My car was built in late March and I purchased it in early April. When I questioned my local Service Manager about why some things including newer roads are not in there, he checked with Toyota and found that there was a newer update available. Because I was not really having problems with the unit, Toyota told him (and me) that I would need to pay $199 for an update disc that goes into the disc slot or thumb drive that plugs into the USB port. Either way, it would cost me $199 and I'm sure there would be an "installation" labor charge. You could install it yourself as it takes about two hours to install the info into the car hard drive with the engine at idle the whole time. Be warned.

Not worth it to me yet. Perhaps in a couple years or so. FWIW, I had a former 2009 car updated like this but the tech who did the job just put the ignition on (engine off) with a charger connected to the battery. Don't know if this would work on our cars because (I think but not sure) the electrical power goes off after one hour if the engine is not on, as when you sit and listen to the radio.

 

Thanks for the info! I feel like they should be giving us these updates for free, horrible that they charge for them.

 

The map upgrades are such a rip-off. If I could have got my limited without the nav I would have. I would just prefer to use my Garmins or TomToms with lifetime map and traffic updates. In general the nav is a POS as far as I'm concerned. The nanny BS where you can't put in an address when rolling is a total crock... I never use it at all and default to one of my other portable nav devices even if their screens aren't as big.

 

The map upgrades are such a rip-off.

+1 :thumbsup:

I guess that's why I never upgraded the maps on my 2007 Avalon. Many a time I traveled on land where the map showed no road. Still, it did show me exactly where I was.

I only enter destinations when I'm on a road trip. The day before leaving home. I don't have a need to program in a destination while actually moving. Old maps can be a slight problem when you're staying in a hotel that was built on a road that was built after the nav maps were created. Mostly Hampton Inns in our case.

I don't despise the Avalon's nav. And the new one is way better than the 2007 version. The (overly expensive) glass is half full. YMMV

 

The single most annoying thing about the nav, to me: It treats far too many normal highway exits as a road split, and tells you, e.g., "I-95 is on the left". I get this all the time, in places where there's no chance of accidentally wandering off the main road.

 

Although I have the Navi in the Avalon, the Sync with Navigation in the MKZ plus a Garmen 1370, I always tell people that they still need a M A P. IE, You still need a general knowledge of where you are going and the general route you want to take.

 

Yes, I always Google Map an area I am going if unfamiliar... I always want to have a sense of where I am going and where I want to end up... What if you are only depending on GPS and it craps out? then what?

 

I like a paper map too. To see the big picture and figure out different routes. We've done four laps of the USA in the past several years, and stayed off the interstates most of the time. All nav systems give you a limited choice of routes. I like to explore secondary and scenic roads. Most maps show the scenic routes. The Google and the Garmin do not.

We travel between Cleveland and Washington a lot. For years, it was interstate all the way. Now, by adding 30 to 90 minutes to the trip, I have 8 ways to go and am still finding new, interesting, toll-free routes.

 

Ditto. I'm sick of the expressways. When not in a big hurry, I now take the "Blue Roads".

 

FYI, the young sales person who was trained to train the older sales reps on the Entune system told me that the nav on the Display Audio on the TAH Touring (not the HDD on the Ltd) is updatable for free, either with a thumb drive at the dealer or through a download on my phone. This was one of the reasons I felt that I would be happier with the Touring trim.

 

FYI, the young sales person who was trained to train the older sales reps on the Entune system told me that the nav on the Display Audio on the TAH Touring (not the HDD on the Ltd) is updatable for free, either with a thumb drive at the dealer or through a download on my phone. This was one of the reasons I felt that I would be happier with the Touring trim.

eagle,

I sure hope you are right, My salesperson told me the same (we, too, have a touring); however, I'm not finding much to confirm that....although I gather from your comment that the dealer would have the thumb drive there when an update is available?? Or, maybe we'll get an email or notice online at the mytoyota link on Toyota.com that the update is available?

 

And to be clear about my first post, the sales rep told me that if you have Display Audio, the navigation maps are also update-able (free) by the dealer's thumb drive or downloading the update to your phone. Forever. I think he also told me there had not been any update for the 2013s. I will confirm this when I get my new car delivered . . . hopefully soon.

 

If you can ask the dealer about the maps for both the DA and HDD systems that would be much appreciated. Thus far, I have yet to see any updates on the actual maps themselves.

Additionally, from my experience with Nav maps with two previous Garmins and my wife's Accord, the data is fairly large (several GBs). I'm not sure how feasible that would be to download via you're phone data. Please keep us updated.

 

Google Maps on my smart phone works great, so guess i'll keep using Google.

 

The current maps installed on the Avvys aren't that bad in my personal experience-- about 99% accurate. I've only had issue with one address.

I was just commenting about Entune updates vs Nav Map updates, and curious if there was a map update released yet.

 

I now have my TAH touring with DA/Entune/NAV, but I don't have the final answer about free updates to NAV even after the three-year Entune subscription ends. They finally told me that they "called Toyota" and were told that Toyota just doesn't know what is going to happen (they had hinted that Toyota will probably not even charge for the Entune subscription after three years).

 

I actually heard the same thing from my dealer. They said many people had lukewarm feelings about Entune (especially since it eats up their data plans) and they heard Toyota is doubtful people would even purchase a subscription plan to it post 3 years.

 

Why don't they make life real simple and give us the option to update to a thumb drive off the Toyota internet site. I have a Humminbird fish locator I bought several years ago and annually I download any updates to a memory card and insert in the locator for any improvements. Simple and free. How about it Toyota?

