Well, as stated above the vast majority of buyers (at least on this forum) select the Premium Package anyway, so I’m not sure how the $2,900 enters into the decision to choose OEM navigation or not.

I also ran a KBB private sale value of my own G37 coupe. In excellent condition without nav the current value came to $32,185. With nav it came to $32,850, a $665 difference.

At any rate, let me itemize what the real costs of a portable unit could be to bring it up to having the factory features:

Cost of a good portable unit: $600
Adding backup camera: $200
Adding integration features: $150
Reduced value after 2.5 years:-$665 (from above)
Total potential cost: $1,615

So by using my logic, albeit arguable, to save $235 off the $1,850, you get a suction-cup, stick-on unit that you have to hide in the trunk every time you park in an questionable area. It hardly seems like a good idea to me.

 

You would be surprised in a year what your car might be worth. When I traded in my 2007 G35 they were looking for used cars as they had none so they gave me a great price for it and for my new. Far better than I ever expected. If its the right time of the year with them having excess inventory of new cars and few used cars to sell it may work in your favor. This is my 3rd Infiniti with Nav and I would never own one without. It is awesome and it has gotten my butt out of areas I had no idea where I was. Yes you can do it cheaper but Infiniti makes all of their cars with that screen so If you don't get nav you have a 6 in status screen that tells you what song your playing or the fan speed. Most other car makers fill the screen area with something else so every time you look to that area, it doesn't remind you of what you didn't buy. As far as upgrading, it cost about $120.00 to upgrade your system when you call the manufacture. They give you a code that is matched with your VIN and the dealer reboots your harddrive with the updated version of the nav system. The bad thing is you lose all of your stored addresses and other data, at least I did.

 

...but you can keep your portable GPS when you sell the car and you can use in another car or in a rental car.

Also, I don't think you need to spend $600 for a GPS (well, you can if you want). You can usually get those $500-600 GPS for about $300-350.

I think the Navigation Package is good if you like/use it but it costs way more than a portable Nav.

Premium package? Actually, I didn't have the package in 2 of my Gs (I'm on my 4th G now). The only 2 options I want in the premium package (pre 2010 models) are bluetooth and Auto dimming. I don't think I will get the premium package since those are standard now.

 

Yes, but can you take the backup camera and integration features that were added with you?

And eauy’s post reminds me of something when I was a kid. My father was a classic cheapskate. I remember our ‘49 Chevrolet (Fleetline, I think) that didn’t even have a clock. There was a blank panel I had to stare at where the clock would go. The radio had no push buttons and he bought a cheap aftermarket heater that stuck out under the dash. I promised myself never to go that route when I eventually bought my own cars.

 

Well, I try not to call anyone a cheapskate b/c they don't spend money the same way that I want to spend. I bought 4 new Gs since 2005, I wouldn't call my friend a cheapskate even if he's still driving his base Camry that he got in 2004.We value these things differently.

 

Well, I called him that in a loving way. He was really a great man (he died in 2005 at age 94). He was a blue collar machinist who worked hard and never spent money he didn’t have. But he didn’t care about cars that much, and although he taught me fiscal responsibility, he never understood why I spend so much on them. He was still alive when I showed him my 2004 G35 coupe with navigation, and would scratch his head and ask why I needed such a thing .

 

At first I thought you were calling ME a cheapskate. Then when I read it it was not directed towards me!! LOL

 

I still never understand why people forego the prem/navi package, it's not that much more money ...

no offense to the OP, I didn't get navi with my 2k4 Acura and always regretted it, didn't make the mistake with my G ...

Yes, yes.. a Garmin will do the job.. but it looks like a joke on the windshield and you have to worry about people breaking into your car when they see it hanging from your windshield.. so it's a pain to take it down, put it up.. etc.

 

nah man you'll lose taxes before you even enter the dealership.

then you have the actual market value of the car which is probably 3-4k less than what the dealership was originally offering the car for.

you're kind of stuck man. I hope you paid for it in cash cause the nav is like 10 bucks more a month. lol

but yeah not the end of the world. just now you know, next time buy exactly what you want. life's too short to not buy what you can afford. esp when it comes to a car... I mean how often do you spend 35k. drive it for 7 years it won't make a lick of difference.

shoot i remember when my friend wanted to buy an IS250 (price/value). she drove the IS350 first for the heck of it and just said screw the 250...

 

Money wasn't the issue at the time for me, it was when I bought. Was both good and bad. Good (Dec 2009) since one could get a great deal. Bad since there were literally no G37x Coupes locally in a color I liked, and even going about 300 or so miles away from me I only found a couple, neither with Nav. So limited selection based on both my area and time of year on why no nav with me. If I had to do it over again..I'd probably do the same thing but I might think more on if I wanted to wait for a 2010 also. I don't need Nav, no real remose I don't have it..but in 2012 if it's finanically not bad for me to trade, I'll get it I suspect.

 

I have the Nav and love it, but I've had a Garmin in my previous car and it works a lot better than the Nav. Also upgrades are reasonable and sometimes free which is important if you live in a growing, changing area.

GED

 

^Who lives in a growing changing area? Let me know and I'll move there tomorrow. Thank you.

 

Well, here is So Florida they're building roads and houses right alongside the foreclosures. Never discount the force of inertia on human behavior. Don't know how long it'll continue, but we're losing residents here and all are welcome.

GED

 

^I had an office in downtown Orlando on Pine Street that I closed a couple years ago....
Oh well, thanks for the suggestion!

 

There seems to be far more remorse among those who didn't buy the Nav then those who did. Although I'm not a heavy nav user, I use the backup camera every single day, multiple times a day. I have mad reverse parking skills now.