Navigation - Apple/Android vs Navigation vs OnStar

[Mikeric]

My last car and this one I had one condition, and that was support for Apple Car Play. I can use Google or Apple maps and in the past Google maps led me away from major pileups on the highway. Here's some of my questions:

The Buick Navigation app I believe is on a SD Card, is that right? If so why would you use it if the card becomes out of date? I had a Mercedes with a DVD map system and we used to call her Miss Information. Let alone the DVD was $200 to $300 for updates.

OnStar advertises turn by turn direction, what is that compared to Apple/Google turn by turn built in service?

Thanks for the help!

 

[adam728]

It's been several years since I had a car withOn-Star. At that point I much preferred Google maps, but maube because I was used to it.

At this point, Google maps works very, very well, with great traffic avoidance, ability to tag into Waze and see speed traps, etc. Why pay extra to have On-Star do the same thing, but maybe not even as well?

 

[saab93driver]

Neither one is perfect The maps from any of the Car Play apps will be more up to date than the cars built in maps and yes, traffic is free. The built in GPS has slight advantage about signal since it doesn't rely on cell signal. If you get the maps over cell data then possibly you lose them. Or get an app with downloadable maps and mostly solves that problem. IMO The built in interface is better than Car Play. Car Play you also lose the bottom info line on the screen.

 

[Abbott Martin]

OnStar requires calling a person who will send the directions to your car. Basically a human version of Siri.
Pro Tip: If you download maps onto your phone on Google Maps it will address the issue of losing CarPlay Nav when the phone has no service. Google thought of this but I think a lot of people forget about it. I use the feature when we are going into the Smokies.

 

[saab93driver]

OnStar requires calling a person who will send the directions to your car. Basically a human version of Siri.
Pro Tip: If you download maps onto your phone on Google Maps it will address the issue of losing CarPlay Nav when the phone has no service. Google thought of this but I think a lot of people forget about it. I use the feature when we are going into the Smokies.

At least on new user interfact If you have the Buick App and Buick Connected Vehicle services (pay service) from Onstar you can send the destination to the car from your phone. You search right from within the app, you don't have to talk to anyone.

 

[D2R]

I am also wondering how do we update the nav database on the SD card.
My area has recently gone through some major roadway reconfiguration that is not reflected on the nav screen.

 

[adam728]

At least on new user interfact If you have the Buick App and Buick Connected Vehicle services (pay service) from Onstar you can send the destination to the car from your phone. You search right from within the app, you don't have to talk to anyone.

Same on our GMC Terrain. Never called for nav, just find your destination and go.

 

[Abbott Martin]

At least on new user interfact If you have the Buick App and Buick Connected Vehicle services (pay service) from Onstar you can send the destination to the car from your phone. You search right from within the app, you don't have to talk to anyone.

Ohhh. What’s the benefit over Waze or Google Maps or Apple Maps?

 

[Ctrcbob]

I have no problems using the built in Navigation and maps. If I come to an intersection that has changed, I just follow the road signs. I never use the OnStar Navigation.

Yes, I have Apple play using Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze. I find that it is much more convenient to use the built in Navigation. BTW, I do have the OnStar Travel Link ($10 a month) that shows the road condition in Green-Yellow-Red.)

In addition, as good GPS systems work, you still need a MAP, because often the GPS wants to send you through an area you really don’t want. (I once had my Garmen try to route me through Central Dallas vice routing me around.

 

[RegalMN]

Only real advantage of the Nav is (as someone else mentioned) no need for cell signal. So if you are in the middle of nowhere it still works.

Google maps and waze use the same engine so will provide same routes (waze is owned by Google). Not too many people use Apple maps as there are more issues vs Google maps.

 

[Abbott Martin]

I have no problems using the built in Navigation and maps. If I come to an intersection that has changed, I just follow the road signs. I never use the OnStar Navigation.

Yes, I have Apple play using Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze. I find that it is much more convenient to use the built in Navigation. BTW, I do have the OnStar Travel Link ($10 a month) that shows the road condition in Green-Yellow-Red.)

In addition, as good GPS systems work, you still need a MAP, because often the GPS wants to send you through an area you really don’t want. (I once had my Garmen try to route me through Central Dallas vice routing me around.

