Poll: In Car NAV preferences

[mpeirce]

My Apple Watch really helps with navigation. It displays next turn information and taps you on the wrist when it’s time to do something. A good supplement to the audio instructions.

I prefer it INSTEAD of the audio. Sometimes the nav systems can be a bit too chatty. With the watch, it taps me on the wrist so I don't miss a turn.

OTOH, I do use the audio directions when I'm in completely unknown territory. Very helpful.

 

[Katsmeow]

That is exactly what I do with my Volvo. The search function in car is bad. Horrible even. Much better on the phone. The in car Nav has a big screen to see the road ahead. Plus the heads up display does much the same

The remote start is just an added bonus.

I forgot about the heads up display. I really enjoy using that. It is very easy to get used to.

Interesting poll result. I think the built in systems are clearly inferior to smartphones (expensive and never current), and a manufacturer/dealer ripoff,

As someone who has used all your alternatives, I can say this is a matter of opinion. Yes, phones have a lot of good things going for them. But, using something Car Play has negatives. When I use Car Play I don't have easy access to many of the other functions of my display. I find it very limiting. I also find the send a destination to the car on the Volvo as a very nice and easy way to add a destination. As someone who has the choice of using Car Play or the built in system every time I get in the car, I almost always use the dedicated system.

 

[Midpack]

As someone who has used all your alternatives, I can say this is a matter of opinion. Yes, phones have a lot of good things going for them. But, using something Car Play has negatives. When I use Car Play I don't have easy access to many of the other functions of my display. I find it very limiting. I also find the send a destination to the car on the Volvo as a very nice and easy way to add a destination. As someone who has the choice of using Car Play or the built in system every time I get in the car, I almost always use the dedicated system.

It's most certainly a matter of need and personal preferences, that's why I did a poll. There's no right or best answer.

Interesting take on CarPlay. In our Honda and Subaru, all the functions are icons on a homepage that we have to switch to. CarPlay is just another icon on the homepage so switching is no worse than without. But I haven't looked at how CarPlay is integrated on other cars, so my experience may be unlike others. Now that the CarPlay UI shows Maps & Music both, that's all I want 90% of the time so it's ideal for me. And switching to Subaru/Honda GPS/maps, radio or whatever else is easy.

 

[explanade]

I haven't really sought out CarPlay. Some manufacturers like BMW were offering it free for 1 year and then as part of some subscription.

I used to pair my iPhone to the car so that I could play podcasts or music through the car speakers.

But I found that the handoff between going from any wireless headphones to the car speakers and back to the wireless headphones was not a smooth process as I parked the car and turned it off and left.

So I unpaired from car and just listen on my AirPod Pros all the time, just in one ear.

Another factor vs. CarPlay at least a couple of years ago, you were limited only to some Apple apps. Now I know they allow third-party apps like Google Maps and Waze.

But generally around home, I'm not using navigation that much. It's mainly when I travel that I use navigation a lot.

So if a car rental has CarPlay, I may give it a go.

 

[Midpack]

I haven't really sought out CarPlay. Some manufacturers like BMW were offering it free for 1 year and then as part of some subscription.

I didn’t realize CarPlay could be optional or a subscription, I probably wouldn’t subscribe for it. It came standard on our Outback Touring and Accord Hybrid, and its standard on all iPhones as well. It’s preferable for Messages, Music and Maps and the phone/contact integration is better than Subaru or Honda’s IMO. I used Waze but deleted that once Apple Maps added user sourced police, accidents, construction like Waze has. I’m not an AudioBooks user, but CarPlay has that too along with a couple dozen popular apps.

 

[mpeirce]

When I use Car Play I don't have easy access to many of the other functions of my display. I find it very limiting.

Every manufacturer does it a little differently.

In our Kia Telluride it has a wide screen and it can display multiple functions at once. Think of it as three roughly square areas. Car Play takes up ⅔ of the screen (the left two squares) which leaves the third square for other Kia features. So it's easy to mix and match what's displayed.

 

[steveark]

Maybe In the only person in rural America but half of the roads I travel have no cell coverage. Either phone apps with built in maps or the cars nav system are all that works when there is no cell coverage.

 

[papaof2]

From experience, we have stand-alone Garmins in each vehicle. We occasionally drive places with limited to no cell coverage but the Garmin can still find the satellites to navigate by. My adult niece swears by her iPhone and Google Maps until she's in Wayoutville with roads just over one lane wide and poor cell coverage - then she swears at it ;-) I consider the cost averaged over several years plus the reliablility of finding my way regardless of remoteness a good investment.

 

[ychuck46]

Garmin all the way

Have always used Garmin standalone units and have never been disappointed. Starting a number of years ago they sell their units with lifetime free updates. I find the "real" GPS companies to be much quicker than phone apps and other alternatives.

