navigation Does/Did Kenwood Have In Dash Receivers With Garmin Navigation & Lifetime Maps?

I looked at Kenwood In Dash receivers with Garmin Navigation that are DNX/DNR systems.

Check the details before you buy. The INRIX traffic service was discontinued last December. Garmin announced it will discontinue official map updates on December 31, 2028.

If you have a supported Kenwood check out this Garmin page.
https://aoem.garmin.com/kenwood/model-selection
Directions are on a following page after you choose the map region and Kenwood model. You should be able to update this yourself using an SD card.

No, I don't have one, and don't know what costs may be involved. For me a portable Garmin was a better choice.

I have always thought that having an in-dash system would be nice, but the "cons" have always outweighed the "pros" for me. I am giving some thought to replacing the Sony system in my RV, but I will steer clear of the Kenwoods.

I looked at those Kenwood systems many years ago but it was more than I wanted to get into, especially when Garmin started offering devices with 7 inch screens at more reasonable prices (the "Drive" series).

When I got my 2023 VW Taos, I test drove one of the fancy versions with the built-in nav system. Of course, I couldn't really put it through its paces on a test drive, but thought it was pretty cool as it was right in the center of the (virtual) main instrument cluster on a very wide screen. But, turned out that they only offer that on the fancy model that was loaded with other expensive features I didn't want. I asked, and they couldn't even order it seprately and install afterward on the regular model - the whole "glass cockpit" screen is different on that model.

But the big difference now is that most cars support CarPlay and Android Auto which gives you a pretty big choice of apps, including ones with locally-installed maps that don't require cell service. However (AFAIK) these apps will only work on the secondary (entertainment center) screen and not the main "cockpit" display.

I know there are also third party enterainment center devices (maybe from Kenwood?) that support wireless CarPlay and Android Auto if you don't have a built-in system. Seems like these would give you a lot more flexibility in the future. TomTom and HERE both have apps where you can install the full maps to work without cell service, I'm sure there are others. I have also used the "Guru" app (formerly Galileo) which supports Android Auto and CarPlay with OpenStreetMap that you can download. It also supports some other formats that allow you to make your own maps, I have some very high resolution (1 ft/pixel) aerial imagery of my local area on my phone that I can use with CarPlay/Guru.

Arguably, my biggest disappointment with Garmin is their lack of apps. I guess they make the marketing calculation that it would hurt their dedicated device sales too much. But it seems like they are missing a big market here, where anyone could have Garmin apps on their built-in car screens. I had their iPhone "StreetPilot" app 10 or more years ago and liked it. The software was nearly identical to their dedicated GPS devices, but they intentionally removed a few features to prevent it from being "too good". You couldn't load any of your own data (waypoints, POI, tracks, etc) and you could only use the one City Navigator North America map.

I visited my friend in Greece at the time and wanted the Garmin app for there. I actually had to buy a second complete Garmin app for City Navigator Europe! After a few years, they discontinued all those apps, which must have really annoyed people who had just purchased them. At least I got a few good years.

The "app" I wish they had not abandoned was the Garmin Mechanic ecoRoute HD. It connected to the OBDII port and returned all kinds of interesting data.

When I bought my current car, a VW Passat it came with a GPS built in. A Garmin based unit but it was not like our portable Garmin's. An update was expensive from the dealer. But I soon found out there was another option on the web. But regardless I found the built in unit cumbersome to work with and have only used it a few times.I used to drive deep into Mexico and it was impossible to set up the route I wanted to use. For example to try and avoid driving through Cincinnati by using I-275 or bypassing Lexington.

That is very good to know.

Thank you for posting that.