| shootist |
The SC430 is Lexus' two door, 2+2 sport coupe, "hardtop convertible". Sells for about $61,000.
It comes standard with Lexus' best Nav and the Mark Levinson audio system. I compared the Navi between the two vehicles in depth yesterday. The MDX Navi is far and away better than the Lexus'.
MDX- at 1/4 mile scale, shows all the little roads within the screen. The Lexus shows only the road you're on, and the adjacent major roads.
MDX- has XM, with display on Navi. Lexus- no XM.
MDX- calculates each route with your choice of "Direct", "Avoid Toll", "Avoid Freeways", "Easiest". Often the routes will be the same if it's just more logical to use a tool highway. The Lexus has only system wide options to completely avoid tolls, or highways, or others. The options are set deep within the system, perhaps 3 or more screens from the map. If you set an "Avoid" option on the Lexus, it is absolute- It will tell you to backtrack for miles to get back on route.
MDX- has menus and sub menus. Fairly intuitive, with short but steep learning curve. I have less experience with the Lexus, but it sure doesn't look intuitive.
The MDX clearly wins the battle of the Navis. |
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| frostyra |
quote:
Originally posted by shootist
The MDX clearly wins the battle of the Navis.
But how 'bout the battle of the audio systems? No contest, I'm sure, in the other direction. When, oh when, is Acura gonna lose Blose? |
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| pisay87 |
quote:
Originally posted by frostyra
But how 'bout the battle of the audio systems? No contest, I'm sure, in the other direction. When, oh when, is Acura gonna lose Blose?
Totally agree with you. In the many home theater forums, Bose is probably one of the least liked brands because of its price over perfomance. I doubt if mobile audio is any different. I'm sure Acura can do much better. |
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| csimo |
The Bose name is not respected in any aspect of the audio business. Bose makes no professional equipment and makes only marginal consumer oriented equipment.
Bose made his name off the old 901's. They weren't very good years ago and the company has gone down hill since then.
Normally a person that thinks Bose is good audio equipment is the same type of person that would say Red Lobster serves good seafood. Uninformed. |
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| shootist |
Red Lobster doesn't serve good sea food? ;)
Yes, the SC430 has a better stereo. Surprisingly (to me) it doesn't have a perfect car stereo. When I think Mark Levinson, I think of beautiful tube amps, and perfect sonic imaging. I have to admit- I had the CDT Audio component speakers installed, and the Mark Levinson system was not a night-and-day improvement over the modified MDX system.
You would drool over the leather trim in the SC430, though. I could wear it for a jacket, it's so nice. The SC430 also has real burl wood trim, where we have plastic. The real wood is so highly finished that it looks like- polished plood! |
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| Blackura |
quote:
Originally posted by shootist
You would drool over the leather trim in the SC430, though. I could wear it for a jacket, it's so nice. The SC430 also has real burl wood trim, where we have plastic. The real wood is so highly finished that it looks like- polished plood!
I was comparing the new Acura TL and the new Acura RL the other day. Leather-wise, the RL is in a completely different league than the TL. TL is similar to the MDX more or less. Not bad, but not especially luxurious either. The RL is very soft, supple and smells wonderful. Very... um... how do I say this... "Lexus-like". But hey, for 50 large, that's what the leather should be like.
Anybody ever compare the leather on the top of the line Lexus LS or SC with the new Acura RL? Are they similar? |
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| slocko |
I like the BOSE in my MDX better than the ML in my friend's 2004 LS430.
His sound system just doesn't sound good in that car. The bass response in the 2005 MDX Touring is very nice.
After hearing so many negatives about Bose, I was pleasantly surprised. |
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| csimo |
quote:
Originally posted by slocko
I like the BOSE in my MDX better than the ML in my friend's 2004 LS430.
His sound system just doesn't sound good in that car. The bass response in the 2005 MDX Touring is very nice.
After hearing so many negatives about Bose, I was pleasantly surprised.
In my 2003 MDX I've replaced all of the audio components except the Bose head unit. The signal coming out of the head unit was pretty clean on the scope. I can't say I'm happy with what I have... the components are good, but the factory placement of the speakers makes it impossible to achieve really good sound. The position of the sub is the worst part... put anything good in there and the entire side panel vibrates.