 

[Midpack]

Have always used Garmin standalone units and have never been disappointed. Starting a number of years ago they sell their units with lifetime free updates. I find the "real" GPS companies to be much quicker than phone apps and other alternatives.

I agree, updates are infrequent for our cars (about 9-12 months between?), and they’re not free after 3 years, when they’re outrageous IMO - $169 for an update that’s already out of date when downloaded. Ironic in that our Honda and our Subaru NAV systems say Garmin and Tom Tom respectively right on the map screens. If not for SmartPhones, I’d probably use a Garmin standalone too. I know from years using them boating they’re top notch.

 

[ychuck46]

Yep

I agree, updates are infrequent for our cars (about 9-12 months between?), and they’re not free after 3 years, when they’re outrageous IMO - $169 for an update that’s already out of date when downloaded. Ironic in that our Honda and our Subaru NAV systems say Garmin and Tom Tom respectively right on the map screens. If not for SmartPhones, I’d probably use a Garmin standalone too. I know from years using them boating they’re top notch.

If I did not have the Garmins I would also be using the phone apps since they run a close second. Not sure why anyone would pay to have an "integrated" car NAV system except for maybe a streamlined look.

 

[sn2792]

My new BMW is easy to switch between the car’s nav system or Apple CarPlay. I do like the car’s system because it uses the heads up display to show turns, which lanes to be in and names of roads. It includes traffic information and the maps update automatically. It’s by far the best car system I’ve used.
I can also choose CarPlay to use Waze or Google Maps or Apple Maps should I want to.

We have a BMW also and like the cars NAV system for the same reasons you do. Ours is a 2018, so we don’t have Apple car play. I also like that it updates automatically. Our previous car was a Lincoln and we had to pay for a chip every year to update it.

 

[harllee]

Maybe In the only person in rural America but half of the roads I travel have no cell coverage. Either phone apps with built in maps or the cars nav system are all that works when there is no cell coverage.

Similar for me. I spend 4-5 months a year in the NC mountains and cell coverage is spotty at best. So I depend on my Lexus built in map. I need to pony up and get the built in map updated.

 

[Midpack]

Similar for me. I spend 4-5 months a year in the NC mountains and cell coverage is spotty at best. So I depend on my Lexus built in map. I need to pony up and get the built in map updated.

Only if the mountain roads have changed significantly. Addresses may change but roads don’t move often?

 

[2cheap2eat]

Only if the mountain roads have changed significantly. Addresses may change but roads don’t move often?

Don't forget built-in NAVs need occasionally map updates which cost money. Using your smart phone avoids those costs.

 

[teetee]

Don't forget built-in NAVs need occasionally map updates which cost money. Using your smart phone avoids those costs.

Or just use the aftermarket android head unit that works like a smart phone, free offline map download/updates, and no need for taking your phone out of the pocket when you enter the car.

TBH I don't know why this aftermarket android head unit idea didn't get any traction in this thread. It is like people are so used to being confined by the status quo and it does not occur to think out of the box. A map update coats $169? With that amount of money you can install two android heat units and then some left over.

I keep the original/stock head unit partly because I want to revert to stock when I am selling my car in the future, but more importantly there might be a slight chance that I get to simply move the aftermarket unit into my next car so I don't have to relearn the new android (or whatever system in the next generation of cheap after market head unit that works well) system.

 

[explanade]

If I did not have the Garmins I would also be using the phone apps since they run a close second. Not sure why anyone would pay to have an "integrated" car NAV system except for maybe a streamlined look.

Some popular car models are allocated to a region with certain packages including NAV heavily.

So sometimes you have to get one with NAV to get certain colors or certain other features.

 

[harllee]

Only if the mountain roads have changed significantly. Addresses may change but roads don’t move often?

There are a bunch of new subdivisions with new roads. A lot of development going on in the NC mountains.

 

[newlyold]

Factory Navigation Systems? Maybe . . .

I drove a 2011 Toyota Prius V hybrid for eight years and loved its onboard navigation system. It was tied into the Bose speaker system and HVAC systems and more, so there was no option to buy without out it.

The maps ran off a CD that could be upgraded/replaced as often as Toyota made one available (for a fee), which made the upgrades as simple as could be imagined. It interfaced with GPS to show location from the satellites, but it got its highways & streets from the CD. That meant quick and automatic updates, like one would see on Google Satellite Maps/Images aren't quick or automatic.

I've had built-in Nav systems on other vehicles and appreciated them, but until I bought a fifth-wheel camper, I wasn't interested in anything more than hands-free street mapping. Sure, it's super convenient to have it built into the dash, with a big screen, and with voice-activated functions. But I was content with my cell phone's voice-activated Google Maps clipped into a charger/vent-mount for hands-free operation.

