I bought the adapter and connected the navi app and it works well. Also have the other apps loaded and they will be useful. The navi app is pretty generic but has everything you need and it will get you where you need to go. Takes a minute or so to load. Is it woth the $50? Its cheaper than the $1000 for the Navi! Lol. I have a garmin I normally use but having this on the display is pretty handy. You can pinch and zoom the screen. Garmin is a great GPS bit it also takes up and blocks windshield space.

 

I was opting for the in dash Nav system, but now I have learned it uses the same screen as the EX model, not the one I have in my 2013 Civic with a dedicated Nav screen. I was hoping that it would have this so I would also get the knobs instead of the touch volume screen that is some what problematic when trying to increase or decrease volume level.

Now I'm thinking of just getting the EX-L without Nav and purchasing the iPad Mini, and using the upper left cup holder to place the iPad mini, and using a better GPS app.

Reason #1 for this OP, is that the Honda system uses two cables from the phone, instead of one, #2 it uses up battery life pretty fast, and that means the battery from the iPhone will need replacing sooner. Reason #3, carrier data is used, and a better Garmin or some other navigation apps after being downloaded to the iPhone or iPad it will not use your data. #4 the hondalink system uses the Nokia maps, is somewhat slower to redraw, it will cut out in dead zone area's, then pick up later as in some tunnels as I have read with some hands on Users. Let us know, after some hands on, if what I heard is wrong.


Here are some reviews using the HondaLink Map app

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/hond...737070895?mt=8

 

SR, you are correct about a lot of that. You mentioned 2 cables to use the phone which is true but using the battery not so much as usb cable that feeds the power to the HDMI cable also keeps your phone charged, but as you say it does use two cables. As far as waiting for data to down load that is true but I have not experienced it yet but probably will in low or no signal zones. As to using the mini iPad will it work without gps data? I ask because I have the Garmin gps program on my iPhone but cant download it to my iPad (doesn't have data only wifi). I have found that the wifi version wont use mapping programs without wifi, or at least the ones I have tried. So if that is how it works the mini probably wont work unless you buy the data version, if so then that is an additional expense and another item sitting on your dash, the nav program for honda link is $60 or about 2 months of data service. I might be missing something but I would make sure before you invest $300 into a mini.

 

Only data used is when downloading the GPS map on the iPad or iPhone. After that with a few Nav apps, there is no more of our carrier data being used up. Having a Cellular iPad is much better than the Wifi one. Of course it costs a bit more.

 

Ok, that is what I wasn't sure of. So the cellular unit can use GPS location just like my Garmin app does without data. ATT now provides 10 gb of data on my plan so I don't worry about the data usage anymore. So will you run a power cable over to the mini or just run off the battery?

 

So the EX has an identical head unit as an EX-L? Navi and HD radio is just a dealer add-on? And the $60 Nav app is the same as the $1000 add-on?

Maybe this means an EX has HD radio capability with some sort of mod?

 

I believe it is the same unit and the app looks the same as the nav install except it looks like the install has better and more useful menus.

 

Cellular has the GPS antenna over Wifi. One power cable is all that the iPad mini will need, just like a garmin unit. I see a cup holder on the upper left side of the steering wheel, and will test out the iPad mini with a small tablet cup holder attachment.

I'm a little ticked that the Fit will have the same display unit for both the non in dash and in dash Nav system. Wanted to get away from the touch screen volume control. Oh well. Just sold my iPhone so its either the in dash or iPad.

 

Just a side rant...Since the screen is the same for both the in dash nav system, and the non nav system that one can use an iPhone and hondalink software, why the $1000.00 difference when all is needed for the In-dash nav to work is the GPS chip, and some software ? Am I missing something ? Tried a google search for what is needed to make a GPS Nav system and all I found was that it needs the Chip plus software and maybe the antenna. Not worth $1,000 more in my opinion. Must be missing something

 

Not that it is worth it but it also has satellite radio capability and HD Radio :-P

A curious thing I noticed is in the manual it shows climate control as an option but I have not seen any of the models offering that. Could it perhaps be included in the Navi trim?

 

Nope no climate control for me either! I wish it did. With all the tech in the car it seems weird to have not Climate Control and analog gauges.

 

Went to my dealership, and they showed me the In Dash Nav system from the 2014 Civic (Identical to the Fits) and it was not as bright as my 2013 civic nav, and very disappointed. May just opt for the EX-L, and buy a Garmin for about $300.00 with lifetime Maps.

Those that have the Nav in dash system can weigh in on their experience.

 

I like the indash nav system so far. No complaints. Its isn't as responsive as the newest update to google navigation and alas the car doesn't really like Android yet so...your mileage varies.

 

I wonder if they had the brightness turned down? The same knob that adjusts the brightness on your gages adjusts the display the same.

 

If you want climate control you will have to move to Canada to get it.....

 

I don't know if this will add to your rant or assuage your grief. There IS a GPS chip in the EX radio. How do I know? I have an EX, and in the diagnostic mode, there is a test for GPS operation. It displays all the received satellites and displays the cars cardinal point orientation. I drove around to see if it was accurate, and it was! Even gives my latitude and longitude. So, the EX radio has GPS built in. What it lacks is the Nav software package. I suspect it is hobbled only by the lack of the necessary software (or firmware). So adding built-in Nav to an EX should be possible through a software upgrade. I suspected that the car had a GPS chip because it is able to use HondaLink to call for help and automatically give your location if your airbags deploy. It can only do this because it has a GPS built in.

 

Hi Brian, thanks for the info! Someone else had discovered the diagonostics mode and saw the satellites. You are probably right about it needing some soft or firmware but doubtful they would sell it. As for the honda link, it actually can only call for help if you have your phone connected by Bluetooth. The hondaalink is merely an app and useless without the phone.

Welcome to the forum!

 

My daughter uses the Nav App, and seems to like it. I will tell her to make sure her phone is alway's synched with bluetooth for the added benefit of air bag deployment notification.

 

The good thing is her phone should automatically sync soon as she starts the car.

 

TMFIT: Right. Wasn't thinking when I assumed the car itself could call for help. It knows where you are, but it does not have a built-in cell phone to call out (thank goodness. I had a Chevy with OnStar a few years ago, which included a built-in cell phone--with it's own payment plan. Didn't like it). It is increasingly the case that all sorts of things have GPS chips. The Fit also has a sort of black box recorder that stores info that can be used if the Fit is in an accident. Law enforcement and, I suppose, legal authorities can access this information, if there is a credible reason to do so. So we are increasingly being watched. I don't tend toward conspiracy theories. There are good reasons for all these new monitoring devices. But I cannot help but wonder where all this is leading. One does need to trust the authorities in order not to be worried. Recent news about law enforcement are not encouraging in this regard.