Comments about Pioneer Pioneer Premier In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver:

Boot time is something that doesn't bother me, by the time I am out the drive and down the street it's ready to go. You have to understand this runs on Windows CE, and it has to boot just like a computer. I do have a backup camera attached, and this works after 5-6 seconds, which gives me time to start the car, put on the seatbelt, and hit reverse. Speaking of cameras, this unit allows you to view the camera WHILE DRIVING, which is great since I often pull trailers and I can keep an eye on it from the screen.

The Bluetooth is a little picky, yet works perfectly with my wife's LG Chocolate phone. My Motorola VE works great, but the voice activation over bluetooth doesn't work with my phone, but is fine with hers. I *think* this is because her phone supports Bluetooth 2.0, mine is just 1.2. Everything else bluetooth related with my phone is great, I can pick contacts from the menu on the Pioneer, and use the screen to disconnect/change volume.

MSN Direct is WAY cool, the first day I used it I saved 30 cents/gallon on gas by driving an extra 2 miles. This will end up paying for itself.

I am using this with XM Radio as well, my only complaint here is that I can only store 6 (8?) presets for XM, where I can hold 18 (24?) for FM. Besides that it works flawlessly.

SD card / USB connectivity is very cool, I have a couple of 8GB SD cards I use to play MP3's.

I don't have an IPOD, though I use the AUX input to connect my Zune. I also don't have HD Radio - reviews on HDRadio overall (and not by any means specific to the Pioneer) turned me off.

Navigation is fine for my purposes, I haven't had any real problems with it. My only issue is that the 2D doesn't allow you to set the map to face the same direction as the car, it always points north - so sometimes the arrow is down, sometimes it points left, etc. I have it on the 3D screen anyway, where this isn't an issue.

Customization options are great, the built-in equalizer/sound control is good, and overall I think it's very easy to use.

There is a forum, Avic411 dot com, that has a large group of enthusiasts for this unit. Do your research.

Comments about Pioneer Pioneer Premier In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver:

I had this product professionally installed in my '05 Expedition about 3 weeks ago.

I'll start with what every review talks about - the slow startup time. Understanding that this type of technology can't start instantly is the key. I timed it just to see how painful it really was, and it only took about 45 seconds to make the majority of functions available. That's about enough time for me to back out of my driveway and get to the corner - not that bad. Fortunately though this product provides functionality as it is ready to go. For example, if the Radio was the last AV function, you'll find that it starts up well before the entire system is up and running (with Nav, Bluetooth, etc.).

This unit includes an iPod cable which is an optional additional cost on the lower models. The controls on the unit are fantastic. It does occasionally disconnect (randomly) but unplugging and re-plugging has fixed it every time. I'm not sure if this is a problem with my Nano or the Navi. It's an inconvenience, but somehow seems worthwhile at the moment to have my entire music library available (without one of those unwieldy FM modulators). Also, don't forget to look at the compatibility list for iPods. My 2nd generation Nano works great, but my new iPhone would not have worked.

My favorite feature I didn't think I'd like is the Bluetooth. I had read early reports of this feature being really rough, but those problems seem to be a thing of the past. My phone hooks up quickly and automatically every time, and the sound quality is exceptional - on both ends of the line, I'm told. The radio mutes automatically when the phone is in use. Contacts can be loaded into the unit, but the lookup is cumbersome and specific numbers cannot be selected. I've found the contacts feature useless and still use my phone to dial.

I haven't used the navigation extensively, but my few experiences with it have been very good. The graphics are high quality and the driving instructions are up to par. I've had no problems getting connected to GPS satellites.

Sound quality is terrific and the user has a tremendous amount of control. Even hooked up to the factory speakers I was delighted to have complete and separate control over the subwoofer.

I haven't tried the voice recognition. I don't mind pushing buttons.

Overall I'm very pleased with the product. It makes my truck a lot more fun to drive. There are a few quirks here and there, but the screen quality and ease of operation more than compensate.

I'm also glad to say that my experience ordering from Abt was exceptional as always. Thanks!

Comments about Pioneer Pioneer Premier In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver:

The system is good and compact all in one package, need patients to boot up but once runing it functions great, the touch screen is a bit slow to respond hopefully updates will take care of some of the problems