[quote=spdrun]Navigation is (IMHO) useless in 2012, when Velcro and a tablet/saved maps are cheaper. With the added bonus that if you keep the car for more than a few years, it’s much easier to upgrade the tablet than an integrated NAV system. For that matter, give me an old-school radio in a DIN slot that you can upgrade as well by removing it and splicing some wires.
I’ll take on-demand AWD as long as it starts out with the rear wheels being powered. Understeering front-wheel-driven pigs need not apply. However, RWD + winter tires does pretty well in snow as well — it’s more about the tires than the driven wheels.
I’ve made more than a few ski trips in a Miata. Hardtop, snow tires, ski rack slung off the trunk, and I was actually PASSING idiots in SUVs.[/quote]
You need to have practical experience using all the types of navigation system to understand why they exist….I can tell you one very obvious reason why any navigation system would be preferred to your proposed solution of mobile phone/tablet based navigation… Go into the middle of the desert, turn on your favorite android device, and launch google navigation and tell me how well the navigation will work for you… Because while you’ll probably get the GPS signal, good luck getting data service that you also need to run Google Nav (well, at least up until Jellybean, which takes care of this issue… sort of…).
Also, attempt to navigate in the city with Google Navigation, good luck with any sort of rerouting…By the time your tablet/phone can recalculate an alternative route, the information will already be too late, because you already passed a few blocks where you were suppose to make the alternative route decision.
In SoCal, AWD is absolutely not necessary. Even on wet traction, AWD is generally not needed. where it makes a difference is snow and ice, and only on the proper set of tires. Most All Seasons with snow grade is acceptable with AWD.
AWD makes it interesting when it comes to tire time…you’re suppose to replace all 4 at the same time….Well full time AWD that is.