My neighbor just brought home a 2005 MDX with Bose. On a 1 - 10 scale I'd put it at a 4 tops. Only a 1/2 point better than the 2003.
The Levinson system in the Navigator is the best factory system I've ever heard... maybe a 7 on my scale. |
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| pisay87 |
| csimo, which sub replacement did you end up with? BTW, what is the size of the sub? This is probably going to be the first step on my planned audio upgrades. |
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| csimo |
| I went with the Polk GNX10DVC in the stock location. I'm running the dual voice coils at 2 ohms. My amp runs about 125 watts to the sub. |
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| vicpai |
quote:
Originally posted by shootist
The SC430 is Lexus' two door, 2+2 sport coupe, "hardtop convertible". Sells for about $61,000.
It comes standard with Lexus' best Nav and the Mark Levinson audio system. I compared the Navi between the two vehicles in depth yesterday. The MDX Navi is far and away better than the Lexus'.
MDX- at 1/4 mile scale, shows all the little roads within the screen. The Lexus shows only the road you're on, and the adjacent major roads.
MDX- has XM, with display on Navi. Lexus- no XM.
MDX- calculates each route with your choice of "Direct", "Avoid Toll", "Avoid Freeways", "Easiest". Often the routes will be the same if it's just more logical to use a tool highway. The Lexus has only system wide options to completely avoid tolls, or highways, or others. The options are set deep within the system, perhaps 3 or more screens from the map. If you set an "Avoid" option on the Lexus, it is absolute- It will tell you to backtrack for miles to get back on route.
MDX- has menus and sub menus. Fairly intuitive, with short but steep learning curve. I have less experience with the Lexus, but it sure doesn't look intuitive.
The MDX clearly wins the battle of the Navis.
......and I wish people would do a more indepth study of the Navis. If they did that, only Acura/Honda products would sell!! :D ......but then again most people are not NAVI SYSTEM FREAKS like myself (FYI, the prime reason I bought the MDX over the GX 470 was the NAVI system - and to boot, that's the '03 model I'm talking about!!!! :eek: ....the '05 is supposedly much improved).
Anyways getting back to the matter at hand, here's the most significant of reasons why the Acura/Honda Navi is so much superior. While the above reasons you mentioned are accurate, there are 3 VERY SIGNIFICANT ones, and they are:
Better, bigger and more well organized POI (point-of-interest) database.
More intuitive way to input streets and intersections
Lexus system cannot be programmed "on the move". :rolleyes:
LET ME EXPLAIN:
#1
First off, the POI database in Honda/Acura NAV systems are vastly superior to any other Nav system out there, in the way they are categorized, as well as the "richness" of the database itself. Secondly, and more importantly, the SEARCH ENGINE to access this database is SIMPLY THE BEST!! There are numeous ways to search for a POI, and if you are determined you will eventually find the POI you're looking for using one method or the other (The same cannot be said of the Lexus system). Additionally, it contains one of the biggest databases out there (7+ million POIs). While the Lexus system now boasts 5 million POIs, that's VERY MISLEADING. Only 2 million or so of them can be searched using the name or category search. For the other "less popular" POIs you can only search them if you know the phone number. How often do you know the phone number of a POI you're looking for!! How friggin ridiculous!! :rolleyes:
#2
When inputting an address you need to know the exact street name (including PREFIX and SUFFIX) with the Lexus system. Otherwise you simply cannot pull up the address!!
For example: 5405 NORTH AVALON BLVD
With the Acura system you only need to know 5405 and AVALON. The system (using smart filtering technology) does the rest for you!!.....many times people give you an address and they either do not know, or leave out the "PREFIX" and "SUFFIX" (NORTH & BLVD in this case)....the Acura system brings up the correct possible choices. Knowing which city the address is located in eliminates the other 1 or 2 choices (usually)
While this does not pose a huge problem when trying to locate an ADDRESS, it becomes a nightmare when trying to find an INTERSECTION
For example you would need to know exactly: Intersection of NORTH AVALON BLVD & EAST PACIFIC COAST HWY .....there could be literally hundreds of these combinations and it would be virtually impossible to find the right one if you did not know exactly. Trust me, I've tried this in the Lexus system and was NEVER able to find an intersection (it kept saying "none found") and only after finding the right one in the Acura system and then inputting the EXACT PREFIX and SUFFIX did it pop up in the Lexus system.
