RNS510 cost-justified?

[Ferni]

I've got the factory fitted RNS510 in my GTI here are my thoughts

Cons:
* Maps are too old, when you can get up to date maps for your $200 tomtom, they need to release updates faster for the RNS510.
* It's slow and takes too long to start up. Frustrating when clicking next track and it takes a second to registry your press
* 2,000 song limit on the SD card - Not sure what the point of this is, but it makes the SD card option less useful than it should be.
* Hard drive is to small - 40GB? Been a while since I saw a 40GB hdd in anything...
* Radio text doesn't work yet it works in the RCD510 - what gives?
* The format/colour of the maps aren't great - google/tomtom is much clearer/easier to read/view.
* The UI is average - in the day and age of Ipads/gesture based UI, the UI needs updating.

Pros:
* The integration into the MFD is good
* Playing media/displaying mp3 info is good. (maybe could of use the mp3 tag info instead of filename when browsing)

Is it worth 2.5k? In my opinion, no. When you can buy something with technology much better (ie Ipad) for $600, 2.5k for this is way over the top in comparison.

[Corey_R]

When you click on next, are you accessing an iPod? Click on next on my USB key is pretty responsive.

Some of them, mine included, only has a 30GB HDD. But, you might be unaware, these are not standard HDD's but automotive HDD's (specifically, they are designed to cope with both vibration AND heat). At the time of the RNS510's release, 30GB was one of the larger models. Even today, the largest is only 100GB.

Radio text certainly does work. But it depends on your radio station broadcasting it.

UI - it could be prettier. But seriously... this is a car we're talking about, not an iPhone. You're lucky it's still legal to have a touch system, despite touch input being well known for being completely useless unless you're looking directly at it (as opposed to "hard buttons", which can be operated by feel). There is no way they should have "gestures" on a car-based system.

[Ryan_R]

Radio text certainly does work. But it depends on your radio station broadcasting it.

The RNS510 shows the station names, but doesn't display the song/artist name and weather forecast like the RCD310/510 does, which is what I think he means.

[frozze]

I really have a lot to learn. Didn't even know that. Is there a reason why the RNS510 can't dislay the song/artist name and weather forecast but the RCD310/510 can?

The RNS510 shows the station names, but doesn't display the song/artist name and weather forecast like the RCD310/510 does, which is what I think he means.

[irossiter]

Waste of money to pay for integrated sat nab at $2000+, particularly as I've heard that you have to pay for map upgrades (correct me if
I'm wrong there). I have a brilliant Garmin sat nab, it doesn't block your view through the windscreen (unless you are a Camry driver who puts it directly in front of your face on the windscreen!! ). You can take it with you to other cars or download maps for other countries
(Garmin's maps of South Africa and Swaziland were superb). Portable sat navs now start at under $200. If you ask me spend the money on a nice set of factory alloys (cheaper!) and if they say it is the only car they can get then tell them you won't pay extra for it or bargain hard. Don't let the dealer play tricks with you. You won't get any extra for the car at trade in time with built in sat nab (the dealer will tell you that you will).

[Ryan_R]

Not sure. It was nearly a deal breaker for me but now that I've got the RNS I rarely listen to the radio anymore so it's not the end of the world. It was fun to show it off to others though

Hopefully one day a firmware update brings us the feature back but I'm not expecting it to happen.

[frozze]

Probably not a big deal to me but just surprised that the RNS510 doesn't have that "feature". I guess it's a handy thing to have.

Not sure. It was nearly a deal breaker for me but now that I've got the RNS I rarely listen to the radio anymore so it's not the end of the world. It was fun to show it off to others though

Hopefully one day a firmware update brings us the feature back but I'm not expecting it to happen.

[Ferni]

When you click on next, are you accessing an iPod? Click on next on my USB key is pretty responsive.

Some of them, mine included, only has a 30GB HDD. But, you might be unaware, these are not standard HDD's but automotive HDD's (specifically, they are designed to cope with both vibration AND heat). At the time of the RNS510's release, 30GB was one of the larger models. Even today, the largest is only 100GB.

