Nissan 370Z Forum  

2015 Touring with Nav - Any Replacement Options?

One of things I didn't research ahead of time or really dig into before I made my purchase was the Nav/Entertainment unit. We bought a 2015 Rogue Platinum for my

Go Back   Nissan 370Z Forum > Nissan 370Z Tech Area > Audio & Video


Like Tree8Likes

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 01-19-2015, 12:02 AM   #1 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 10
Drives: 15 370Z
Rep Power: 10
rochambeaux is on a distinguished road
Default 2015 Touring with Nav - Any Replacement Options?

One of things I didn't research ahead of time or really dig into before I made my purchase was the Nav/Entertainment unit.

We bought a 2015 Rogue Platinum for my wife the same day and it's entertainment system is FAR FAR better than what's in my $10K more expensive Z.

To be honest the Nav is almost useless and with Google Nav available on our phones it's dead weight.

The USB functions on the Z are pitiful compared to the Rogue, as are the Bluetooth.

I checked with one local custom audio shop and they told me there were no options to replace the unit in my Z. Can this be? I don;t mind scraping the entire system if I could get something useful - as it is I feel like I'm driving a 2015 car with a 1998 audio system...
rochambeaux is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2015, 04:50 AM   #2 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Morbid370Z's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Austin
Posts: 214
Drives: '14 Touring SP 7AT
Rep Power: 10
Morbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of light
Default

There is a sticky that covers this in the Audio Section: All about Bose I believe, or something along those lines.

Long story short though, you're stuck with that headunit. Everything is integrated and there isn't really a way to replace it. With a good bit of effort you can still upgrade speakers/sub/amp, but you have to maintain the stock NAV unit.
bigaudiofanat likes this.
Morbid370Z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-19-2015, 03:14 PM   #3 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: El Paso
Posts: 120
Drives: 2015 Nissan 370Z MT
Rep Power: 10
Powerwiz is on a distinguished road
Default

The Nav system on the Z is decent. I own a 2015 370z and plenty happy with it.

As for Bluetooth you have to fiddle with it to enable streaming from your phone.

What USB options are you seeking?

Also it will be exceedingly difficult to remove it as many of the cars systems are tied into it.

You can swap out the speakers pretty easily. All in all for a stock system its not bad.
lpnaylor and falicfr like this.
Powerwiz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2015, 02:32 AM   #4 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 10
Drives: 15 370Z
Rep Power: 10
rochambeaux is on a distinguished road
Default

It's not the sound quality I take issue with - the speakers are just fine.

It's the functionality of the unit. I feel that Nissan (and probably every other car manufacturer) gouges consumers by forcing these cheap systems into "packages" that have other desirable components/upgrades.

Unfortunately if you don't want to pay $1,000+ for their $300 system you have to go with a base model and give up numerous other options.
rochambeaux is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2015, 02:37 AM   #5 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 10
Drives: 15 370Z
Rep Power: 10
rochambeaux is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Powerwiz View Post
The Nav system on the Z is decent. I own a 2015 370z and plenty happy with it.

As for Bluetooth you have to fiddle with it to enable streaming from your phone.

What USB options are you seeking?
Hopefully you don't/won't have to rely on it in a heavy traffic situation. Example: Last weekend we traveled to Ft. Worth. We used the Z's Nav and I also had Google Nav on my phone. Google alerted us to an accident with a massive delay and routed us around it. The Z Nav just kept trying to put us back on the original route. That one incident saved us roughly 45 minutes.

Coming home Google diverted us around another accident (not as major) that the Z Nav missed as well.

The Bluetooth and USB functionality I'm talking about can be seen in the system Nissan is putting in the 2015 Rogue. You can connect via Bluetooth or USB cable to an Android phone and manage your music library totally from the car system - search, list, playlists, etc.

The Z's system is rudimentary at best and borderline dangerously distracting for how much time you have to fiddle to do anything.
rochambeaux is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-20-2015, 01:31 PM   #6 (permalink)
Base Member
 
dotcomee's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Austin, TX.
Posts: 77
Drives: 370Z Touring/Sport
Rep Power: 10
dotcomee is on a distinguished road
Default

This was one of my biggest complaints in the Nissan survey they sent me after I bought mine. There's no reason the 370Z should have such terrible interior audio/nav options.

Sadly, if you think it's bad now, wait 5+ years for when it's really obsolete.

