kcowan
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
We abandoned our Garmin and use Waze/Google Maps through our car AV system. We often turn off the voice prompts when in a foreign country.
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DW prefers paper Road Atlas or even a local map showing county and dirt roads if available. Smart phone as a backup.
Heh heh heh - When she drives us to a new place - it is an adventure. to put it mildly. The road less traveled, the journey IS the destination, yada yada.
We stayed in Amsterdam for a couple of months one summer and bought used bicycles and that was our main transportation all over town and much faster/more convenient than the public transportation we normally take.^^^^^
I've seen you posting before about Amsterdam and now I see you mention bicycling... I've been there a few times (~20 yrs ago) and taken a number of the bicycle tours in the area.... I assume the organized bike tours are still going on since they were certainly popular back in the 90's... My favorite ride/tour was just west of the city in a seaside community called Zandvoort. Lots of bicycle routes with some passing along the North Sea, "outstanding beaches ", national park, local race track and down to the casino area. I never needed a nav system since the paths were pretty clearly marked and I was usually riding with someone familiar with the area...
Great fun for anyone visiting the area and great scenery "if you are in shape for some extended bicycling". Glad I did it when I was still young enough to enjoy the rides and sites.
I didn’t know you could buy CarPlay as an upgrade. It’s built into all iPhones now and your car either has it installed (std or optional) or it doesn’t IME and, but obviously that’s not always the case from your example.I added Car Play to my 2018 Lexus SUV and find it way better than the built in navigation. I was going to have to pay $150 or something to update the maps so I just popped $180 for Car Play. Most people like Waze but I can't get used to the interface. I do like Apple Maps which I had never bothered with before. I like the detailed instructions. "go thru the next light and then turn right at the stop sign."
I was surprised too. It comes standard in the same model now but when I was Googling navigation system map updates I came across a reference for having the dealer install the CarPlay software. It was $180 but would be much more expensive if you had to replace the head unit. In my year and model it was a software upgrade.I didn’t know you could buy CarPlay as an upgrade. It’s built into all iPhones now and your car either has it installed (std or optional) or it doesn’t IME and, but obviously that’s not always the case from your example.
I didn’t know you could buy CarPlay as an upgrade. It’s built into all iPhones now and your car either has it installed (std or optional) or it doesn’t IME and, but obviously that’s not always the case from your example.
For those who use your smart phone app for navigation do you have a way to get it on a larger screen on your car (like CarPlay) or do you just look at your phone screen?
For those who use your smart phone app for navigation do you have a way to get it on a larger screen on your car (like CarPlay) or do you just look at your phone screen?
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.
Interesting poll result. I think the built in systems are clearly inferior to smartphones (expensive and never current), and a manufacturer/dealer ripoff, but I assumed the majority here would use built ins. I was also surprised to see that many people still use stand alone GPS units in cars, though I used one constantly when I was boating. Just not quite what I expected, that's why I polled.
As much as I prefer CarPlay w Apple Maps, I realize there will come a day where we'll be locked in to built in NAV systems again, as self-driving develops. I well understand why carmakers have to lock into one NAV map/app for self-driving, e.g Tesla is locked into Google Maps - understandably no way around it.
I found a like new Garmin GPS with lifetime maps (circa 2014) in the free bin at my local Habitat ReStore. When I proudly showed it to my DW, she observed that it was in the free bin because no one wants them anymore - everyone just uses their smartphone. I updated the maps on it and I'll carry it with me for use in rental cars, but I suspect DW was right.As long as Garmin is still around I'm happy with my lifetime map updates on the old GPS.............
For those who use your smart phone app for navigation do you have a way to get it on a larger screen on your car (like CarPlay) or do you just look at your phone screen?
I have a suction-cup dash mount and audible directions enabled, not a larger screen. If a rental car on trip, DW will have the phone in hand and give me directions--especially if situation is too confusing with just the audible from phone (i.e., on Jordan's King's "Highway" when going through small towns....).
I found a like new Garmin GPS with lifetime maps (circa 2014) in the free bin at my local Habitat ReStore. When I proudly showed it to my DW, she observed that it was in the free bin because no one wants them anymore - everyone just uses their smartphone. I updated the maps on it and I'll carry it with me for use in rental cars, but I suspect DW was right.
Apple introduced CarPlay in 2014 as a way to integrate the iPhone and a car’s dashboard.
In the United States, over 80% of new cars sold support it, Apple said last year.
Apple’s success with CarPlay explains the automotive industry’s interest in rumors that Apple plans to build its own car.
I use a vent mount, which is hit and miss as far as some cars.
I've driven on long road trips with the iPhone in the cup holder and me occasionally picking it up to look at the display, though getting audio prompts all the time ("turn left in 100 meters")