big change in spec

[leowfc]

I was after the 5 seat version and was told it was not available in the UK. Now you can ONLY get the 5 seat version.


http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/volkswagen-world/news/item/228

Regards



Leo

[eob]

Other than the rear seat, the GT will be the car it should be. Sat-Nav, Bluetooth, Parking sensors and cruise control should be standard in a car of this ilk.
VW are obviously including the middle seat to make the car more attractive to buyers but I think they should have kept it as a four seater.

[johnloaderuk]

There must have been a change over period this year sometime as the company I work for purchased four new CC GTs earlier this year, all of which came with cruise and front & rear parking sensors as standard, but only four seats, which surprised the local dealer. All cars were purchased through VW fleet, but came via our local VW dealer.

I have the RNS 310 nav unit and touchscreen phone system which is also in the new CCs in my Passat Highline Plus (standard equipment) and imo they are both fairly naff and very obviously bottom of the market pieces of equipment.

[leowfc]

The Bluetooth they are including is not linked into the steering wheel (what's the point) and as yet the only full factory kit appears to be the one that only works with a very very small number of now out of date phones.

My dealer recommended http://www.satnavsystems.com/index.html for Bluetooth, can't comment on the work as I have not used them however they appear to know what they are talking about.

A £20K+ car sold without a proper Bluetooth kit that works with 90% of phones ?

[johnloaderuk]

The Bluetooth they are including is not linked into the steering wheel

If you check out the interior photos you can see the bluetooth phone system is exactly what I have in my standard Passat, and it DOES work via the steering wheel phone button. In my previous Passat I had the Premium bluetooth system which is the best integrated phone system I have ever had in any car. The new system is nowehre near as good, but better than a system that isn't linked to the steering wheel, where you have to take your eyes off the road or hands off the wheel to use it.

The link you gave suggests the VW RNS510, again not much good, but better than my RNS310. The Audi RNS also there was in my previous A6. I don't rate any of these sat nav systems, my trusty TomTom is more accurate and reliable to get you where you want to go by far.

[leowfc]

If you check out the interior photos you can see the bluetooth phone system is exactly what I have in my standard Passat, and it DOES work via the steering wheel phone button.
VW told me that Bluetooth touch adaptor does not work with the buttons on the steering wheel ? Can you select addresses etc from the steering wheel ?



In my previous Passat I had the Premium bluetooth system which is the best integrated phone system I have ever had in any car.
According to a number of sources, the Premium kit may sound good however it does not work with any phones that are currently on sale, no to the iPhone, Motorola, Ericsson, Sony and no to anything but a very small number of Nokia phones.

Regards


Leo

[johnloaderuk]

Meant to put this picture in of my Passat Highline Plus. Almost the same as the new CC except for the climate controls - mine has the manual aircon. If you check the interior photos on the VW web site for the new CC you will see the sat nav and phone systems are the same.

[johnloaderuk]

VW told me that Bluetooth touch adaptor does not work with the buttons on the steering wheel ? Can you select addresses etc from the steering wheel ?Leo

No. It doesn't copy the contents of the sim card like the Premium system does to the car. Calls can be accepted or rejected from the steering wheel only. VW dealers also do a retrofit of the same unit, but I think I'm right in saying that doesn't connect via the steering wheel - but I might be wrong here.


According to a number of sources, the Premium kit may sound good however it does not work with any phones that are currently on sale, no to the iPhone, Motorola, Ericsson, Sony and no to anything but a very small number of Nokia phones.

Regards


Leo

The software is supplied to VW from Nokia, hence it only really fully integrates with Nokia products, plus a few others through luck more than anything else, and then only those that allow full sim access. Still the best system I've used by far.

[leowfc]

John,

I think we are both agreeing the same point you can either have compromise one (very limited model phone support) or compromise two (no proper hands free dialling). While if you have an Audi or even a Seat both come with VAG factory fitted car kits that work with most phones on the market and can hands free and even voice dial.

