Poll: In Car NAV preferences

[Midpack]

My "free" Subaru (Tom-Tom) map updates are expiring, but I don't think it's worth paying a dime for updates thereafter as I find CarPlay Waze & Apple Maps (even Google maps) better because they are "free", always current/up to date and have mo' better features (construction, police, accidents, etc.). I don't see any reason to even buy the manufacturers built in NAV systems, but there's probably no way around it for many/most cars unless you want to also forego music, vehicle settings, etc. Just wondered if others prefer the OEM NAV systems?

On a side note, updating Subaru maps is an (unnecessarily) long process compared to a Honda. Another reason to let the Subaru system fall out of date.

 

[Jerry1]

No. I don't even know why the manufacturers waste their time with nav units. They should focus on flawless interconnectivity with our phones. I really like my Apple Play with Waze combination, but there are a number of quirks that I don't like. For example, when the phone connects, it disconnects me from the onboard XM radio I was listening to. Then I have to select XM to get back to that station. Too many times, the programmers think they're helping me when in fact, they're not. Still, I'm very happy with Apple Play.

 

[pb4uski]

+1 We ordered our last two vehicles and the additional cost for in-dash GPS/NAV was crazy and from what I've experienced with friends cars that have they they are not near as user friendly as our stand-alone Garmin GPS that cost us ~$125 about 6-7 years ago.

My truck has Android Auto and that is ok too.

 

[Car-Guy]

I've used many... Prefer the built in OEM Nav systems the best... Dislike Apple (anything) but I've used that too. I usually don't need them anymore since I know where I'm going and how to get there for the most part. Although I've found rerouting and traffic jam alerts are useful features.

 

[Midpack]

No. I don't even know why the manufacturers waste their time with nav units. They should focus on flawless interconnectivity with our phones. I really like my Apple Play with Waze combination, but there are a number of quirks that I don't like. For example, when the phone connects, it disconnects me from the onboard XM radio I was listening to. Then I have to select XM to get back to that station. Too many times, the programmers think they're helping me when in fact, they're not. Still, I'm very happy with Apple Play.

I really like Apple CarPlay too, especially now that it offers a couple music, nav UI combinations to choose from.

You probably know this but Apple Maps now has the features that I thought made Waze superior - continuously updating user input re: police, construction, accidents, etc. Driver participation isn't as strong as Waze yet, but hopefully that will build quickly. So in that I don't trust Google any more than I have to, I deleted Waze - my iPhone got pretty hot while Waze was [-]data mining their brains out[/-] running and I know it continued to snoop after use until I forced it closed. Do [-]no[/-] evil.

 

[cathy63]

I hate my car's built-in Tom Tom system -- way too many reminders about upcoming turns way too far in advance.

I use Android Auto with either Waze or Google Maps. Waze tends to crash on road trips through areas without cell service, but Google Maps is fine if you've downloaded the maps in advance.

 

[W2R]

No. I don't even know why the manufacturers waste their time with nav units.

+1

I might (or might not?) have a road atlas in my car, but anyway I haven't used it in over a decade. It's pretty easy to find one's way around New Orleans and I know all the major streets by now. It's not rocket science.

Haven't left the New Orleans area since 2012, when we evacuated for Hurricane Isaac. He drove his Murano, I drove my Venza. He set us up with some sort of handheld radio similar to walkie-talkies, plus we had our cell phones as a back-up. We were sticking to the interstates so it was pretty unlikely that we'd get lost (and we didn't).

So anyway, to me a GPS of any kind would be a huge waste of money since I would never need or use it.

 

[JRon]

I agree with Jerry1 - don’t know why cars have anything but CarPlay and AndroidAuto. I use Apple Maps. In the early days it was pretty horrible, but in the last few years has been pretty good.

I became a believer a few years ago when it suggested I exit I-70 for a shorter route. I exited to a 2-lane road maybe a quarter mile from and parallel to the interstate. I’m guessing I passed about 800 cars sitting in a construction zone!

 

[tb001]

The built in systems seem universally awful. I use waze through CarPlay, though I think the lane function on google maps is a bit improvement.

 

[Midpack]

I agree with Jerry1 - don’t know why cars have anything but CarPlay and AndroidAuto. I use Apple Maps. In the early days it was pretty horrible, but in the last few years has been pretty good.

I became a believer a few years ago when it suggested I exit I-70 for a shorter route. I exited to a 2-lane road maybe a quarter mile from and parallel to the interstate. I’m guessing I passed about 800 cars sitting in a construction zone!

I have to assume the margins are good for the OEMs, so they bundle to make us buy built in NAV systems.

We're going new places all the time, so I can't imagine not using a GPS in my car. When someone tries to give me directions, I tell them just give me the address - I won't write down or remember directions. Though the GPS gets an address wrong occasionally, it's so rare that's not a good reason to avoid them IME. I get bad directions from GPS about once or twice every 5 years and I use it almost daily.

 

[harllee]

My 2019 Lexus has the built in GPS and it needs updating but that costs several hundred dollars. Can anyone explain to me Apple CarPlay and whether I can get that on my 2019 Lexus?

 

[braumeister]

I couldn't vote because I'm about 50/50 for my Volvo nav system and Waze via CarPlay.

