First Post.

 

I've been doing alot of research into there units for a few weeks now and it seems that the AVIC series is better price/performance-wise than any other company's offerings. Now it's a choice of which one.

 

Is the Z1 series worth the extra cost if I'm not intererested in watching movies?

 

Is the D2's iPod interface that terrible that I really need to wait or the D3?

 

How long have people owned these units, do they last long?

 

How important is the mechanical parts onthe D1,D2, should I really care that the D3 does not support this feature?

 

Any head to head comparison of features would be really helpful to meand for any new members to the forum.

 

Thanks!

Hey dude... I'll answer these from MY OPINION only, it may differ from other peoples...

 

1. the Z1 has other features other than DVD playback, that make it more expensive. It also is HD based while the D series is Disc based. So if you want your maps loaded onto your unit VS. loading a DVD with the maps on that.

 

2. If one of your main interests is IPOD integration, then YES, both the D2 and the Z1 have had horrible reviews on that function. and waiting could be your best bet. (although I'm not completely sure if they've fixed that, other people will post on this thread and they have much more info than what I can provide)

 

3.The units pretty much last forever. Although I ONLY bought mine last week, I'm pretty sure it will be truckin for quite a while. (again, other people will have more info than me)

 

4. If you are referring to the screen tilt as the "mechanical parts" than that really depends on what type of car you are mounting it in. If your double din slot sits low on your dash, than the tilt can be quite functional and convenient since it's angled up towards you. However, if you double din slot is high on your dash you may have no need to tilt it at all.

 

I hope this helps, again, I'm no wizard but I do know a little bit. I also know that I'm very happy with my Z1 purchase, But I am a "top of the line" kinda guy, and the lower end units could work absolutely fine for what you are doing. It's a matter of taste and practicality to make your final decision. just make sure in either circumstance you KNOW who your seller is, there is a lot of scams going on with these units, especially online, so be careful.

Personally I do not think the Z1 was all that great. Yes, the novelty of having a dvd player was fun for a while, but I rarely use it at all except when I show off the unit to people. The HD function also isnt very important to me because I use another unit to play my music (has usb/SD slots) and use its aux out to plug into my z1. Therefore, if you did it my way, a D2 or D3 having to use the DVD rom for navigation becomes negligible. Another thing I have noticed about the unit is its horrible navigation. It usually tells you that you have arrived at your destination about 100-300ft prior to you reaching yor destination, so unless you know what this place looks like, you are going to get lost. The garmin I had previously did a much better job pinpointing locations. It also does not store any address numbers in your address book, which can lead to some frustration.

 

The z2 or z1 software update should solve the issue of the inaccurate navigation. This is only my opinion though, and I am sure a lot of people will disagree with me.

 

This is only my opinion

Here's my take on a couple

 

2. You want ipod control? Wait for the d3

 

3.Nothing electronic lasts forever. A car is the worst possible environment for electronics. Temp extremes hot and cold, dust and pollen, voltage spikes, etc etc etc.

 

4. YEa pretty much depends on the placement of your stock radio

I've installed 3 D1's total, 1 was new, 1 was refurbished, and the other one was used from an isoldit store on ebay. All function as new. Build quality is top notch. I wouldn't concern myself with the mechanical tilt. It seems solid. I'd be more concerned with a flip out screen's motor.

 

iPod is ok, depending on how you use it. The sound output is clean. unfortunately the d1/d2 does not support song/artist titles. D3 does and also uses a direct connect cable, making the controls even quicker (less lag).

 

Sounds like DVD playback is important to you. Save yourself some dough and wait a month for the D3. IMO DVD player is not that important. I rarely use it. However the D3 will have other software enhancements.

 

The only possible reason why I would prefer a D1/D2 over a D3 is the mechanical tilt feature, however that depends on the vehicle and how low the D sits.

Thanks guys, that's exactly what I was looking for: feedback from actual users.

 

I'm tired of readinng the same feature set from websites, I wanted real opinions.