 

2014 Avalon hybrid limited navigation

Visited my dealer yesterday and tested the new navigation system still has NOT been updated in the 2013 model. Still an outdated system, It is a real disappointment that an other wise good car company would give us outdated data.

 

Interesting read so far. Anyone know how the current update is identified? How do we know which version we have. Taking my 13 TAH to dealers tomorrow so they can do the A/C recall, replace the interior C panel trim that they messed up while installing the 2nd headliner replacement and having them check out the nav for possible updates. I was trying to avoid some Interstate traffic recently near Disney, and the nav showed me wandering in Green Acres. Had to make random turns until I found my way home - used the compass - Just kept heading North / East until the GPS caught up.

 

Wow. Really sorry for your bad experience with the Nav. It seems the maps are pretty good in some areas, but horrific in other areas of the country.

 

if u just want SW update on the Display Audio, Nav system. Someone posted the SW here
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/3...erior-audio-forum/670017-entune-3-1-0-update-how-download-link.html#post6279537

 

I see that was posted on the Corolla forum... I'd hope Toyota has the same Entune S/W for all models, but do you know if that's the case?

Update: never mind. T-SB-0163-13 dated November 6, 2013 included in the download is titled Entune/Navigation Software Update Process for Display Audio (Non-HDD Type).
Applicability:
2012 – 2013 4Runner, Corolla, RAV4, Tacoma
2013 – 2014 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza
2012 – 2014 Camry, Camry HV, Prius, Prius C, Prius PHV, Prius V
2013 Highlander, Highlander HV

 

Thanks, Zephyr7 - maybe someday I'll be bold enough to try that. My dealer checked out my GPS for updates and told me mine has the latest version, but I should check back in a few months. The version as noted on my invoice - V6673300. Not sure how they found that or if it will be of any help to anyone, but I thought I'd share. Now I just need to understand the difference between the GPS, Entune and Radio systems software.

Liked it better when I pulled into my local Esso station, got a free map, got in my car and pushed the big chromed buttons for my pre-tuned stations. ;-)

 

I just applied the update. It took a little under 3 minutes.


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Does your newest Entune have the Yelp and Facebook Places applications?

 

Sorry I've been lagging on this topic, I'll try to get some OEM info for you guys. Its unfortunate that I can not access TIS from home...unlike IN for Honda. I've been looking to update my Entune and see what the current version of navigation is.

 

Does anyone have the 2013/2014 HDD Type model of the software like the DA version that was posted earlier?

 

During my weekly visit to the dealership for small problems, I noticed signs all over the service dept. telling customers to ask about the navigation map updates. I asked and my service rep acted as though he had not seen them. There are at least 5 located in the service waiting rooms. When I asked all I got was, "I will have to check into that". My car was ready from replacing the seat backs and I had been there over 2 hrs. so I left.

 

Service Rep? did you mean service writer? If you did, most if not all of them don't know much about specific details about a vehicle. Its very unfortunate, and sad how little they know about cars in general when most of them came from an automotive background. I can go on about this mainly because of my own dealership but I wont.

 

Ok. I don't know the names and specific qualifications but I asked the man who I call for appts. and drive into the service bay and talk to. I show him the problems and he orders parts (they never seem to have the parts).

 

Ok, well if he is the one taking care of you while your in for service, he is your service writer. They are the ones to call you and tell you what you need to get fixed or in your case you tell them whats wrong and the make an RO (repair order) which is what they give to the technician. The service writer is basically the middle man between the tech and the customer.

But like I said usually they don't know what they are talking about.

If you were to come in again for any reason make it a point at the time you talk to the service writer to check themselves or have a tech check if there is an update for your navigation. I would go with the tech or even parts personnel to check for that just because they deal with it more and have more knowledge about it.

 

I have had the Avalon tell me that there was an over the air update for the software before. It updated an app or two. The car must be left running and cannot be driven during the update. This was for the apps. I needed the USB to have a major revision update.


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Another option is to walk into the Svc Dept and ask them what the update entails.

 

For my 4-cylinder hybrid, they are about $50, every 10k miles.

 

I just got my Avalon 2 weeks ago, trade in from 12 Camry, I know the entune on the non HDD is at 3.2. Could someone tell me with the HDD what entune version they have, I'm on 1.3?

 

Just updated my '13 Avalon Hybrid Touring. I asked the dealer about this last week and they said that the Avalon currently had the most recent Entune updates on it already. When I pointed out that my car had 2.2 and the most recent was 3.2, he had no response except to say that his TSBs showed 2.2 as the most recent version of Entune.....

With others on the forum having success with the Avy (special shout out to eagle1279!), I thought I'd give it a go myself since the dealer appeared clueless. System seems snappier and the Bluetooth connects faster. I read elsewhere that the voice commands do better on these version 3's, so I will be checking that out, too.

The only thing I can say about the update is to be patient. It took a short while for my car to recognize the USB stick, and then there are a couple of blank screens that show up during the update. No issues at all...you just have to follow the instructions and wait the screens out and not panic! There were 8 parts to the update and if you look in the upper right hand corner, you can see the different areas being updated, along with a set of progress bars in the center of the screen, one for the total progress and another for the individual part being updated.

Robert

 

Ok, time for me to eat crow. As they say, "upon further review" it appears my maps did not change with the Entune 3.2.0 update. But stay tuned as my sales rep remains confident, my appt for service is on 5/31. Sorry for my confusion.


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Ok, time for me to eat crow. As they say, "upon further review" it appears my maps did not change with the Entune 3.2.0 update. But stay tuned as my sales rep remains confident, my appt for service is on 5/31. Sorry for my confusion.


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Your sales rep is going to be sharing that crow with you.