Pioneer AVIC-D3 In-Dash GPS Navigation System with DVD Player Review

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(More customer reviews)Just finished installing the D3 in my '06 Scion tC this weekend. In addition to the head unit I also installed the Bluetooth adapter/iPod cable/PAC steering wheel control interface and XM tuner. At this point I am still unsure if I am going to install the reverse cam. This is my third Pioneer head unit, but first Navigation unit.

The unit looks very nice installed with the included mounting hardware, much better than in the photos, I might add. The screen is very bright, and the touch interface works very well. The XM interface is very nice, especially when the Nav disk is in loaded, as it will then display station and category logos along with the standard XM track/artist info.
Here are some of the pros and cons I have come up with in the two days I have had to fool around with it:
Pros:
-XM or Sirius, it stinks to have to make a decision on a head unit based on your sat. radio prefs (Eclipse comes to mind here)
-Superb XM interface
-Solid iPod interface with cool iPod scroll wheel on-screen image (although no search function)
-So far the Nav has worked very well
-Vehicle diagnostics are fun, although not for any practical purposes
-Pioneers parametric EQ has always been great, it is even better with the enhanced visualization of the large color LCD
-Great internal sub-woofer controls including high pass filters, as well as low pass output and sub level controls
-Customization options are nice as you can match your cars instrumentation color
-DVD quality is very good
-Phone call quality is very good from the feedback I have gotten from callers (mounted the mic on the right side of my visor with the included clip)
-Night mode: when you flip on your headlights you can choose how dim you want the screen to get, and the navigation screen has a night mode which uses darker colors for the map, and is much easier on the eyes
Cons:
-No ability to have different EQ settings for each source as far as I can tell (source custom EQ)-this is a major disappointment, i.e. XM output is usually very flat compared to CD/MP3 sources, requiring a lot of messing around with the EQ to get it sounding right. Having to change EQ depending on source is a major pain
-No automatic sound levelizer (adjusts volume level depending on road noise)-even my stock Scion/Pioneer head unit had this
-No remote ($15 dollar option at [...], come on Pioneer, I know it's an inexpensive unit, but still)
-Some background noise at times, but I have concluded that it does not affect sound quality, as much of it only occurs when no music is playing (i.e. caused by the button tones or nav guidance)
- Having to use two little satellite antennas is silly- I don't understand why they couldn't have designed the XM tuner to be able to accept the sat. signal from the Nav antenna, i.e. pull the sat. signal through the IP bus
-I have still not been able to load my phone book into the unit and I tried both my cingular sonyericsson and my nextel blackberry-have checked forums and others are having similar issues, I'm guessing there will be a fix out soon as this is a brand new Bluetooth module
-No HD radio support
Overall I am very satisfied with the sound quality, interface, ease of use, and ability to customize the unit. I just wish it had the source custom EQ and the $170.00 Bluetooth module would load my address book.

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A great navigation system should be simple to use, provide intelligent routing with rich data, and feature entertainment options that make driving more enjoyable and convenient. The Pioneer AVIC-D3 in-dash navigation system comes with two DVD-ROMs containing a massive Tele Atlas database, enabling the unit to provide a gigantic network of turn-by-turn routable roads. You get fast processor calculations of multiple routes and directions to destinations via the graphic map interface and voice guidance within seconds. Have access to 12 million Points Of Interest (POI) throughout the United States and Canada for the nearest gas station, restaurant or ATM. The double-DIN size will fit in most standard vehicles providing a perfect placement in your the dashboard. The integration gets even better with the multi-color illumination to match the interface to the colors of your dashboard. Never need to touch your cell phone again with the optional CD-BTB200 Bluetooth adapter used with a compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone. Make and receive phone calls while listening through your in-car speakers. With subscription and optional XM NavTraffic service, you will be one step ahead of traffic jams and alternate routes will be provided. 2 DVD-ROM CNDV-70M Map Data US, Canada, Alaska, Hawaii Coverage Area 3D Hybrid Sensor (Gyro & G-Force) GPS Receiver & 8-Channel Antenna Included Emergency Mode Display 1-Year Roadside Assistance IncludedMap, Guide, Route, Driver's & Rear View Display Mode 5 Vehicle Dynamics Skins -Original, Carbon, Hologram, Sharp Metal and Classic Playback -MP3 Playback with ID3 Tag, WMA (Windows Media Audio), iTunes AAC and DivX Video on DVD/DVD-R/-RW, CD/CD-R/-RW 24-Station/6-Button (18FM/6FM) Presets Built-in Speaker Power -MOS-FET 50W x 4 3-Band Parametric EEQ Equalizer BSM (Best Stations Memory) XM Radio Ready with Enhanced Graphical GEX-P10XMT or GEX-P920XM optional accessory

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