But now that I'm interested in learning about low bridges and bad roads, and since my wife get's 35% off of any Garmin product she orders through her employer, we just bought a Garmin RV 890 system.

(Warning: Short soap box preaching approaching
Thankfully Garmin doesn't waste time with speed traps. Signing your name on your Driver's License is a promise you'll obey all the traffic laws and speed limits. I don't lie, cheat, or steal, so speeding (lying & cheating) isn't even a thought in my mind.
(Passive-aggressive section complete. Scroll on by, there's nothing to see or argue with here. Remember your Mom's advice: if you can't say something nice, saying nothing. Or, T.H.I.N.K.: Try to offer things that are Thoughtful, Helpful, Important, Necessary, and Kind.)

I like the Garmin solution for the additional information it provides that isn't available in Google Maps. But if Google ever got that part of their product updated to where I could enter in vehicle info (weight, length, height) so that their technology would guide me away from dangerous or illegal roads with my double-tow (truck, camper, boat), I'd consider it.

Any factory / built-in Nav system in my vehicles will take a back seat to the Garmin until they can guide me around low bridges, past narrow or light-capacity bridges, and accurately (yes, I'm looking at your mistakes here, Google Maps), then I'd willingly consider it. There's a lot of value to me with the built-in systems. No hanging wires, no power adapters, no clutter on the dash or windshield or floor. That's the huge benefit from a built-in Nav system.

 

[FIREd_2015]

I have an outdated In-Car Subaru (Tom-Tom) map that I still use quite often. It wasn't worth paying for the upgrade but the big advantage of in car NAV systems is it knows which way your car is pointed. All the portable NAV units require that you start moving before it knows which direction you're heading and for whatever reason I almost always find myself having to make a U-turn when I rely solely on the portable units (Garmin, google maps, etc.,) If I need a more updated map or traffic info then I turn on google maps on my Android phone.

 

[Mark@K-Town]

Bought a 2021 top-of-the-line Ford Ranger Lariat 4x4 about 6 weeks ago. This replaced my 1998 Ranger that was purchased before the iPhone was invented. That was a fabulous truck for 17 years. The new Ranger has more technology than I care for…Sync3, navigation, SiriusXM, Sirius TrafficPlus, Sirius TravelLink, Apple CarPlay, on-board Wi-Fi, lane assist, Trail Control, multiple cameras, etc. (the owner’s manual is 472 pages long!). It is essentially a rolling group of multiple computers. The technical learning curve has been really steep and most of the best information that I’ve found has been found via YouTube or Google searches . I say this as a retired Chemical Engineer that spent my working career developing software for some of the world’s largest bio-pharmaceutical plants. I can’t imagine how difficult this might be for a less technically oriented person.

Compared to the iPhone, I think Ford’s on-board technology is slow, not intuitive, and tries to (poorly) mimic the iPhone’s features. For example, the Sync3 software has its own voice commands. The on-board button labels and icons lack context and don’t have any help features. Important features are buried in multi-layered touch screen menus.

Updating the on-board navigation maps and also the Sync3 software each requires a long (60 to 80+ minutes) complicated series of steps (…plug a USB flash drive into your PC/Mac, log into a Ford support website, wait 10-15 minutes while several files are downloaded to the flash drive, plug the flash drive into the on-board USB port, wait 30-45 minutes while the flash drive uploads its contents to the on-board system, wait another few minutes while the on-board system updates, open the driver door for 10 seconds, and then close the door). Even though the truck has on-board Wi-Fi, it cannot perform these updates wirelessly.

Sirius is the worst. The Sirius TrafficPlus and TravelLink software has only worked twice in almost two months (yes, that is not a typo - it has only worked on just two trips around town and the truck now has almost 600 miles on the odometer). Both times, it only worked after doing a “master reset” via one of the buttons on the on-board display (it takes 10-15 minutes for the system to fully initialize after these resets and they wipe out all the location “favorites” that I had set up in the navigation system and also de-activates the FordPass iPhone app). Since purchasing the truck, most of the time the on-board display shows either “Unavailable” or “Unsubscribed” for the Sirius apps (Traffic, Weather, Fuel Prices, Movie Times, Sports, Weather Map, Ski Conditions, Charge Stations, Parking, etc.). The weird thing is that, because this is a new vehicle, all of this is complimentary (free) for awhile. You would think that Sirius would be highly motivated to deliver a high quality initial user experience in the hope that the new user would then continue on with the Sirius paid subscriptions after the complimentary trial period expires. Sirius technical support is generally useless - they only follow a canned script and have very little understanding about the Ford Ranger’s technology. Each of my technical support phone calls resulted in them sending a “refresh signal” which takes 15-20 minutes to execute and that failed to fix anything. Their technical support staff is 100% off-shore and there have been some difficult language issues.

