If German cars are so high-tech, why aren't their navigation systems better? Of 79 car models surveyed in the J.D. Power 2008 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study, only four German models are above average, and the only one in the top 20 uses a Japanese navigation system. The Mitsubishi Lancer with a Mitsubishi navigation system ranked first, followed by the Infiniti G35 using a Xanavi (Nissan-Hitachi) system, and the Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class third (also with a Mitsubishi system). The top ten comprised eight Japanese cars, the Mercedes-Benz, and a Cadillac, all using Japanese navigation.

According to the J.D. Power and Associates navigation study, six factors make for satisfying navigation systems, in this order:
-- Ease of use.
-- System routing.
-- System appearance.
-- Voice directions.
-- Navigation display screen.
-- System speed.

The less annoying (or as Power says, more satisfying) your navigation system, the more it's likely to be used.

According to the Power study, Mitsubishi Lancer owners gave especially high marks for ease of use and system speed. 70% of Lancer owners, more than the study average, said they used it at least 1-2 times a week. Overall, the study found more problems per 100 users this year than last, 206 vs. 180, an increase of 20%. Power didn't speculate but I will: The systems may not be getting worse, but owner expectations are rising. If your $2,000 in-dash nav system doesn't perform much better than your neighbor's $300 portable navigation device, that's a problem. It could also be that as some models add real-time traffic information (RTTI), users are discovering just how difficult it can be to get useful, timely information.

The German question: Why are expensive cars below average?
On the navigation study's 1,000 point satisfaction scale, individual model scores ranged from a high of 786 (the Lancer) to a low of 596 (Subaru Outback). Country scores were a dead heat for the U.S. and Japan, 716, while the average of European cars (all German in this study) was 701. Individual German models were rated 3, 24, 30, 43 (above average) and 55, 60, 75, and 78, 78th going to the (Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class. So Mercedes managed to be both three from the top and three from the bottom.

Why so mediocre? With BMW, it's possible - no, likely - that difficulties with iDrive affect satisfaction with the navigation system, since iDrive or voice command is how you interact. No touchscreen. Using Continental (formerly Siemens VDO) navigation systems that are more alike than different, BMWs finished 30th (3 Series), 43rd (5 Series), and 60th (X5). Is it possible the younger demographic of 3 Series is more technically adept than their wealtier seniors buying bigger Bimmers? The third-place Mercedes-Benz C-Class and the 24th place Audi A6 also use cockpit control knobs for navigation, but they're less complex than iDrive. The lagging CLK-Class has a complex array of buttons surrounding the display, as well as a small pointer stick that's hard to use on bumpy roads.

While German cars use different suppliers, the automakers are alike in their distaste for touchscreens and the unsightly fingerprints they might leave. (They cite surveys of German car buyers as reasons for keeping touchscreens away from American buyers.) Buyers appear to feel differently: In the open market for portable GPS systems, it's virtually impossible to sell one that doesn't have a touchscreen. The majority of the top-rated cars here also employ touchscreens.

The solution to what ails Germany Inc. may be the next round of models. Automakers change suppliers. BMW has stepped back from working with Continental (the former Siemens VDO) in favor of Harman Becker. (Harman Becker units had the third-highest scores on average, where Continental was was sixth.) Also, its new iDrive controller, debuting in the 2009 BMW 3 Series and BMW 7 Series, is much easier to use. Bigger, high-resolution screens (7 Series) and transflective screens that don't wash out in bright sunlight (7 Series, 3 Series convertible) can only improve satisfaction. In addition, some German models with easier-to-use systems, such as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class with a controller similar to the third-place C-Class, didn't have enough responses to be tallied.

