Google Maps accuracy ?

[Hettie's Crew]

We’re just in the process of choosing a new head unit and have pretty much decided on one with Apple Car Play to use Google Maps through our phones instead of having a separate sat nav.
Our car has Car Play, so today we thought we’d try out Google Maps, never used it as the car a built in sat nav.
A couple of issues came up, one being data usage, a sat nav costs you nothing but your data deal has to be sufficient to cover possible hours of use.
Dropping out, we went through a dense tree area and it lost connection, having to be reset as it didn’t just start up again, it lost our destination.
The main issue was accurate map data, we knew where we where but the instructions told us to follow a route that was one way, we were going the wrong way and that road has been one way for quite a few years too, so confidence wasn’t high in it.
Anyone got extended experience of using Google Maps and what problems/benefits have you experienced.

 

[Itsmcb]

You can download large or small sections of the map for offline use to save data and drop outs

 

[Hettie's Crew]

You can download large or small sections of the map for offline use to save data and drop outs

Yes I’ve since seen you can download maps/routes at home first through your wi-fi.

 

[Andy MacD]

I’ve stopped using google maps as it tends to want me to take alternative routes to save a minute or quarter mile without asking, it just loves B road “shortcuts” and once took me through a forest down a gravel track. Instead I use iPhone Maps which I find much better. Not noticed data use so can’t comment on that. Not has any loss of signal issues but I am using MiFi roof ariel.

 

[Itsmcb]

I'll agree that the Google routes are not to be trusted

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[Andy MacD]

One thing I have started doing is dropping pins to navigate. I switch to satellite view, find the destination e.g, car park, attraction or camp site and drop a pin at the entrance. I find this much better than entering a post code or destination address as it takes you to exactly the correct point. It also allows you to get advance view of where you are going. This is vital for car parks for example as you can see the layout of the car park, which spaces you can fit in and by checking the entrance if there is a height restriction barrier. Switch back to map view before you start the journey to reduce data delay and use.

 

[Robert Clark]

We’ve successfully used Google maps across the UK and Europe for years now with little if any issues.

I’ve never seen it freeze or drop out, so I’m wondering if it was an issue with the device it was running on?

Like all sat navs if it tries to take me down a road I don’t like the look of, I stop and re route.

I wouldn’t use anything else

 

[Landy Andy]

I don’t use it normally for nav. But to make it work better I connect my device to the WiFi, with puk aerial so stronger signal.

 

[68c]

Just download Osmap. Download all the maps for your area. Works offline so no data use. Even has a large Wikipedia section. Works worldwide.

 

[Debs]

I've used Google maps for a few years but I'll always check the proposed route using my truckers map & I also write the directions down but then Im travelling solo so I am a bit belt & braces as its hard to double check on the move with no navigator.

I've never had problems with it dropping out, I used to with the tomtom though.

I think you can only opt for shortest or fastest or avoid motorways which is why I always check the route. If I want to force a particular route I use the 'add stop' function which works well for me.

Its very easy to drag the route you want it to take on a computer which you can then email to your phone. Clicking the link then opens maps but for some reason it doesn't save it though which is so frustrating (it'll revert to shortest etc) Its possible I'm missing something there though otherwise what a waste. It usually advises if it's found a faster route & asks if you want to change. Traffic info is usually good too, showing road closures etc.

I think the preview function is great.

Its probably like most things - you need to practice with it (at one time I was running a tomtom alongside which I didn't trust at all).

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[Hettie's Crew]

I've never had problems with it dropping out

I think our dropping out episode may have been the head unit searching for my phone when it was Liz’s phone we had connected for the car play. It said searching for Bluetooth then went back to the map but the destination had to be reset.

 

[Wh05apk]

Try using Road Lords it is free and is basically the truck version of waze, so traffic is very good, and you can add your vehicle dimensions.

 

[Itsmcb]

Try using Road Lords it is free and is basically the truck version of waze, so traffic is very good, and you can add your vehicle dimensions.

I looked at installing this to try but the recent reviews were all fairly negative so I've given it a miss.

 

[acropolis22]

Try using Road Lords it is free and is basically the truck version of waze, so traffic is very good, and you can add your vehicle dimensions.

Road Lords tends to suggest "Goods Inwards" locations for retail destinations, which can be entertaining if you are not concentrating..... It does allow you to enter vehicle dimensions, which is good.

 

[Wh05apk]

I've used it no problems.

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[Reallyretired]

I use Waze in my car via Android Auto, much preferring it to the built in satnav (think its TomTom). It also belongs to google but I find it much preferable to google maps, which has lately started directing me to charging points, which in a petrol hybrid is not useful.