For the above mentioned example, all you would need to know in the Acura system is: "the intersection of AVALON & PACIFIC COAST" (most of the time this is how we know streets). Smart filtering technology does the rest and brings up all the available choices. By knowing which city the intersection is in, eliminates the rest, and VOILA you have what you need!!
#3
Lexus tries to be the Navigation System police :rolleyes: by not allowing you to program, the moment the vehicle starts moving!! What if the front passenger wanted to program it?? :rolleyes: (and most of the time the Navi system is used "on the go" when travelling with the family while on trips).....As a matter of fact, to me, it seems far more dangerous to pull to the side of the road to program it. Imagine driving on the 110 freeway and then suddenly pulling to a stop on the shoulder to program the Nav!! |
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| pelucidor |
A thousand thanks for that great comparison of Lexus vs Acura navigations systems. Very well explained indeed - I certainly didn't know about the 5M POI being more like 2M fully searchable POI. And Acura's name search is again streets ahead (haha).
Most important of all being able to program the Navi on the move - my RX-8 had this and was heavily utilized (mostly by passenger), my Infiniti G35 does not and is barely used. However does the Lexus allow voice input for Navi on the move?
I am contemplating Acura RL vs GS300 AWD vs GS430 vs M35 AWD vs M45 vs base LS430 in about 6-9 months.
A well designed Nav system is probably 5% of the decision factor. I threw the LS430 into the mix because it should be totally debugged (everything else under consideration is a first year model - ouch) and leases should be cheap, what with a new model due in 18 months.
I might look at Audi A6 3.2 and MB E350 as well if they stay below $50k properly equipped. Are the German cars Nav still CD based? |
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| peanutbutter |
The Lexus SC430 does not have the best navigation that Lexus offers. That designation goes to the Lexus LS430.
Yes, the Acura navigation system is probably better than the Lexus one, but the Lexus navigation (at least in our LS430) is faster than any of the Acura navigation systems that I have used. It calculates routes faster and it recalculuates routes faster as well. For example, if I miss a turn on the Lexus Navigation system, the system will also instantaneously reroute. The Acura systems that I have used on other other hand require much more time before they reroute for you.
I have to agree that Lexus liability lawyers went overboard when they didn't allow the navigation system to be programmed in motion, which really sucks when there is a passenger onboard. You can still enter destinations that have already been saved, but it still isn't very practical.
Up until the 2005 Acura MDX navigation, the Lexus navigations system also had better voice controls, but the Acura has surpassed Lexus in this area now. Except that the Lexus voice command system doesn't lock up like the Acura one... which might be important if you use it. Personally, I think it is a gimmick and it is far faster for me to use the buttons.
One area Lexus still beats Acura is that Lexus comes out with updated maps every year. Sure they are expensive, but at least you have to option of getting the latest maps. To the best of my knowledge, Acura hasn't come out with new maps quite as often and therefore the map data might not be as accurate as it could be.
Another area is the Mark Levinson sound system that Lexus has. I won't compare it with the Acura Bose system since they aren't in the same category. |
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| tigmd99 |
Peanutbutter is right. The new Lexus NAVI system is in the LS430, LX470, and GX470. The SC430 has the old system.
The new generation will also be in the upcoming GS series.
According to most people, the ML in the LS430 is the best system in the world from factory, even better than HK Logic 7 in BMW & Mercedes.
The guy who said that his MDX BOSE system is better than his friend's LS430, i think that your friend is not adjusting his ML system right.
The new GS will also feature the 2nd generation Mark Levinson true surround sound audio system that will supposedly blow away anything else, bar none. It will have at least 330 RMS watts (currently, it is at 240 watts), which should be over 700 total watts, full digital transmission from the digital source to the discrete output topology power amplifiers, and discrete 5.1 multi-channel playback via a 7.1 speaker topology. The 10" subwoofer will be a TRUE subwoofer, like high-end aftermarket units. |
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