Best navigation suppliers: Mitsubishi, Pioneer
Only one American supplier remains active in the in-car navigation business, Delphi, and it's solidly mid-pack. Visteon, purveyor of some of the all-time-worst in-car systems (as on the 2006 Mercury Mariner), has faded. Mitsubishi, with the first- and third-place vehicles (only), was first, ahead of Pioneer. The European suppliers were rated 3 (Harman/Becker, with systems only in GM and Chrysler cars), 6, and 10 of 11 suppliers. Denso supplied the most cars (26 of 79) and note how the mighty have fallen: Five years ago it was the gold standard for in-car navigation. Now Denso has just one model in the top 20 and 10 in the bottom 20. Here are ratings by supplier:


J.D. Power 2008 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study (by supplier)
1. Mitsubishi Electric Average, 784 of 1,000 points (2 systems)
2. Pioneer Average, 740 (5)
3. Harman/Becker Average, 735 (10)
4. Alpine Average, 730 (15)
4. Xanavi Average, 730 (8)
6. Continental Average, 714 (3)
-- Manufacturer Average, 713 (79 systems)
7. Delphi Average, 711 (6)
8. Denso Average, 696 (26)
9. Aisin AW Average, 680 (1)
10. Blaupunkt Average, 629 (2)
11. Kenwood Average, 611 (2)

Ratings by car model
Here the individual models rated on 2008 Power navigation survey.

J.D. Power 2008 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study (by model)
Rank, Model (Supplier), Score
Five-star JD Power Rating ("Among the best")
1. Mitsubishi Lancer (Mitsubishi Electric), 786
2. Infiniti G35 Sedan (Xanavi), 783
3. Mercedes-Benz C-Class (Mitsubishi Electric), 781
4. Acura TL (Alpine), 779
5. Lexus IS 250/350 (Denso), 776
6. Cadillac CTS (Alpine), 775
7. Infiniti EX (Xanavi), 773
7. Infiniti G37 Coupe (Xanavi), 773
9. Honda Civic (Alpine), 771
10. Acura TSX (Alpine), 768
Four-star Rating ("Better than most")
11. Dodge Charger (Harman/Becker), 766
12. Infiniti M (Xanavi), 758
13. Acura MDX (Alpine), 755
14. Cadillac Escalade/Escalade ESV (Delphi), 752
15. Honda Ridgeline (Alpine), 751
15. Lincoln MKX (Pioneer), 751
17. Ford Edge (Pioneer), 750
18. Chrysler Aspen (Harman/Becker), 749
19. Ford F-150 (Pioneer), 743
19. Saturn VUE (Delphi), 743
21. Audi A6 (Harman/Becker), 741
21. Buick Enclave (Delphi), 741
23. Chrysler Sebring (Harman/Becker), 741
23. Honda Accord (Alpine), 741
25. Chevrolet Tahoe (Denso), 737
26. Honda CR-V (Alpine), 736
26. Lincoln MKZ (Pioneer), 736
28. Chrysler 300/300C (Harman/Becker), 735
28. Jeep Grand Cherokee (Harman/Becker), 735
30. BMW 3-Series (Continental), 734
31. Acura RDX (Alpine), 733
31. Lexus GS 350/460 (Denso), 733
31. Nissan Altima (Xanavi), 733
34. Honda Odyssey (Alpine), 732
35. Nissan Altima Hybrid (Xanavi), 732
3-star rating ("Better than most")
35. Chevrolet Avalanche (Denso), 731
35. Honda Civic Hybrid (Alpine), 731
38. Jeep Liberty (Harman/Becker), 731
39. Honda Pilot (Alpine), 730
40. Chrysler Town & Country (Harman/Becker), 729
41. Mazda CX-7 (Denso), 727
42. Cadillac DTS (Denso), 725
43. BMW 5-Series (Continental), 722
44. Jeep Commander (Harman/Becker), 721
45. GMC Sierra (Denso), 719
46. Ford Escape Hybrid (Pioneer), 718
47. Chevrolet Suburban (Denso), 717
-- Industry Average (N/A), 713
48. Chevrolet Silverado HD (Denso), 706
49. Jeep Wrangler/Wrangler Unlimited (Harman/Becker), 705
50. Lexus ES 350 (Denso), 704
51. GMC Sierra HD (Denso), 699
52. GMC Acadia (Delphi), 698
53. Lexus RX 350 (Denso), 697
54. Mazda CX-9 (Denso), 695
55. Mercedes-Benz E-Class (Alpine), 695
55. Toyota Camry Solara (Denso), 689
57. Toyota Highlander (Denso), 689
57. GMC Yukon / Yukon Denali (Denso), 688
59. BMW X5 (Continental), 686
60. GMC Yukon XL / Yukon Denali XL (Denso), 684
61. Lexus RX 400H (Denso), 684
61. Toyota Tundra (Denso), 684
63. Toyota Camry (Denso), 683
64. Toyota Prius (Aisin AW), 680
65. Cadillac STS (Denso), 677
66. Saturn Outlook (Delphi), 677
2-star rating ("The rest" - no 1-ratings issued))
67. Cadillac SRX (Denso), 669
68. Toyota Sienna (Denso), 669
69. Toyota Camry Hybrid (Denso), 665
70. Infiniti FX45 (Xanavi), 658
71. Chevrolet TrailBlazer (Delphi), 656
72. Dodge Ram (Alpine), 640
73. Chevrolet Corvette (Denso), 639
74. Nissan Maxima (Xanavi), 629
74. Volkswagen R32 (Blaupunkt), 629
75. Subaru Tribeca (Kenwood), 626
77. Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class (Alpine), 617
78. Toyota Avalon (Denso), 598
79. Subaru Outback (Kenwood), 596
(List updated Nov. 14, 2008 to correct some suppliers.)

