Need GPS and iPod/SD card functionality- what would you do?

[nepi]

I have a 2006 Audi A4 Avant and need a GPS so I am considering the options, but am looking for advice:

I believe I have the Symphony II radio in my car-- is there a way to check, I tried a VIN decoder with no luck? So, I see two options:

1) Upgrade to the 2010+ RNS-E for ~$800 and find an A4 faceplate for ~$200 and have SD cards to play music as well as a GPS. Total cost ~$1000.
2) Get an iPod integration kit (steering wheel controls would be very nice!) for ~$150-200 and an aftermarket (garmin or tomtom) GPS for ~$150.


The RNS-E looks very, very nice but it's expensive. What would you do? Am I missing any other options? Is it possible to get an aftermarket SD card reader for this car, rather than rely on my iPod?

Thanks!

[igjoe1989]

i have the jvc kw-av60bt (bluetooth integrated) and it looks amazingly clean. its also made for the ipod/iphone meaning that you can control the pandora app from the headunit when your ipod or iphone is plugged in. The GPS works the same way. get it for $265 on amazon. the Metra dash kit for our cars is $26. audi specific backup camera by pyle is $42. PAC SWI-Jack for steering wheel controls is $33. all for the same price as your option number two. I mean... Ya... the RNS-E is nice (looks anyways). ive had one before and didnt like that i couldnt play cd's and have navi at the same time (i didnt have the 6 disc in the glove box). and i didnt like the navi either. it was quite annoying typing in an address using the round knob. I do like the OEM... but i like the functionality of the aftermarket units wayyyy more.