Navigation vs Satellite ?

It may be a simple answer, but I could not find anything in my searches.

If a vehicle is only satellite radio equipped, is that satellite module enough to get NAV? Meaning only the head unit needs to be changed out and its a simple plug and play? Is this the case, or is it better to look for a NAV equipped vehicle?

Thanks in advance.

From what I have read here on the forums guys just plug and play. Apparently all cars are wired the same with different head units.

Satellite radio is quite separate from NAV. NAV requires a dedicated GPS antenna to be installed.

Im kind of confused on your exact question. Sat radio has only to do with Serious XM. Navigation units will require its own antenna either OE or aftermarket. Are you looking VW? If so either OE or aftermarket will reguire an addition of a navigation antenna unless you have a car that came with nav. You can plug and play OE depending on vehicle/unit. You can also adapt the OE antenna to an aftermarket unit if the car was origanally equipt with nav.

I personally prefer an aftermarket unit with garmin over OE VW as long as it has traffic assist.

I apologize for any confusion. Let me rephrase. If a car head unit only comes with satellite, could one swap out the unit with a nav unit and would it be simply plug and play?

I read a small blurb that all cars are wired the same, meaning everything has been wired for nav. Is this the case? Sorry if I am not explaining myself correctly

I have no personal experience but thought I read where the nav units were plug and play but apparently a nav antenna must be installed when upgrading to a head unit with navagation.

roadlust said:

I have no personal experience but thought I read where the nav units were plug and play but apparently a nav antenna must be installed when upgrading to a head unit with navagation.

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Yep, cheap on ebay

roadlust said:

I have no personal experience but thought I read where the nav units were plug and play but apparently a nav antenna must be installed when upgrading to a head unit with navagation.

Click to expand...

Where does this nav antenna get installed? Is additional roof drilling required?

Thanks in advance

T Dot said:

Where does this nav antenna get installed? Is additional roofnn drilling required?
Thanks in advance

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No, a nav ant is recomended to be placed on the dash. Its a small square unit and not like an antenna. Search Youtube for install

I got a 2012 jetta tdi...the base model. I bought a nav radio off of ebay (315) for a couple hundred bucks, a vw back-up cam (the cheap units didn’t have the right connectors for the 315), and a cheap (ebay) nav GPS unit for ~$15. Called the dealer for the unlock code (with the original car’s VIN), and everything was plug and play...aside from running the wires, everything was super simple...

Thanks all! I ended up getting a JSW w/ NAV.

OmikronPhi said:

I got a 2012 jetta tdi...the base model. I bought a nav radio off of ebay (315) for a couple hundred bucks, a vw back-up cam (the cheap units didn’t have the right connectors for the 315), and a cheap (ebay) nav GPS unit for ~$15. Called the dealer for the unlock code (with the original car’s VIN), and everything was plug and play...aside from running the wires, everything was super simple...

Click to expand...

Same thing here for my ‘13 beetle, no back up camera yet. I attached the nav antenna to the underside of the dash.

The gps antenna mounts inside of the dash above the center vents. It’s very easy to do and works well.