[buggeryorkshire]

The built-in nav is always awful anyway.

My partner replaced her 11 year BMW 5 GT with a new X4 last month. The nav is slow (probably updates the view twice a second) and out of date. I think it needs new roads updating via a USB stick.

The Android Auto and Carplay integration are fantastic though - silky smooth (better than the phone they're coming from) and always up to date.

Who ever uses those built-in things?

[stetrain]

Built-in navigation is more important and useful for long trips in an EV, where you want the nav to have detailed information on how much battery charge you have left and incorporate charging stops along your trip.

That's basically Tesla's secret sauce, their charger network + in-car nav makes taking trips in an EV pretty easy.

Android Auto and CarPlay are starting to incorporate these features though for cars that support sending those stats to the phone.

[Enginerrrd]

>Who ever uses those built-in things?

I do. I use it only as a backup or corroborating source of info in situations where the maps are never quite right, but that happens quite frequently.

I spend a LOT of time out of cell-service though.

[buggeryorkshire]

Good point. Though certainly Google Maps (through AA) lets you download the route in advance so you don't technically need data.

[therealfiona]

May I suggest caching/downloading your map data? Google Maps for example will allow you to cache areas. I used it when traveling cross country. Super duper valuable.

[bitwalker]

That's surprising, I have a '23 X6, and the built-in navigation is actually really nice. The maps have more detailed information than both Google and Apple Maps in many areas. I also haven't observed any lag/stuttering, but perhaps the hardware is worse or something on newer models.

Anyway, for me at least, the benefit of the built-in nav is not about routing, which is basically always worse than Google/Apple at this point, but about having detailed, offline maps. In my experience, offline Google/Apple maps are less detailed, and you have to download them in advance.

I use all three, depending on my needs at the time - each of them have their strengths. I prefer Google/Apple maps for day to day routing and things like that, but if I'm somewhere with poor signal, I use the native maps to navigate, because they are just more reliable.

It's all subjective though, and probably highly specific to location.

[Kirby64]

It’s awful if the vendor makes it awful. Know that this is deliberate lack of investment and not that it’s impossible. To my knowledge, there’s a few companies doing it right:

Tesla, whose nav is pretty great and responsive

Rivian, who appears to have copied a lot of the Tesla UI elements (and, has lots of former Tesla employees) and the snappiness and great nav is part of that.

Any car using Android automotive (different from Android auto) such as the Polestar lineup. Basically gives you an Android tablet with Google Maps, so nav is great, and it seems to be all held to a certain level of responsiveness.

[fourside]

Haven’t been on a Tesla recently but I really disliked the navigation system of the one we rented a while back. Small buttons, and common settings buried in multiple menu layers. What I like about Apple CarPlay and Android auto is that the UI is pretty consistent because it’s driven by the device I have with me.

[JustExAWS]

I would never buy a car that doesn’t have CarPlay integration. I’ve rented a Tesla enough times to know that their infotainment system is a reason not to get it.

[nonethewiser]

The built in navigation is a backup to preferred options like Waze, Google Maps, etc. via android/apple auto. You use those in normal situations and fallback to the car's navigation when you have to. It's not really competing with those nav solutions in my opinion.

Navigation does cost money though. Even maintaining a basic map.

[0cf8612b2e1e]

One thing I would love to see is more industry collaborations to make software. The nav system of Honda/Toyota/Ford is never going to be a differentiator on the core product. Chip in resources to get a core platform that each vendor can cosmetically tweak.

Of course, this never happens, because humans. Yet I still dream.

[eithed]

I imagine that it serves a purpose to demand a markup given that the car provides such capability.

[nativeit]

My 2012 VW Passat’s system was the most responsive and dead-on accurate GPS I’ve ever used in a car or a phone. The only thing that beats it are handheld dedicated GPS units designed for ships and rescue workers.

That said, the maps got out of date and couldn’t be updated without a $200 SD card, which was annoying.

[pfranz]

I have no idea about Android, but my understanding is for wired CarPlay a GPS in the dash is optional and for wireless CarPlay its required. The thinking is you can use a larger, better placed antennae. If you're using wireless CarPlay you may have your phone hidden away.