you cannot post crap as perfection, Its just not on. Or are there too many fools out there eager to part with thier hard earnt? I'm not one of them!!

[Sterling]

Dealers will easily have £1500+ profit sitting in any car. Do not believe them if they tell you otherwise. In the motor trade, this is a very quite time of year with so many people either away on holiday or just back from holiday with no money to spend. Deals are therefore to be negotiated hard.

P.S. Dont touch Lexus Cardiff with a barge pole

[BosniaLexus]

Dear Normski

Thanks for the question on the 05 satnav, i have the same issue (same car also). However the 05 system is OK in Europe, but does not cover Slovakia, Czech Rep, Slovenia, Poland etc.. It is also missing new roads incl motirways built since 05, but there are not many of those. Holland is the country where 05 sat nav is most lackng, as there are lots of new motirways there. There is no post code entry.

ML system is terrific, sound, camera etc have all worked perfectly. However in the past week my CD changer delivered the "cd error" message- it cannot load, eject or play discs. I am searching the forum for a fix to this.

On the question of price, this is a good one. On one hand, the dealer is entitled to a profit to cover the cost of the 12 month guarantee, plus a contribution to the costs of the dealership itself. On the other hand, the gap between trade in prices offered and what the car is sold for is closer to 4000 to 5000 than 1500. I think 8.5k is a decent cash price for your car, maybe up to 9k if it is just serviced and needs no more attention for a while.

I just pulled out of a purchase of a new IS250 Advance, because finance conditions were too strict (not allowed to use outside of UK for more than 2 weeks, something neither I or dealer were aware of). Though the new IS250 Advance is superb, smooth, seems more powerful than the 06 car, i am not disappointed to jump back into my IS 250 06 sport, which looks as new as it was bought, and has been bulletproof, reliability wise. I wish you well in your quest......

[Geoffers]

I still have the 05 disk in there as there aren't enough changes to bother me enough to swap out.

It has never let me down. On the odd place it hasn't found when looking, I've just looked up the nearest road and used that or looked it up on google maps and used the co-ords and entered them (you have to use degs not decimal)

You can only use the first 4 characters of the postcode - full postcode is not available.

Sound system excellent.

Yes there are failures as with any but suspect it is the lower percentage of average equipment failure judging by what I've seen.

[normski2]

Thanks for that

[Steviecogs]

You are right about some dealers I went out looking for a quality second hand 250 around the 16k bracket and got into one SEL which must have belonged to a smoker. My life you have never smelled anything like it now I like a smoke but this car was like my great grandads with fag burns all down the drivers window trim. Ended up walking away with a brand new 250 advance.

[juicestop]

You are right about some dealers I went out looking for a quality second hand 250 around the 16k bracket and got into one SEL which must have belonged to a smoker. My life you have never smelled anything like it now I like a smoke but this car was like my great grandads with fag burns all down the drivers window trim. Ended up walking away with a brand new 250 advance.

My - the tricks some dealers go to in order to get a new car sale!

[normski2]

I know what you mean there Steviecogs... I'm an ex-smoker of 16 years now, so I'm one of the worst for getting into a smoker's car.

Now I have one, I am finding the sat nav to be very very good. I have full 6 digit post code input on mine. Not sure when it changed ... i would guess the facelift 09 series maybe.