Anyway wish I could reorder and get the 5 seat model.


Leo

[johnloaderuk]

John,

I think we are both agreeing the same point you can either have compromise one (very limited model phone support) or compromise two (no proper hands free dialling). While if you have an Audi or even a Seat both come with VAG factory fitted car kits that work with most phones on the market and can hands free and even voice dial.

Anyway wish I could reorder and get the 5 seat model.


Leo

You're right, we do agree.

The new basic phone kit also looks and feels very aftermarket - not what you expect from a 'premium' car manufacturer like VW. I think they're trying to keep up with everyone else, and it's actually a Bury CC9060 Bluetooth Car Kit with a VW badge on it. The sat nav is a Blaupunkt system, again with a VW badge on it. In both cases I guess you can upgrade if finances allow.

Although I have five seats in my Passat, no one has ever travelled in the middle seat - yet.

[redrolo]

The link you gave suggests the VW RNS510, again not much good, but better than my RNS310. The Audi RNS also there was in my previous A6. I don't rate any of these sat nav systems, my trusty TomTom is more accurate and reliable to get you where you want to go by far.

Suppose thats a matter of opinion John. My 510 is fantastic and less likely to get nicked than a tomtom.

[johnloaderuk]

Suppose thats a matter of opinion John. My 510 is fantastic and less likely to get nicked than a tomtom.

Less likely to get nicked without question.

RNS 510 fantastic - why. It only works if you have a known address or known destination. If it's a new road that's not known, you're not going to get there. At least the TomTom full postcode will get you there new road, unknown number or not. Also if the address you are going to doesn't have a house number, it will get you to the road only. If the road is several miles long it says you've arrived when you clearly haven't, and leaves you floundering when you really need it. Most other countries use a 5 digit postcode/zip code system, which is what it relies upon - not good for the UK. This is why the VW website now clearly states it only uses 5 digits, they've had so many complaints. I have an office in North London in a road that's been there 4 years, and neither the 310 or 510 recognise the road - why is it so expensive when the technology is worse than a £100 TomTom. Although I have the RNS310, I won't go anywhere without my TomTom - it's never failed to get me anywhere I want to go yet.

[redrolo]

Less likely to get nicked without question.

RNS 510 fantastic - why. It only works if you have a known address or known destination. If it's a new road that's not known, you're not going to get there. At least the TomTom full postcode will get you there new road, unknown number or not. Also if the address you are going to doesn't have a house number, it will get you to the road only. If the road is several miles long it says you've arrived when you clearly haven't, and leaves you floundering when you really need it. Most other countries use a 5 digit postcode/zip code system, which is what it relies upon - not good for the UK. This is why the VW website now clearly states it only uses 5 digits, they've had so many complaints. I have an office in North London in a road that's been there 4 years, and neither the 310 or 510 recognise the road - why is it so expensive when the technology is worse than a £100 TomTom. Although I have the RNS310, I won't go anywhere without my TomTom - it's never failed to get me anywhere I want to go yet.
Perhaps you need to read the manual... it is a lot more accurate than tomtom john. You use the 5 digit then you narrow it down to road which is a lot more accurate than using the tomtom post code facility. Also it does help if you update your maps.

[johnloaderuk]

Perhaps you need to read the manual... it is a lot more accurate than tomtom john. You use the 5 digit then you narrow it down to road which is a lot more accurate than using the tomtom post code facility. Also it does help if you update your maps.

How do you enter a road name that it doesn't list ?. Have you any idea how much the updates are - you can buy a new TomTom cheaper. My office in London has been there several years, about four years, I had a new Passat earlier this year with the latest mapping from VW - my office road still isn't listed !!!, and without the full postcode facility it doesn't have any idea where I need to get to, because it doesn't exist as far as it's concerned. Also my main office is in rural Devon, there is no road name, just a business park that's been there over 10 years, and it doesn't list it in any way. TomTom takes you to the door using the full postcode.