I honestly can’t understand how Sirius stays in business with such buggy equipment and crummy technical support.

I can’t speak to all Ford products, but I would *strongly* advise anyone thinking of a new Ford Ranger to avoid Sirius at all costs (literally!).

Having said all the above, I am a big Ford fan (my father worked as a Ford engineer for 42 years). The 2021 Ford Ranger is mechanically very good .

 

[explanade]

Yeah a recent smart phone will have way more processing power than the embedded processors used in Garmin or car NAV systems.

Much more responsive display, better UI.

 

[OfficeSpace]

A no brand android head unit with Here app and their free offline maps works the best for me.

I don't want any cellular network because they are expensive and after I grow dependency with the data such as map, voice navi, and traffic updates, I will suffer when I am in an area without the connection.

Nav with offline maps is the way to go for me. I also can not stand waze keeps bugging me like the only way to survive (from driving?) is to join their social network.

I also don't think the connector apps like android auto are necessary (yeah I am looking to be unpopular here). Keep your phone asleep and just let the head unit handle all the things except relaying hands-free phone calls. Only a complete and unrestricted android head unit supports what I want.

Or just use the aftermarket android head unit that works like a smart phone, free offline map download/updates, and no need for taking your phone out of the pocket when you enter the car.

TBH I don't know why this aftermarket android head unit idea didn't get any traction in this thread. It is like people are so used to being confined by the status quo and it does not occur to think out of the box. A map update coats $169? With that amount of money you can install two android heat units and then some left over.

I keep the original/stock head unit partly because I want to revert to stock when I am selling my car in the future, but more importantly there might be a slight chance that I get to simply move the aftermarket unit into my next car so I don't have to relearn the new android (or whatever system in the next generation of cheap after market head unit that works well) system.

That is precisely what I did for my 2006 Z06 (when Android 4 was new) and my 2009 RAV4 (when Android 6 was new) with zero regrets. I love iGo for navigation and running Torque and any other app I want right on the head unit without being distracted by my phone. It really makes older vehicles feel new again. All of my friends have been impressed and I subsequently helped some of them install their own (which are better than mine thanks to continuous improvement). Highly recommended!

 

[Deuce]

I prefer Apple CarPlay, I just wish it was wireless!

 

[Midpack]

I prefer Apple CarPlay, I just wish it was wireless!

I agree but Apple isn't the holdup, lots of makes/models have wireless CarPlay, talk to your carmaker...

Which Cars Offer Wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for 2021?

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• BMW: 2 Series Gran Coupe, 3 Series, 4 Series, 5 Series, 7 Series, 8 Series, X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, Z4
• Buick: Encore GX, Envision
• Cadillac: CT4, CT5, Escalade, Escalade ESV, XT4, XT5, XT6
• Chevrolet: Camaro, Corvette, Malibu, Silverado 1500, Silverado 2500/3500, Suburban, Tahoe, Trailblazer
• Chrysler: Pacifica
• Dodge: Durango
• Ford: Bronco, F-150, Mustang Mach-E
• GMC: Acadia, Sierra 1500, Sierra 2500/3500, Yukon, Yukon XL
• Honda: Accord
• Jeep: Grand Cherokee L (not regular Grand Cherokee)
• Hyundai: Elantra, Palisade
• Kia: K5, Sorento
• Mercedes-Benz: S-Class
• Nissan: Rogue (not Rogue Sport)
• Volkswagen: Atlas (2021.5 only), Atlas Cross Sport, Arteon, Golf GTI (not regular Golf), Jetta, Tiguan

Wireless Apple CarPlay Only

• Audi: A4, A5, A6, A7, A8, E-Tron, Q3, Q5, Q7, Q8
• BMW: 2 Series coupe and convertible, X1, X2
• Mini: Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Hardtop
• Mazda: Mazda6, MX-5 Miata
• Porsche: 911, Cayenne, Macan, Panamera
• Toyota: Supra

Which Cars Offer Wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for 2020?

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

• BMW: 2 Series Gran Coupe, 3 Series, 7 Series, 8 Series, X5, X6, X7, Z4; wireless Apple CarPlay can be factory-installed, but all models require an over-the-air update for wireless Android Auto

Wireless Apple CarPlay Only

• Audi: A6, A7, A8, E-Tron, Q3, Q7, Q8
• BMW: 2 Series coupe and convertible, 4 Series, 5 Series, i3, i8, X1, X2, X3, X4; over-the-air update for wireless Android Auto unavailable
• Mini: Clubman, Convertible, Countryman, Hardtop
• Toyota: Supra

https://www.cars.com/articles/wireless-apple-carplay-and-android-auto-where-are-they-now-407297/