Not ranked - Power didn't forget (just small sample sizes): Acura RL (Alpine), Audi A4 (Aisin AW), Audi A5 (Harman/Becker), Audi A8 (Harman/Becker), Audi Q7 (Harman/Becker), Audi S5 (Harman/Becker), Audi TT (Aisin AW), BMW 6-Series (Continental), BMW 7-Series (Continental), BMW M5 (Continental), BMW X3 (Continental), Buick Lucerne (Delphi), Cadillac Escalade EXT (Delphi), Chevrolet Equinox (Delphi), Chevrolet Silverado (Denso), Chevrolet TahoeHybrid (Denso), Chrysler Pacifica (Alpine), Dodge Avenger (Harman/Becker), Dodge Grand Caravan (Harman/Becker), Dodge Nitro (Harman/Becker), Ford Escape (Pioneer), Ford Expedition (Pioneer), Ford Explorer (Pioneer), Ford F-SeriesSuper Duty (Pioneer), Ford Fusion (Pioneer), Ford Mustang (Pioneer), Ford Sport Trac (Pioneer), Ford Taurus (Pioneer), Ford Taurus X (Pioneer), GMC Envoy Denali (Delphi), HUMMER H2 (Denso , HUMMER H3 X Alpha (Delphi), InfinitiQX56 (Xanavi), Jaguar XJ (Denso), Jaguar XK (Denso), Land Rover LR2 (Denso), Land Rover LR3 (Denso), Land RoverRange Rover (Denso), Land Rover Range Rover Sport (Denso), Lexus GX 470 (Denso), Lexus ISF (Denso), Lexus LS460/460L (Fujitsu Ten), Lexus SC 430 (Fujitsu Ten), Lincoln Mark LT (Pioneer), Lincoln Navigator (Pioneer), Mazda 3 (Denso), Mercedes-Benz CL-Class (Harman/Becker), Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (Alpine), Mercedes-Benz R-Class (Alpine), Mercedes-Benz S-Class (Harman/Becker), Mercedes-Benz SL-Class (Continental), Mercury Mariner (Pioneer), Mercury Mariner Hybrid (Pioneer), Mercury Mountaineer (Pioneer), MINI Cooper/Cooper S (Continental), MitsubishiOutlander (Mitsubishi Electric), Nissan Armada (Xanavi), Nissan Pathfinder (Xanavi), Nissan Titan (Xanavi), Nissan Z (Xanavi), Subaru Impreza/WRX (Kenwood), Subaru Legacy (Kenwood), Toyota 4Runner (Denso), Toyota Land Cruiser (Aisin AW), Toyota Sequoia (Denso), Volkswagen Eos (Blaupunkt), Volkswagen Passat (Blaupunkt), VolkswagenTouareg (Blaupunkt), Volvo XC90 (Mitsubishi Electric).