Non-upgradeable/non-removeable head units are just a terrible idea in general. Radios in classic cars suck but still have a retro/nostalgia charm. Obsolete flat panel/nav systems will never have any charm like that. Or maybe I'm just getting too old.
dotcomee is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2015, 07:10 AM   #7 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: El Paso
Posts: 120
Drives: 2015 Nissan 370Z MT
Rep Power: 10
Powerwiz is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rochambeaux View Post
Hopefully you don't/won't have to rely on it in a heavy traffic situation. Example: Last weekend we traveled to Ft. Worth. We used the Z's Nav and I also had Google Nav on my phone. Google alerted us to an accident with a massive delay and routed us around it. The Z Nav just kept trying to put us back on the original route. That one incident saved us roughly 45 minutes.

Coming home Google diverted us around another accident (not as major) that the Z Nav missed as well.

The Bluetooth and USB functionality I'm talking about can be seen in the system Nissan is putting in the 2015 Rogue. You can connect via Bluetooth or USB cable to an Android phone and manage your music library totally from the car system - search, list, playlists, etc.

The Z's system is rudimentary at best and borderline dangerously distracting for how much time you have to fiddle to do anything.
Fort Worth as well. On Nav systems I do not know what your eperience is but they generally all suck. My wifeys KIA Optima..thing sucks with about the same functionality. My mother has a pretty new Mercedes and I'm a Sys Admin guy who works on Aircraft Electronics...I have yet to figure out the dam thing.

Go over to Ford who threw in the towel recently on there own in house system...it sucked even after pouring tons of money in it.

Basically all built in Nav systems they for the most part suck. There something that is designed with a smaller budget and hits the wicket points automotive manufacture's have. There in most cases a secondary thought not a primary.

I do get pretty decent traffic alerts via Sirius but not all of them...dont really care as if I am about to hit a traffic jam in Fort Worth most likely my fate is going to be sitting in it.

I never really stream anything from my phone except some radio pod casts. I keep a dedicated mp3 player in my center arm rest.

Generally all in all any smart phone is superior Nav to just about any car Nav system...cheap or expensive.
Powerwiz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-21-2015, 08:00 AM   #8 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
JARblue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Austin, TX
Age: 43
Posts: 36,449
Drives: 11 Z34, 98 E36 M3
Rep Power: 2684440
JARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond repute
Default

If you insist on maintaining the OEM look of the Nav in it's nice OEM cubby, there are no alternate options.

If you don't mind changing it up, then you have a variety of options. Unfortunately, most are made more difficult due to the stock Bose equipment. Best bet is to rip everything out and install a new double din HU that does whatever you want it to do (Kenwood or Pioneer seem to be the most popular). It will installed be down lower where the audio controls are. You could also put in a less expensive aftermarket audio system and HU and put a tablet where the Nav screen was. None of these will be as good looking as OEM Nav IMO, but they have far more potential. It's all about what you want.
__________________

2011 370Z 6MT Sport Gun Metallic | ARC | CJM | Ecutek | FI | Fujimura | R2C | SPL | Stillen | TWM | Z1 | ZSpeed |
JARblue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 03:31 PM   #9 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 10
Drives: 15 370Z
Rep Power: 10
rochambeaux is on a distinguished road
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by JARblue View Post
If you insist on maintaining the OEM look of the Nav in it's nice OEM cubby, there are no alternate options.

If you don't mind changing it up, then you have a variety of options. Unfortunately, most are made more difficult due to the stock Bose equipment. Best bet is to rip everything out and install a new double din HU that does whatever you want it to do (Kenwood or Pioneer seem to be the most popular). It will installed be down lower where the audio controls are. You could also put in a less expensive aftermarket audio system and HU and put a tablet where the Nav screen was. None of these will be as good looking as OEM Nav IMO, but they have far more potential. It's all about what you want.
So you're saying it's possible to just leave the Nav Screen portion installed and "gut" the lower section?

I'm guessing it's a one way - no going back thing?
rochambeaux is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 05:58 PM   #10 (permalink)
A True Z Fanatic
 
JARblue's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Austin, TX
Age: 43
Posts: 36,449
Drives: 11 Z34, 98 E36 M3
Rep Power: 2684440
JARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond reputeJARblue has a reputation beyond repute
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by rochambeaux View Post
So you're saying it's possible to just leave the Nav Screen portion installed and "gut" the lower section?

