Customer Reviews

Pioneer AVIC-D2 In-Dash Multimedia Navigation Receiver

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I have an AVIC-D2 as a replacement to an AVIC-D1 that went bad. I did notice some improvement in the D2 over the D1, for example, during navigation, it'll display at the top of the screen which lanes you can be in. (sometimes only right lane exits, sometimes two lanes exit). Also, the D2 is much faster with repetitive presses on the touch screen.

The installation for me wasn't as simple as the other reviewer mentioned, because I installed the Vehicle Speed Sensor wire which meant that I had to run a wire behind my speed gauge. The reverse signal wire was really easy because I was installing subwoofers and my trunk was already exposed.

Thing to remember during installation: If you vehicle has a factory amplifier (such as my Acura CL typeS's bose amp) and you decide to use the pre-amp RCA output of your D2 and going into the factory harness, you will hear a lot of alternator noise. Ground Loop Insulators will attone the noise, but as I found out are not the most reliable components as they eventually broke down and my speakers started cutting out.
Using the amplified signal with the factory amp will cause a really annoying humming noise even if the unit is off. (the amp is always on in the D2 even if you switch the source to off)
The solution for me was to either buy a 4 channel amp and new speakers all around, or a cheaper alternative which I opted for was to bypass the factory amp and use the D2's amplification.

I also have and XM NavTraffic unit which I strongly recommend if NavTraffic is available in your area, and you travel a lot on highways. I don't listen much to XM, I usually stick to my mp3s.

I had a CD-IB100II hooked up, but I absolutely hated it. After a few weeks, I decided to remove it. The interface is very poor, you only get 1 line with 8 characters of text displayed. Changing between artists is slow, as the unit takes a long pause after every 2 or 3 button presses.
The solution I found was to buy an iPod to RCA adaptor. I have 3 RCAs i connect in the inputs of the D2. With the adaptor wired in my center arm rest, I can control the iPod with it's interface making browsing a breeze (browsing is on the iPod's screen, nothing shows in the D2's screen). In Addition, I can now play videos from my video iPod on the D2's screen. [very cool stuff].

I have owned this for about 2 years, and paid far more. Even at these lower prices, I strongly recommend against this product. Although the screen is beutiful, the interface is clunky and slow. The navigation does not direct you to the destination with great acuracy, often times saying that you have arrived when you still have 1/4 mile to go. The GPS location itself is not as good as even the cheap protable units you can get for half this price. The NAV-Traffic option displays the traffic information correctly, but does not route around traffic jams. The software is buggy, and the database is old. Updates have been non-existent despite numerous bugs, and when they are available, they cost hundreds of dollars. I've switched to a cheap Garmin portable GPS and it navigates much better. I suggest you look at one of those.

Routing on the Pioneer units really needs some work. I have a $400 Garmin that works way better. Mine will have me pass the road i should have turn on only to have me make a u turn and back track on the same road i was on and for a few miles only to turn on the road i passed 10 minutes before. This happens about 40% of the time. If you don't care about Navigation i would give it a 5 star rating for all the other feature. The only way you will be impressed with the pioneers is if you never owned a Garmin or just don't care about the navigation part.

Easiest navigational unit I have ever installed. There is NOT a hideaway "brain" on this unit. Total install time was 90 minutes. I am not a certified installer, but I have installed numerous complete systems.

The unit itself is very easy to use. I actually didn't even have to use the manual to figure out how to get places. The EQ system is one of the best I have ever seen; it is comparable to a separate EQ system.

Overall, besides the inability to play DVD's without a separate player / changer, this is the best navigation unit on the market in it's pricerange.

I purchased my Avic D2 in 2006 and by 2007 I started noticing the touchscreen would not respond when inputing certain letters on the right side of the screen (R,T,Q). Then the space bar would not respond either. In time I could not use most of the characters or letters on the entire right side of the LCD. Now the "OK" is completely nonresponsive on the touchscreen making the unit completely useless. I regret purchasing this unit and having it installed in place of the stock unit that would have come with my YukonXL. I thought I was purchasing a better nav.system by choosing Pioneer's Avic D2 but instead it was a complete waste of my money! I've also read in different reviews that newer Avic models still have this touchscreen issue. Buyer beware, read all of the reviews you can find before investing your money on Pioneer Avic Nav. systems.

I've owned AVIC-D2 for 3 yrs now and I am very disappointed with this buggy product. First is the navigation, the navi will not let you enter the longitude and latitude for off-road use, my 10 yr old Garmin even in b&w screen can do that without a problem. second is the claimed Ipod interface that is useless and expensive. displays only 8 characters and cannot search. then my screen flip motor is completely dead, sometimes will not route correctly and not well thought out interface, no bluetooth and everything needs a module to work such as Ipod, XM, etc.

On the bright side, the audio doesn't sound that bad as my installer have to bypass my Infiniti Bose powered speakers. The nav usage can be bypass while vehicle is moving which make it easier for passenger to look for route, which I wish I could do on my Lexus factory NAV.

I cannot recommend the D2 as it is not as reliable as I thought, specially with a dead screen motor that will not flip open, user will not be able to update map and change CD's which is what is happening. The unit will cost $300+ to ship to Pioneer for repairs which is not worth it.

Will never buy any Pioneer car products again, worse investment made on my vehicle. just glad I was able to cancel my order of the new Pioneer speakers before it got process.