Consider a Portable Nav

Congrats on choosing the 2010 HiHy.

There are several important advantages to using a portable GPS:

1. Can enter a DEST while driving. Since 2008, there is no method of disabling this 'non-feature' in the HiHy.

2. A new portable would have current SW, Maps and functions, such as Traffic, 3-D display, exit ramps, have a more accurate position sensor, more sensitive at holding onto signals under folige and between buildings, etc.

3. Updates to SW and Maps are free, or a fraction of the cost of a built-in.

4. The portable can be moved from car-to-car.

5. Portables are much less expensive than built-ins, and you would likely be upgrading to a new unit every two or three years to keep up with technology and new functions, since the cost is lower.

Have fun improving your new HiHy.

Fritz

 

I bought by wife a Motorola T505 bluetooth handsfree and it works great. About $60. Only need to charge it once a month. The speaker and mic input sound better than all of the handsfree features built into most portable GPS units. It's quite small and clips onto a visor easily.

I have the Toyota built-in GPS but my Garmin is much better!

 

Update

Thanks for the responses. I really would rather have a "built in" solution rather than an add on. I called up Toyota and that call further complicated matters. The parts dept told me that I can't just buy a Nav/DVD player from Toyota, that you can't just add it after the fact. Kind of a "Can't get there from here" response. The guy would not go into much detail, but he basically said that the base highlander does not have the correct wiring harness to add nav. Can anyone elaborate on what he may have been talking about? What could be missing from the wiring harness?

 

The electrical connectors for the head units are very different. The NAV unit uses the JBL system with an additional power amp and a subwoofer. In addition there is wiring for the bluetooth/voice command microphone as well. The mic won't be present in the base unit either. Then there are electrical connectors for the windshield wiper heaters, power liftgate control that are not available on the base. If a manufacturer can save $1.00 by eliminating some connectors on a wiring harness, they will!

There are many aftermarket units available. Lookup a company called Parrot at http://www.parrot.com/usa/. If I recall the units do interface with standard car manufacturer's head units.

Just about every aftermarket stereo these days offers a bluetooth option as well as an iPod option as well. Crutchfield would be another source of information.

Lastly, I seem to recall a thread on a 3rd party bluetooth addon for the Highlanders...might be for pre-2008 only but do a search and see if you can find the thread on this board.

Just read this thread...notice the comment on the different plugs to attach to the NAV compared to standard head unit http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=337756

 

Parrot bluetooth kit, and the BlueFusion kit integrates well with the highlander.

I personally installed the BlueFusion bluetooth kit, and its controlled by the factory steering wheel control, as well as the radio control. You'll see the phone number and control light up on your oem display, so nice and clean. You can also stream mp3 directed from your phone, or other bluetooth mp3 device. Installation is practically plug and play. But if you go aftermarket Nav head unit, many comes with bluetooth, dvd, mp3, pim, ... and so forth.

Your options are wide open, as you don't need to really salvage anything going the new headunit route.