Customer Reviews

Clarion NX509 7-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

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After about 4 months of researching and reading reviews on a number of different stereos, the Amazon price drop is what finally sold me. This stereo sales for as much as $1300 on other sites. I had this stereo installed in my Buick Rainier with a pre existing Bose system.

Pros:
Built in Amplifier that works well with existing premium sound systems. I did have to purchase a Bose interface.
Navigation auto switches from 2D to 3D while on long road trips (drove from Va. Beach to New Hampshire)Switches automatically to 3D on long routes to show exits and POIs.
Ipod interface is very nice. All you have to do is use your ipod cable and plug it into the usb line (which runs to my glove compartment) and you have instant IPOD touch screen interface.
Seemless Touchscreen navigation. Takes about 5 minutes to get used to how to change from audio to nav screens, but once you get used to it, it takes no thought at all.
Set and forget destination (what i call it anyway) You can set your destination, then return to the audio screen without worry of losing direction. While listening to music, when it comes time to get off the interstate or, merge into traffic etc. The Nav screen will automatically show with directions and voice instructions. Afterwards it will return to your audio screen.
Can be hooked right into your Onstar gps antenna with very quick turn by turn directions and takes about 30 secs to calculate the best route. You can also setup interstate or toll bypass points.
Very good screen and sound while playing DVD's. Finding Nemo almost looked like watching a HDTV.

Cons:
POIs can be off. Says there's a gas station where there's not. (this is do to maps, not the system. Just wanted to point that out)
No way to change the background for the audio screen. Not really a big gripe. Just would like to put graphics in the background instead of a grey screen.
Remote does not work out of the box. (Most likely something i have done or not done) I can hear the system beeping when I push buttons on the remote, but nothing happens (NOTE: I'm a man and have not read in entirety the instruction manual)
When tilting the screen, you have to tilt thru all the positions to get it to return back flush. I would have liked to be able to hit one button for this, or have the system automatically return to neutral, as I don't like to leave my vehicle with the screen tilted.
Announcement volume level and key in ignition/seat belt indicator.
Talk about these in seperate but are big issues depending on user.
AVL- Is extremely loud at times, or soft. If you are listening to music you "WILL" have to adjust the announcements volume to be able to hear, as the system does not pause or mute music, just dampens it. The other problem with this is, if you are in a situation where you have the music turned down, now she screams at you "YOU ARE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT" or "APPROACHING EXIT IN ....." The safety mode (speed limit warning etc) can be turned off. I ended up turning it off as the speed limits on the maps are not always the posted speed limit.
Seat belt/Key ignition indicator- I had my system professionally installed, and the shop kept the car extra time trying to figure out why the car beeped (extremely loudly) when started. After about 3 days I figured this out. The stereo amplifies the warning ding sound for the seat belt and key ignition. Could not figure out how to turn this off, but did find out that if I put my seatbelt on before turning the ignition theres no ding.

Bottom line, For a sleek looking navigation system that works with lil flaw in a $600 price range from Amazon. The Clarion NX509 is in a class with higher end Panasonic 2-Din Nav kits.

If you are buying this product for the navigation don't!! Everything is great about this product except the navigation. i bought this for the navigation, i use it everyday to work and it is terrible. it will not find hwy rds or county rd.