Both are excellent, and the only problem with the Volvo system is that it's weak when searching for a destination. But I can easily get around that by using the Volvo app on my phone to find a destination and send it to the car, so it's just a minor annoyance.

 

[Car-Guy]

I get bad directions from GPS about once or twice every 5 years and I use it almost daily.

Same here... They are not prefect but I'd still give them a ~99% accuracy rate.... I had one systems a few years ago that would try to get me to turn at top of a bridge (over a river). (I guess even my nav system was telling me to jump off a bridge. ) I assume, that system was being used by boat owners too and the Nav system was seeing the river as my shortest route... That same system would tell me to make turns where there was no roads at all... Not a lot, but in a few places. Never figure that out.

 

[Ronstar]

I like the built in nav system in my Ford truck. DW's Acura has no nav system - she uses a Garmin and its ok too. I prefer the one in my truck because it has a bigger screen than DW's Garmin unit.

 

[Deej]

I'm not fond of the built in nav systems mainly because they aren't nearly as good as the stand alone Garmin types, IMO. No GPS is spot on 100% of the time. I only use my phone GPS in an emergency since I don't have unlimited data. DH has a "built-in" Nav that came in the car, but he uses his portable Garmin (and sometimes has both on).

When I bought my last car, I opted out of the upgraded model because it had a nav for $1K extra. Didn't want it.

 

[Midpack]

My 2019 Lexus has the built in GPS and it needs updating but that costs several hundred dollars. Can anyone explain to me Apple CarPlay and whether I can get that on my 2019 Lexus?

It probably has CarPlay, just plug your iPhone into a USB port in the car (may be able to use charge cable). Did a search for you…

https://youtu.be/Yatf9H11jQM

 

[Dtail]

We use Waze mostly and in one of our cars hook it up to the Apple app, so the screen is displayed in the car vs. the phone.

 

[Dtail]

It probably has CarPlay, just plug your iPhone into a USB port in the car (may be able to use charge cable). Did a search for you…

https://youtu.be/Yatf9H11jQM

Exactly.

 

[Texas Proud]

Heck, I can answer all 4 if I think about it too much...


I bought my sisters car that had GPS... I do use it at times but not often... it is 2013 and she did not get it updated... I refuse to spend $300 or more to get it updated as it is a terrible system...


When we go on long trips we either use a stand alone Garmin or my wife's phone app... ours does not connect to the car screen like my son's Audi but it is good enough for me...


Lastly, on a lot of local trips where I am going to go someplace I have not been I get on Google maps before I leave and see where I need to go... put it in my memory and take off...




BTW, the best is the phone app as long as you have a signal.. we have been places with no signal though....

 

[Sojourner]

The built-in NAV system on my 2016 SUV is nearly useless when compared to my iPhone's mapping/nav apps. I think I found it useful exactly once, when I was driving through a region with zero cell service and needed to locate the nearest gas station. Not being able to quickly type in (or say) the name of a place to begin navigation is a deal-breaker for me.

I love Apple CarPlay and will always look for it as a (nearly) must have for any/all future car purchases.

 

[braumeister]

the best is the phone app as long as you have a signal.. we have been places with no signal though....

If you suspect the cellular signal may be spotty you can download almost any size area from Google Maps to your phone. Then as long as your phone has a GPS signal you have the detailed map available. I've done that many times.

 

[Midpack]

The built-in NAV system on my 2016 SUV is nearly useless when compared to my iPhone's mapping/nav apps. I think I found it useful exactly once, when I was driving through a region with zero cell service and needed to locate the nearest gas station. Not being able to quickly type in (or say) the name of a place to begin navigation is a deal-breaker for me.

I love Apple CarPlay and will always look for it as a (nearly) must have for any/all future car purchases.

My Subaru voice command system works about 10% of the time, IOW useless - it rarely recognizes me or DW, so I don't think it's my voice. The Honda voice command system in DW's car has an overly structured tree format, but it works more often than not. Siri, despite her shortcomings, is the easiest for voice commands be in NAV, calling, texts, or anything else. She almost understands anything in English.

 

[Aerides]

I had an acura for 10 years that I never updated. Sure, sometimes we'd plug in a way to stop at a wendy's or something on a road trip, only to find it's now a burger king, or a brand new address on a road that didn't used to exist can't be found, but never a huge big issue.

One reason I like using my phone/google, is it "knows" me. If I've searched a place or a route on my PC at home first, when I pull up maps on my phone it already knows what I'm looking for. No starting from scratch.

And +1 to downloading in advance, as well as getting clue of the route before we get in the car, especially when traveling out of town.

 

[Jerry1]

I deleted Waze - my iPhone got pretty hot while Waze was [-]data mining their brains out[/-] running and I know it continued to snoop after use until I forced it closed. Do [-]no[/-] evil.

I wondered why my phone got so hot. I turned off the screen and that seemed to help. I have noticed that Waze seems to always be on. Even after I shut it off by swiping up, the next time I load it it says something like “coming out of sleep mode”. That seems different than starting up from being shut off. Like I said in my first post, I hate how these programmers are so helpful. I don’t want anything on “stand by” if I shut it off. Stand by is just a euphemism for working in the background doing something I probably don’t want it doing. Maybe I’ll try Maps next time.

 

[Gumby]

If I need to use GPS, I use Waze on my phone. But I almost never need GPS at all. I think it would be a waste of money to pay for it in a new car.