Mazda navigation unit in a non-Grand Touring 3?
 

We just bought an 06 Mazda3 for my Fiance (to compliment my 03 Protege5, heh) We were interested in the Nav system but didn't want the extra expense of the Grand Touring edition just to have the OPTION of getting the Nav. You're out $4k before you're done!

So we got a regular touring edition, which bascially has some extra airbags for a few hundred bucks more, a good deal. We also got the 6-CD in dash changer and moonroof combination. Nothing else besides that.

I was wondering if there was anything preventing the future installation of the nav unit in a non-GT edition without the fancy bose 7 speaker system. If we could find one (order part from supplier? Get off wrecked M3 GT?) would it work or is part of it integrated into the fancier stereo? What other issues are there with doing a self install? Are there unused harnesses waiting to be plugged in, or is there a lot of hack work to be done? Is the antenna self contained in the unit on the dash?

So basically I'm wondering if it's plug and play after you get the dash panel off, or if it's not worth the effort.

And if not, are there any third party solutions that will integrate into the dash like that? There simply aren't any other options that wouldn't cover something up. A flip out screen on a Kenwood or Pioneer would cover up the vents, and I don't think she's anxious to change the stock stereo setup right now, it flows with the car and it sounds good enough for us. (increase treble +3 and bass +1 and it sounds good with just about anything...no thump thump of course, but hey)

--Mike

Mike-

I also bought a 3 Sport Touring. If your vehicle did not come with a navigation system from the factory, it is not installable. You can't send it back to have it done. Also there's no antenna for the Mazda Navigation System, because it is a DVD navigation system, that simply directs you per dvds...not by antenna or something similar to ON*star. Also you cannot play video/movie dvds on the system if you're curious.

Mazda has done a superior job with the design work for the "media area" of the interior shall we say. It is not friendly to after-market jobs, there really is no place for you to add that kind of system without the interior looking goofy and jacked up. You can't even add your own radio/audio system and have it not look goofy in my own opinion. Just wasn't designed for it.
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Also with the 4g upgrade to grand tourning (in most set ups,) you get rain-sensing auto-wipers, adjustable headlights (you can move the headlights up and down) tire pressure indicator, automatic on/off headlights, heated leather front seats, and of course the navigation system. ...GT was a little too expensive for me. But I love my car how it is as a sport touring. black on black (tinted windows) looks slick.

Anyway I hope my information helps you a little bit, my not be quite what you were looking for as you wanted to know if you could get a "plug and play" system or dash panel off. As for that I hope you find the answer, and have a good night.

SCE

Yea that was a good answer. After reading up on the nav system a little more and realizing it used DVDs as source material, I realized it was part and parcel to the audio upgrade.

I believe I did see a picture of an aftermarket stereo installation with a panel that fits that area, but you loose everything - including the LCD display with the outside temp and clock, and it suddenly looks very plain.

I think that if someone really wanted to, they could make a nice nav unit that fit in the dash above the vents, with a replacement for that whole panel. That panel is plain black, unlike the hard-to-recreate texture around it. But the total market for Mazda3 owners who want something like that and don't have the GT may be quite small.

So we'll keep with our handheld devices for the time being.

--Mike