Is it just me that doesn't WANT built in sat nav?
Discussion
If the choice is between a standard headunit or sat nav screen, then would go with satnav as the interior looks better with it. But nowadays with many cars having screens anyway, not as much of an attraction with mobile sat nav being very usable.
Suspect won't be long before its a standard free option in-cars, with cars now being 'always connected' online, the location data collected will be valuable and they can also show adverts.
Suspect won't be long before its a standard free option in-cars, with cars now being 'always connected' online, the location data collected will be valuable and they can also show adverts.
Land Rover have at last included something remotely useful in their InControl system that communicates with your mobile.
It's a Satnav app called Genius Maps that runs on the phone. This is then displayed on the car's screen.
It seems ok, and is a step up from the clunky built in satnav.
It's a Satnav app called Genius Maps that runs on the phone. This is then displayed on the car's screen.
It seems ok, and is a step up from the clunky built in satnav.
The chinese make some good androd head units that look and integrate as well as oem but bring all the benefits of a decent os. My £200 merc comand lookalike operates from the steering controls, displays all the correct info on the cluster mid, source and track info etc lighting, speed etc all down the canbus but it can run waze, amazon snd google music, torque, my rtl wideband sdr scanner and dab.
Big fan of built in sat nav and tend to put the address in even when I know where I'm going as I like to have an ETA and the BMW system is good for routing around traffic problems I wouldn't otherwise know about. Pretty sure you can update the software via a USB stick too having downloaded it for free from the website.
It's also bloody brilliant to be able to send destination straight to the car from Google Maps on my laptop.
However, older systems are rubbish, even the 2012 system in my Range Rover is pants!
It's also bloody brilliant to be able to send destination straight to the car from Google Maps on my laptop.
However, older systems are rubbish, even the 2012 system in my Range Rover is pants!
Hawkers said:
Another advantage of a smartphone or tomtom etc is you can plan the route and have it ready to go before you get in the car or even import a route file. Rather than finding it's not in the cars database!
BMW allows you to send a planned route to the car or import it on a usb stick. It also has connected search in the car. Roger Irrelevant said:
I don't get the '5 year old satnav is hopelessly out of date' thing - mine is from 2004 (so practically the dark ages), and granted I don't need to use it that much but when I do I put the postcode in, it gives me directions, I get there. What am I missing?
Only anything built since 2004...You're good as long as you don't go on any new roads/houses.
Roger Irrelevant said:
I don't get the '5 year old satnav is hopelessly out of date' thing - mine is from 2004 (so practically the dark ages), and granted I don't need to use it that much but when I do I put the postcode in, it gives me directions, I get there. What am I missing?
You know how sometimes you are on a road and see lots of cars suddenly taking an exit, then a few minutes later you find out the police have closed off the motorway? the cars that now surround you also has satnavs from 2004.Traffic awareness is biggest change. Assuming something from 2004 won't pick the quickest route of 3 because it knows about an accident bringing things to a standstill. It also won't actively and continuously change the route as things change.
techguyone said:
Roger Irrelevant said:
I don't get the '5 year old satnav is hopelessly out of date' thing - mine is from 2004 (so practically the dark ages), and granted I don't need to use it that much but when I do I put the postcode in, it gives me directions, I get there. What am I missing?
Only anything built since 2004...You're good as long as you don't go on any new roads/houses.
Over the air, new SD card or even DVD are all a bit... crap to be honest, especially when you factor in the costs associated with.
I (briefly) considered updating my Honda Navigation DVD the other week, I don't even think it's right up to date and would have cost me £240, you see nav systems specced in new cars for options of 1k + it's a joke.
Screw that, I plug in my large screen phone, turn google maps on (did I mention it's free, accurate, does updates continually, I can now save maps for offline use too.
Moving forward the best thing will be a car screen mirroring your phones, best of both worlds, you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to get the current nav options available at the prices they are, and the with the limitations they have.
I (briefly) considered updating my Honda Navigation DVD the other week, I don't even think it's right up to date and would have cost me £240, you see nav systems specced in new cars for options of 1k + it's a joke.
Screw that, I plug in my large screen phone, turn google maps on (did I mention it's free, accurate, does updates continually, I can now save maps for offline use too.
Moving forward the best thing will be a car screen mirroring your phones, best of both worlds, you'd have to be a special kind of stupid to get the current nav options available at the prices they are, and the with the limitations they have.
Roger Irrelevant said:
I don't get the '5 year old satnav is hopelessly out of date' thing - mine is from 2004 (so practically the dark ages), and granted I don't need to use it that much but when I do I put the postcode in, it gives me directions, I get there. What am I missing?
Bought my TomTom ~2008/2009. Got me all the way across to Eastern Europe no problem what so ever with latest map updates. 4000 miles in 2 weeks and only got lost once but that was mainly my fault for not reading road signs properly in northern Poland as there was major road works at the time.hyphen said:
Roger Irrelevant said:
I don't get the '5 year old satnav is hopelessly out of date' thing - mine is from 2004 (so practically the dark ages), and granted I don't need to use it that much but when I do I put the postcode in, it gives me directions, I get there. What am I missing?
You know how sometimes you are on a road and see lots of cars suddenly taking an exit, then a few minutes later you find out the police have closed off the motorway? the cars that now surround you also has satnavs from 2004.Traffic awareness is biggest change. Assuming something from 2004 won't pick the quickest route of 3 because it knows about an accident bringing things to a standstill. It also won't actively and continuously change the route as things change.
hyphen said:
You know how sometimes you are on a road and see lots of cars suddenly taking an exit, then a few minutes later you find out the police have closed off the motorway? the cars that now surround you also has satnavs from 2004.
Traffic awareness is biggest change. Assuming something from 2004 won't pick the quickest route of 3 because it knows about an accident bringing things to a standstill. It also won't actively and continuously change the route as things change.
It's often not up-to-date enough though and sends you on pointless detours, especially in rush hour. Queues can form and clear within 10 minutes. I see it regularly where Google maps colours the main road in dark red so I take a detour. When I re-join the main road it is clear and running freely.Traffic awareness is biggest change. Assuming something from 2004 won't pick the quickest route of 3 because it knows about an accident bringing things to a standstill. It also won't actively and continuously change the route as things change.
alock said:
hyphen said:
You know how sometimes you are on a road and see lots of cars suddenly taking an exit, then a few minutes later you find out the police have closed off the motorway? the cars that now surround you also has satnavs from 2004.
Traffic awareness is biggest change. Assuming something from 2004 won't pick the quickest route of 3 because it knows about an accident bringing things to a standstill. It also won't actively and continuously change the route as things change.
It's often not up-to-date enough though and sends you on pointless detours, especially in rush hour. Queues can form and clear within 10 minutes. I see it regularly where Google maps colours the main road in dark red so I take a detour. When I re-join the main road it is clear and running freely.Traffic awareness is biggest change. Assuming something from 2004 won't pick the quickest route of 3 because it knows about an accident bringing things to a standstill. It also won't actively and continuously change the route as things change.
HappyMidget said:
Zod said:
That's why you need Waze.
I have only used it once, added 20 minutes to my normal route. Was also sat in some traffic that had a 6 minute delay marker and it said I would be there in 3 minutes. Took another 15 minutes to get to my destination. Never again.I've found Waze is a bit of mixed blessing. It keeps sending you down back roads, not realising that many of them are the 'narrow roads with lots of parked cars and few passing places' type, so makes the journey more stressful and would rather use main roads and spend 5 more minutes.
Also can be distracting with ads.
Also can be distracting with ads.
Edited by hyphen on Wednesday 16th November 11:11
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