Was DVD COMMAND introduced at any time in the 2004 model year for the SL500 or did it first come out for 2005 ? Is it possible that a late 2004 model build of the SL500 had the DVD system ?

 

No, in the SL's the DVD COMAND started in the 2005 model year. The 2005 cars started arriving in late June/early July 2004 depending on what coast you were on.

Other models had it for the 2004 model year but not the SL's.

This is for the USA. I am not sure about other countries but if your unit has wood all around it, it is a CD COMAND. If the wood stops below the COMAND then it is DVD.

 

I agree with lovingsl600.

 

On the SL, it started with the '05. That is one of the reasons I traded up from an '04.

 

Did you find it better than the 2004?

 

Yes, most definitely. It's almost as good as the nav on my Lexus now. Certainly, miles ahead from the nav on the '04 SL!

 

I agree it came in with the 05 model year; the changes were more than just slotting in a different unit and some trim, so that scale of change is only done at model year change time.

The older CD navigation is slow, quite basic and requires disk changes as you move around the US. Depends on how often you use it, but it's reason enough to choose an 05 over an earlier car. Whether it's enough to justify the hit of upgrading is another matter...

 

Blue....I justified it by going from an '04 500 to an '05 55 :-).

 

Yes, I can see having the DVD was just one more reason to change to the SL55.

 

There are others threads in this forum regarding the new nav systems and most of the owners did not like it in comparisson to the other unit, in the sl55 sl65 forum room there are a lot of those thread and in all the owners find think that was remove from the new unit that the previous has.

 

Do you find the Lexus NAV easier and less distracting to use.
I certainly do.