Again, even if you can find the road, how do you specify where in that road you need to be, if your destination doesn't have a number and isn't a point of interest - some roads are several miles long. The built in system has severe limitations.

Postcodes remain accurate, even if the road isn't in the database - you'll still get there.

[leowfc]

I actually went for the RDC 510 (as and when I get the car). The reason was twofold first I wanted DAB and apparently you cannot get this on the RDS 510 and secondly my view is a tomtom is way superior not least because you can take it out and use it in the hire car when abroad. Navigated around California, Spain and many other places while the UK car was sitting at the airport.

As for them being nickable, I would agree a few years ago when the price was over £400 however now you can pick up a sat nav for £100 new they don't appear the targets they used to be.

The alternative I will be looking with the CC is using my iPhone, £54.99 in the App Store, means I can even find somewhere when travelling by train, and very unlikely to leave it in the car.

Just need to have the correct car kit for an iPhone, oh did we go round full circle.

Leo

[redrolo]

How do you enter a road name that it doesn't list ?. Have you any idea how much the updates are - you can buy a new TomTom cheaper. My office in London has been there several years, about four years, I had a new Passat earlier this year with the latest mapping from VW - my office road still isn't listed !!!, and without the full postcode facility it doesn't have any idea where I need to get to, because it doesn't exist as far as it's concerned. Also my main office is in rural Devon, there is no road name, just a business park that's been there over 10 years, and it doesn't list it in any way. TomTom takes you to the door using the full postcode.

Again, even if you can find the road, how do you specify where in that road you need to be, if your destination doesn't have a number and isn't a point of interest - some roads are several miles long. The built in system has severe limitations.

Postcodes remain accurate, even if the road isn't in the database - you'll still get there. As I said read the manual, you can set points of interest up on the 510 so it will even find my house which is on a new housing development and not on any road map. And as for post codes they are not accurate on the tomtom. The number of times you put in a post code for hotels and they take you somewhere else, especially down dirt tracks. I think the RNS510 is an absolutely fantastic bit of kit, thats why I have one, you don't. We all have our own opinions John.

[johnloaderuk]

As I said read the manual, you can set points of interest up on the 510 so it will even find my house which is on a new housing development and not on any road map. And as for post codes they are not accurate on the tomtom. The number of times you put in a post code for hotels and they take you somewhere else, especially down dirt tracks. I think the RNS510 is an absolutely fantastic bit of kit, thats why I have one, you don't. We all have our own opinions John.

I can set points of interest on my RNS 310 - but if you can do this you know where you need to get to anyway. The point of sat nav is to get you somewhere you don't know.
So, there I am in my car, my office rings and asks me to go somewhere, you start to put the address in and it isn't listed - how can you put in a point of interest if you don't know where it is ?. Out with the TomTom again so I can use full postcode. Never had a problem with it.
The company I work for have spent just over 250k on Passats & Golf so far this year, all with either RNS310/RNS510 - everyone who has one agrees their TomTom beats the 310/510 for obscure destinations, so it's not just me - we rely on this to do our jobs on a daily basis, and it often lets us down badly.
I think we're going to have to agree we disagree on this one. Cheers redrolo :beerchug:.

[redrolo]

I do agree about the premium kit tho :D. I had the older GSM kit in my B8 audi A4 which went through an external aerial, to which I used a nokia in a cradle. The reception was fantastic, whereas my iphone through the car using only the bluetooth function was pants.

I have just bought the standard bluetooth in the Passat and is just as bad, as like most I use the car as an office and the reception in some areas of Yorkshire is not good. I am thinking of upgrading the module so I can get the external aerial via rSAP. I have a Blackberry 9000 for work which apparently works well with the kit, although not sure how to get around my personal use iphone issue. Think call divert may be the best bet.

[breedop]

Noobie here picked up my Passat Highline+ bluemotion yesterday. Does anyone know if there is a proper ipod type connecter so you can operate the ipod via RNS 310 screen?

If not are there any add ons that allow that?

Thanks in advance.