Perhaps this is a case of blissful ignorance, but my iphone does everything the nav will do. Sure, it's not as convenient, but I usually look up directions to where I'm going before leaving and have it mapped out on the phone already. Music storage isn't a problem either, since I carry either the iphone or ipod with me all the time. Plug and play. It's an expensive piece that will be a)broken or b)outdated in five years. I'm keeping the car for longer than that, much longer if fate allows, and I don't have the desire to have an obsolete nav screen that doesn't have its maps updated (at $200/update, I believe) any longer.

 

These kinds of threads always seem pointless to me. Everyone is different. It's like going to a restaurant and asking the waiter/waitress "What's good to eat?". That question only works if the person asking and the person being asked have the exact same taste. Same problem here.

FWIW, I got it and like it, but I'm a gadget nut.

 

Aftermarket head units can control the ipod directly through an interface cable. The Ford factory nav just sees my ipod as an external device, so I have to stare at the ipod and pick the songs. On the Pioneer nav unit in my truck, I can use my touchscreen or steering wheel buttons to select songs, and it supports voice commands.

 

I dont think its pointelss, just allows the person who asked the question to look at it from both sides

 

No true at all. I have my iPod connected to the Ford factory nav with a USB cable and I can control iPod just fine. I can even use voice recognition to pick a song. There must be something wrong with either your cable or NAV unit.

 

I was able to control my ipod via the E.P. with no issues when i had this system in my 2010

 

In my opinion it's just too difficult to quantify the worth of something. The original question was basically "is it worth the cost?" The cost of $2000 is different to everyone and the item gained for the $2000 is going to be perceived differently by everyone thereby assigned a different value by everyone.

I always investigate things on my own and make my own decisions based on my own perceptions of cost and value. When I do ask for advice, I try to ask in such a way that excludes subjective opinions.

For me in this case, I saw the option, did some research about the option (online and in person), my research led me to believe I'd perceive more or equal value while using the added features than what it was going to cost me; so I got it.

I've kinda taken this off-topic. To the OP, check it out for yourself, if at the end of the research you don't know whether you want it or not, you don't want it.

 

I can control the iPod from my screen, just like it was in the system. Mine is a 2012, maybe it was upgraded.

 

What's a Garmin?

 

Well I do not have the electronics package my 2012 GTCS.

I have had a Garmin for years and it does what I want.

Talk to my car well I like bluetooth phone connectivity and that is enough for me.

Auto dual climate control...This I would like to have. In fact this is the first car I have had since 99 without the feature. If you ask why well you have not gone on a trip with my wife! My 94 gt allows shutting off/reducing flow from ac vents not my new Mustang.

Big item that would **** me off... out of date maps. I think all factory nav systems should include free map updates for original owner for 5 years.

 

Nobody mentioned it yet, but in my experience cars with more options tend to be more desirable, hold their value better, and easier to sell, which might be worth considering for people that upgrade cars every few years.

 

Good point!!!

 

We had the same Nav unit in our 2010 F150 Lariat & loved it, so we got it in our 2012 GT/CS. Is it WORTH $2300? Depends on whether you can afford the $2300 I guess. For me, having the climate controls on the screen is great. I'm 52, & those little buttons down by the shifter are almost impossible for me to read. I wish our Fusion Sport had it because the buttons on it are even harder to see.

 

One point I haven't seen raised is that if you also get the rear view camera, the display for the camera is on the navigation screen instead of a tiny display on the rear view mirror. Having the larger display from the electronics package increases the utility of the rear view camera option.

 

I tried 3 different ipods and 3 different cables, and the manual doesn't mention ipod control, so I assumed it didn't have that function. What generation ipod do you have? Maybe mine are all too old.

 

What gen do you have?

 

Unless you get the GT/CS, which again, is lame seeing: Not Avail. on 402A for just about everything.

 

Main reason why I didn't get the CS. Coming from a Mazda Speed 3 with a bunch of options I had to have them.

 

5th generation

 

"2010-2011 Nav doesn't have AppLink which allows for the Pandora interface."

Pandora, Spotify and other similar iPhone/Andriod music apps work just fine on 2010/2011 and later year cars using the Sync Bluetooth Audio feature.

The steering wheel buttons for advance, back and volume control also work with those applications.