so what are the options for after market support for some in dash nav head units that are compatible with the jk dash? Trying to figure out if it would be better to get everything else I want but nav and just add it or is it such a pita that I should hold out for one with the nav unit?
I think it was already mentioned, but you can always buy a factory nav from eBay and install it yourself.
I bought my 2010 JKUR with the factory nav. Back then, there was only one option (the MyGiG), and it was something like $1750 MSRP. It's close to what the current 730n is today, but mine doesn't do the gas prices/weather/etc. Navigation looks pretty much the same, though.
When I get my next Wrangler (either a 2014 or 2015), I will not be getting the factory nav with it.
#1, I run without doors (and the top down as much as possible) during the summer, and although I've never let the factory nav get rained on, it hasn't held up well to the sun at all. I've had two where the top film on the touch screen is cracking up and flaking off, making the screen look like poo. The first time was covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty (and they swapped it out), but the second time happened after that warranty, so I'm stuck with looking at a crappy screen.
#2, I'm enjoy using the Waze GPS app on my smartphone a lot more than I enjoy using the factory nav. It's way more up-to-date with new roads than my factory nav is (and unlike the factory nav, which costs $150+ to update the maps, the smartphone apps get the updates for free). It also does better with plotting better directions based on current traffic conditions (something my factory nav can do, but the traffic conditions on the factory nav always seem to be old/wrong). I also like how Waze lets drivers in front of you report the location of road hazards and police.
I was dead set on having factory nav with the JK I have now, but after having used it the last four years, for me, the feature set isn't worth the price they charge for it.
And like others, I'd be worried about having a decent aftermarket nav head unit in a vehicle as easy to break into as a Wrangler. So for me, it's my smartphone + a $16 iOttie mount that easily stores away when I'm not using it.