Radio text certainly does work. But it depends on your radio station broadcasting it.

UI - it could be prettier. But seriously... this is a car we're talking about, not an iPhone. You're lucky it's still legal to have a touch system, despite touch input being well known for being completely useless unless you're looking directly at it (as opposed to "hard buttons", which can be operated by feel). There is no way they should have "gestures" on a car-based system.

I loaded my music on the hard drive (which was also ridiculous slow to copy across even with a fast SD card.) Still get the lag pressing next track on the screen (using steering wheel controls is better).

Understand your point about automotive HDD, but they have revised the RNS510 a few times since initial release yet still only include a 30/40GB hdd and still charge us a premium for it (2.5k option).

Rado text works for station name, not for song artiest/title like it does on the RCD510.

I have to disagree with you about not allowing gestures - it would be easier to use a swipe at any place on the screen to perform an action while driving than it is to try and hit a virtual butt on the touch screen only about 2cm in size. You could do a swipe forwards/backwards across the screen without looking, you certainly can't press a soft button without looking. (once again the steering wheel controls help alleviate most of these issues)

As for the looks of the UI, i actually think that it doesn't look too bad, my complaint is with the User interaction rather than the looks. But it would be nice if it could display album art etc but thats a very minor thing.

As for the 2,000 song limit on SD card - I don't think I tested this myself, but read it in the manual (was a while ago my memory could be wrong). The file limit doesn't exist on USB or HDD.

Just further on the price point, most of VW options are very reasonably priced, ie 3.5k for leather, 2k for xenons, PDC, park assist etc... these are all very reasonable, but 2.5k for the sat nav I think doesn't fit into the same reasonable bracket for what we are getting.

Keep in mind this is a 2.5k upgrade over the RCD510 in the GTI where the RCD510 already has some great options, ie SD card and MDI interface, so you are really paying 2.5k for the hard drive and the sat nav function.

This is all just my personal opinion, of course others may not agree, i'm just putting my 2c out there for others.

[Corey_R]

Just further on the price point, most of VW options are very reasonably priced, ie 3.5k for leather, 2k for xenons, PDC, park assist etc... these are all very reasonable, but 2.5k for the sat nav I think doesn't fit into the same reasonable bracket for what we are getting.

What other manufacturers built-in sat navs have you looked at to make this statement though?
I mean, each time someone makes that statement, and someone asks the question I have, the answer is usually no one. The fact is, the RNS510 is very reasonably priced in comparison to others with a similar feature set.

It is getting a bit old though, and certainly the other Euro manufacturers in particular are starting to distance it feature set... but they're still sometimes twice the cost of more...

I mean, it's all good to say x product is too expensive. But no one is going to listen when in reality, it's one of the lower cost options out there, lol.

[Ferni]

What other manufacturers built-in sat navs have you looked at to make this statement though?
I mean, each time someone makes that statement, and someone asks the question I have, the answer is usually no one. The fact is, the RNS510 is very reasonably priced in comparison to others with a similar feature set.

It is getting a bit old though, and certainly the other Euro manufacturers in particular are starting to distance it feature set... but they're still sometimes twice the cost of more...

I mean, it's all good to say x product is too expensive. But no one is going to listen when in reality, it's one of the lower cost options out there, lol.

You are right, I've not really looked at other sat nav options on new cars to compare. I'm not comparing to other car sat navs, I'm comparing to other consumer entertainment/GPS options (ie ipad or tomtom or ipad WITH tomtom ) This is the reality of what people are doing, see this thread for example - people saying I'll keep my $800/RCD510 and buy a $200 tomtom... The value isn't there to spend 2.5k regardless of if other manufactures are charging $2,000 or $10,000 for their sat nav.

After all it's just a few bits of cheap hardware with some software (slow/bloated java doesn't help the speed/responsiveness).

Also thanks littlejohn for confirming there is no 2,000 song limit - I'm sure i read it in the manual - not at home so can't check.