 

[Guigsy]

We’re just in the process of choosing a new head unit and have pretty much decided on one with Apple Car Play to use Google Maps through our phones instead of having a separate sat nav.
Our car has Car Play, so today we thought we’d try out Google Maps, never used it as the car a built in sat nav.
A couple of issues came up, one being data usage, a sat nav costs you nothing but your data deal has to be sufficient to cover possible hours of use.
Dropping out, we went through a dense tree area and it lost connection, having to be reset as it didn’t just start up again, it lost our destination.
The main issue was accurate map data, we knew where we where but the instructions told us to follow a route that was one way, we were going the wrong way and that road has been one way for quite a few years too, so confidence wasn’t high in it.
Anyone got extended experience of using Google Maps and what problems/benefits have you experienced.

Birmingham city centre has a lot of roadworks at the moment. The road I live on went one-way. It took about a week for Google to fix it. OpenStreetMap was corrected by the time I checked. A month later, TomTom and Bing were still telling people to go the wrong way.

Google didn't quite have the new junction layout correct. So I sent a correction to them. It was accepted a couple of weeks later.

Google also analyse your route. So if you don't follow the route it suggested, it may ask you why to improve their mapping and routing. If enough people follow routes that it doesn't know exist, they investigate.

 

[Pausim]

Google is only one of several navigation apps that are compatible with Apple CarPlay.

If dropout is a problem it is worth remembering the GPS in the phone needs a signal, so it is no good burying the phone too far from the windscreen. My phone sits in the upper glove box on the top of the dash and I have had no dropout problems. Dropout is not an issue with Google Maps or any other other app, it is a phone issue.

 

[Guigsy]

Google is only one of several navigation apps that are compatible with Apple CarPlay.

If dropout is a problem it is worth remembering the GPS in the phone needs a signal, so it is no good burying the phone too far from the windscreen. My phone sits in the upper glove box on the top of the dash and I have had no dropout problems. Dropout is not an issue with Google Maps or any other other app, it is a phone issue.

Some Apple CarPlay/Android Auto head units have their own internal GPS and position is passed through to the phone. So it doesn't matter where you stash the phone.

My old and basic Sony XAV-AX100 didn't have a GPS, so the phone had to have a reasonable view of the sky... which was a problem when it got to 35C in Germany and shut down because it got too hot. Also, baking your phone's batteries seriously shortens their life.

 

[Pausim]

Some Apple CarPlay/Android Auto head units have their own internal GPS and position is passed through to the phone. So it doesn't matter where you stash the phone.

My old and basic Sony XAV-AX100 didn't have a GPS, so the phone had to have a reasonable view of the sky... which was a problem when it got to 35C in Germany and shut down because it got too hot. Also, baking your phone's batteries seriously shortens their life.

Yes, I had forgotten that some head units did this. Indeed it might be part of the problem Hettie's Crew are having when trying out CarPlay in their car. There have been a number of post on the internet about lost position arising from head unit position data. One poster says he solved it on a Pioneer unit by resetting 3D Calibration Status—Reset all three of the settings: Learning, Distance, and Speed Pulse.

The top glove box on my Fiat dash is connected to the air con and the phone comes out of the box well chilled.

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[Robert Clark]

I use Waze in my car via Android Auto, much preferring it to the built in satnav (think its TomTom). It also belongs to google but I find it much preferable to google maps, which has lately started directing me to charging points, which in a petrol hybrid is not useful.

I think you can disable that feature in the settings

 

[ceejayt]

I have Google maps on CarPlay on Pioneer head unit and it works really well BUT I also ha e CoPilot Truck on my iPad because Google will take you down a narrow shortcut that can sometimes be uncomfortable (understatement) so I tend to use some common sense in selecting which route to follow at any particular point.

On the other hand, Google can be much better at traffic prediction and rerouting.

nothing is better than using your common sense

 

[Hettie's Crew]

nothing is better than using your common sense

I used my common sense when I saw the two big no entry signs and traffic coming towards us. This was the most worrying part of using Google maps for the first time because the road it wanted us to take was a slip road to the M62/A63.
An unusual slip road admittedly as it used to be just an ordinary road between villages and leads to an industrial area before the one way. We both knew it was the wrong way when it went past the correct road going over the major road.
I don’t think the cars position data can be blamed as it’s been faultless for the four years we’ve had it.
The drop out, I think, was something to do the car searching for the other phone as it said it was Bluetooth searching. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t just resume when it reconnected.
Other than that it hasn’t put us off.
For anyone that knows the area we were coming from Newport/Gilberdyke to either go over to North Cave or down the M62/A63 to Hull. I’ve marked in green the correct way and in red the way it tried to take us.

 

[Pausim]

Google Maps seems to be behaving itself today but as you say common sense needs to be used too. I often use the street scene on Google Maps to check out routes that look a bit suspect before taking a motorhome down narrow lanes or through villages with lots of bends.