The Big Journey (continued)
Life is uncertain. With that in mind, it's safe to say that even with a navigation system as accurate as this one, it's possible to miss a turn. The AVIC-N1 compensates for mistakes by offering nearly instantaneous route recalculation. This is a feature common to most navigation systems, but the speed of this one really blew me away. To give it a really good test, and because we were navigating in memory mode, I tried to make the system hiccup by intentionally missing as many turns as I could. Finally, about five to six miles off of the original course, I had to re-insert the disc in order for the system to recalculate properly. But that's not a bad range, in the least.

Remember when I said that the map scale is adjustable only when the map disc is in the drive? That's definitely true, but I should add that the navigation system will maintain the map scale you selected just before removing the map disc, so you don't have to worry about a "default scale". (I did find out later that, when not in navigation mode, the map keeps tracking your position, but the scale will track back to 25 miles once you go outside the geographical area the system memorized before you removed the navigation disc, which wasn't terribly inconvenient.)

On the road, I found that the touch-screen controls could be a little cumbersome and distracting. They're not quite as intuitive as I'd like them to be (sometimes you have to scroll through multiple control sets to get to the function you want) — still, once I learned how to use them, their operation seemed quite natural.

Fortunately, however, it's not necessary to use the touch-screen controls for basic functions. Pioneer wisely included a joystick control that lets you flip through your radio presets or seek stations, jump between CD tracks, and more. You can also change sources and radio bands using the buttons on the control panel, so you don't have to take your eyes off the road at all. Complex operations, like sound adjustments, still have to be made with the touch-screen controls, but, as these should be made when the vehicle is stopped (or by a passenger), the touch-screen controls are perfectly suited for their operation.

All in all, I'd say it took me about 20 or 30 miles of continuous driving to fully get the hang of the AVIC-N1's guidance strategy. In navigation mode, you can use several different types of screens to give you various information. There are advantages to each of them, and the one any given user chooses to view most often will be a matter of personal preference. I experimented with them at length to see which was most helpful.

• Map View is the conventional view, in which an arrow continuously shows you where you are on a scrolling map.
• Driver's View splits the view into two parts — the map on the right and a simulated view from the driver's point of view (including a small speedometer) on the left. While nifty looking, I couldn't quite figure out its advantages (although there is something to be said for flash, I'll be the first to admit).
• Guide View was my favorite. The standard map view remains on the left, and on the right is a graphic indicating the kind of turn you'll make next, the name of the road onto which you'll turn, and how far away that is. If two turns need to be made in rapid succession, the system lists both. I appreciated knowing the turn direction well in advance, especially on multi-lane highways.
• Route View was probably my least favorite. It keeps the map on the right, and, on the left, shows the name of the next few roads you'll take, stacked on top of each other, like file cards. I found this view distracting (though I could understand its usefulness) and didn't use it much at all.
• A/V Status lets you keep track of what's playing while you're navigating; the map stays on the right side, and the A/V screen on the left. This is especially helpful if you're listening to MP3s and want to be able to see file and folder names.

Unfortunately, I didn't have a rear-view camera hooked up. If I had, I would have been able to split the screen between the map and a view from the camera. This is especially useful if you're towing cargo, and want to make sure that everything's alright with it. When you have a camera hooked up, you connect a lead to your reverse light — when you back up, the screen automatically switches to the camera view, which gives you a clear look at everything behind you.

Three hours after heading out, we rolled into our destination town, and found the road I'd programmed in without a hitch. And, luckily, it did take us right to the water line. Not too shabby at all.

Later that afternoon, with the touch of a single button in the navigation menu screen, I was able to tell the system to take us home. Just for fun, I decided to program in a point of interest as an intermediate stop along the way. The discs included with the deck (there are two: one for the eastern half of the U.S., the other for the west; both also include major Canadian metro areas) are loaded with over 12 million points of interest, such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations, national parks, even banks and ATMs. We decided to pick a restaurant in one of the towns we'd passed through on the way. The system got us there, then home without having to re-insert the disc and reprogram even once. Spectacular.