Small. Blue. Easy to park...

[dianec42]

We test drove a Mini S 6-speed today. Not that we got to use 6th going around the block. Do want!

Sigh, looks like I will want to get some sort of aftermarket GPS thingy though, as the built-in option one is not looking at all useful. Wondering if there's an iPhone app for that, or if I'll have to spring for hardware.

I am mainly pleased that I still remember how to drive standard. Yes, it's time to buy a stick shift before I forget how.

Comments

iPhone GPS

[gvdub.livejournal.com]

Motion-X GPS Drive on the iPhone seems to be the best one, and one of the least expensive. Turn-by-turn is available as a monthly 'pay-in-the-app' service if you don't always need it, or by a fairly cheap yearly subscription at a quarter of the price of the TomTom or other navigation apps. I also use Waze, which is an open-source, GPS routing and traffic app that uses crowd-sourcing for traffic data and efficient routes. Could use more folks in L.A. to be completely useful, but going to and from work, it's been pretty good.

[rmd.livejournal.com]

ONE OF US ONE OF US!

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't want to get a built-in GPS with a car. They're usually expensive, expensive to update, and you can't transfer them to a rental car.

Instead I'd buy a GPS with a large screen (iPhones don't have built-in maps, so if you travel outside of the US, the fees for downloading the maps could get expensive, and you can't download maps if you're in the middle of nowhere and you don't have a cellphone signal).

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

if cars came with my preferred vendor (Garmin), sure...

proprietary? not so much.

now i'm curious if the iPad 3G's GPS works WITHOUT a data plan? that would ROCK as a GPS.

otherwise, a handheld standalone unit that can be used on a bike, a motorcycle, hiking, etc is what i have and use, and it's pretty darn useful.

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[deguspice.livejournal.com]

The GPS probably works without a data plan, but you'd might need a data plan to get a map of your current location.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

GPS is hardware... maps come from apps... so you need SOME app, and the "good ones" come with bundled maps (tom tom, and many others)... so they work completely offline IF the GPS is working. well, that's the theory.

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[fenicedautun.livejournal.com]

Totally the opposite problem from me, I'm trying to get away from my standard...

[(Anonymous)]

What Ben said. If there is a built-in nav system in any car on the market today that can hold a candle to what you can get for under $150 from Tomtom or Garmin, I haven't found it. And they're all ridiculously expensive too! Still happy with my 2008 Smart (and it doesn't encourage speeding like the six speed mini s), but having test driven one in a moment of weakness I concur that they are quite appealing. Not sure if I'd be able to keep the squeaky clean driving record if I had one thoug.

-RS

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

i'm always amused that i can drive standard without thinking about it (12+ years) but my current car of 12 years is automatic, so it'd not everyday for me.

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