I'm guessing it's a one way - no going back thing?
You can leave the Nav portion, but it won't work any more. If I were going to rip out the head unit, I would probably just find a cubby to install in place of the nav like a base model. And if you start ripping out the Bose equipment there's no point in going back. Just about anything you put in there will be an upgrade. I wouldn't be surprised if you could go back, but I would expect it to be very cost prohibitive.
DEpointfive0 likes this.
__________________

2011 370Z 6MT Sport Gun Metallic | ARC | CJM | Ecutek | FI | Fujimura | R2C | SPL | Stillen | TWM | Z1 | ZSpeed |
JARblue is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-23-2015, 07:09 PM   #11 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Morbid370Z's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Austin
Posts: 214
Drives: '14 Touring SP 7AT
Rep Power: 10
Morbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of lightMorbid370Z is a glorious beacon of light
Default

The real problem is that everything is integrated into the NAV unit. Headlights, climate control, interior light controls, etc. You can't really remove it without hosing all of that from what I understand.
Morbid370Z is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-25-2015, 01:10 PM   #12 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: toronto
Posts: 41
Drives: 40th 370
Rep Power: 11
diz330 is on a distinguished road
Default

I can't stand my factory nav for browsing through songs on my usb stick. It won't let me listen to a song that is currently playing and look for the next song at the same time. As soon as I scroll up or down the song changes!! So annoying.
diz330 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2015, 05:57 PM   #13 (permalink)
Enthusiast Member
 
Austonian's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Texas
Posts: 371
Drives: 40th Anniversary
Rep Power: 27
Austonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond reputeAustonian has a reputation beyond repute
Default

"Nearly everything about the Nissan 370Z models is tuned for performance over fuel-efficiency, comfort or space, and potential buyers should take that into account."

Last edited by Austonian; 01-28-2015 at 06:07 PM.
Austonian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-28-2015, 07:28 PM   #14 (permalink)
Base Member
 
Steve-NC's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 25
Drives: '15 370Z Sport M6
Rep Power: 10
Steve-NC is on a distinguished road
Default

It was a no-brainer for me to skip the Sport Tech and take my $3500 to the to the audio shop for a system that I will be much happier with. I'm finalizing the specifics now (and it might sneak up a few bucks), but I'll have the Kenwood DNN991HD, Hertz components, Stealthbox, JL HD900/5 and front/rear cameras. It might have been easier to drive off the lot with my Bose system playing, but I don't think I'll have any regrets. Especially if I want to change anything out in a couple of years.

Nissan is hyping all the state of the art systems in the rest of their line, but not the Z. And I'm ok with that.
Steve-NC is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 01-29-2015, 10:24 AM   #15 (permalink)
Car Audio Installer
 
bigaudiofanat's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Magnolia DE
Posts: 8,342
Drives: 2012 Infiniti G37x
Rep Power: 852
bigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond reputebigaudiofanat has a reputation beyond repute
Send a message via AIM to bigaudiofanat Send a message via Yahoo to bigaudiofanat Send a message via Skype™ to bigaudiofanat
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by dotcomee View Post
This was one of my biggest complaints in the Nissan survey they sent me after I bought mine. There's no reason the 370Z should have such terrible interior audio/nav options.

Sadly, if you think it's bad now, wait 5+ years for when it's really obsolete.

Non-upgradeable/non-removeable head units are just a terrible idea in general. Radios in classic cars suck but still have a retro/nostalgia charm. Obsolete flat panel/nav systems will never have any charm like that. Or maybe I'm just getting too old.
I agree with the obsolete comment about built in non removable head units. So many features an after market head unit has over a factory one including being able to upgrade years down the road to a newer model. It's one reason I refuse to buy a car with a non removable head unit sense I always remove them and add my own.
__________________
Need help with car audio or electronics? Let me know!! Need Help Let Me Know
Direct email address reimermatt@gmail.com
Owner of: Dynamic Mobile Audio Follow me below
https://www.facebook.com/Dynamicmobileaudio/
bigaudiofanat is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2015 Touring 6MT and loving it! NaiveRapture Introduction 4 12-07-2014 01:03 PM
Replacement options for OEM lugs? redline727 Tires/Wheels 1 09-18-2012 12:09 PM
Car Battery Replacement Options 37Z Audio & Video 5 07-08-2012 06:08 PM
Leather replacement seat cover options for factory cloth seats. gsxr750 Nissan 370Z General Discussions 9 06-24-2012 10:41 AM
f/s: TN 09 370z touring, only 7,350 miles, loaded all options except nav. $30,000 tnhunter2 Cars for sale (Private Classifieds) 0 06-15-2011 07:40 AM


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:38 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0 PL2