Factory GPS doesn’t tell you where there are cops or potholes or objects on the road.

 

[Abbott Martin]

Only real advantage of the Nav is (as someone else mentioned) no need for cell signal. So if you are in the middle of nowhere it still works.

Google maps and waze use the same engine so will provide same routes (waze is owned by Google). Not too many people use Apple maps as there are more issues vs Google maps.

Download map to phone on Google Maps. They update monthly I think. No need for a signal. Higher quality earth view maps.

 

[RegalMN]

Download map to phone on Google Maps. They update monthly I think. No need for a signal. Higher quality earth view maps.

I have done the download but I feel like I've still had issues with no signal, but maybe that was a temporary glitch.

 

[LLninja]

Only real advantage of the Nav is (as someone else mentioned) no need for cell signal. So if you are in the middle of nowhere it still works.

Google maps and waze use the same engine so will provide same routes (waze is owned by Google). Not too many people use Apple maps as there are more issues vs Google maps.

I’m one of 5 people in the US who solely uses Apple Maps (I’m on a Google Boycott).

 

[D2R]

I have no problems using the built in Navigation and maps. If I come to an intersection that has changed, I just follow the road signs. I never use the OnStar Navigation.

Yes, I have Apple play using Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze. I find that it is much more convenient to use the built in Navigation. BTW, I do have the OnStar Travel Link ($10 a month) that shows the road condition in Green-Yellow-Red.)

In addition, as good GPS systems work, you still need a MAP, because often the GPS wants to send you through an area you really don’t want. (I once had my Garmen try to route me through Central Dallas vice routing me around.

About the routing part.
I had my fair share of funny story when working with GPS in my earlier career.
There was a time when the navigation system wanted me to turn into a road 90 degrees from where I was traveling. Except said road is underneath the BRIDGE I am on. 🤣

 

[LLninja]

About the routing part.
I had my fair share of funny story when working with GPS in my earlier career.
There was a time when the navigation system wanted me to turn into a road 90 degrees from where I was traveling. Except said road is underneath the BRIDGE I am on. 🤣

Definitely a case of "Don't blindly follow the map directions... please engage your brains."

I had something similar when traveling out of town a few years ago (don't exactly remember the city). The map software wanted me to get into the right lane, but new construction actually put us in the left lanes while oncoming traffic was coming on the right (like in the UK), but only for this bridge. It was one of these new fangled bridges/onramps/offramps that theoretically is supposed to help improve traffic flow, but really confuses everyone as it's unnatural to turn into what is normally oncoming traffic. I think just 1 or 2 fatal accidents caused by people not paying attention might cause them to reconsider this layout.

 

[ZB Commodore Owner]

Another mapping option for your phone is Here Maps or now called HereWeGo. Download load the maps onto your phone and away you go. Turn by turn navigation with street names. No need for a cellular connection unless you want traffic updates.

 

[D2R]

Definitely a case of "Don't blindly follow the map directions... please engage your brains."

I had something similar when traveling out of town a few years ago (don't exactly remember the city). The map software wanted me to get into the right lane, but new construction actually put us in the left lanes while oncoming traffic was coming on the right (like in the UK), but only for this bridge. It was one of these new fangled bridges/onramps/offramps that theoretically is supposed to help improve traffic flow, but really confuses everyone as it's unnatural to turn into what is normally oncoming traffic. I think just 1 or 2 fatal accidents caused by people not paying attention might cause them to reconsider this layout.

Those are called DDI and is very dependent on how it is designed. Some of them are not intuitive at all.

Diverging diamond interchange - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[fugeesnfunions]

My last car and this one I had one condition, and that was support for Apple Car Play. I can use Google or Apple maps and in the past Google maps led me away from major pileups on the highway. Here's some of my questions:

The Buick Navigation app I believe is on a SD Card, is that right? If so why would you use it if the card becomes out of date? I had a Mercedes with a DVD map system and we used to call her Miss Information. Let alone the DVD was $200 to $300 for updates.

OnStar advertises turn by turn direction, what is that compared to Apple/Google turn by turn built in service?

Thanks for the help!

I've been using Waze for about 8 years and it's become like a 6th sense when making long drives. I started out by using and controlling with just my phone, but the ability to plug into the cars infotainment and control it with the cars built in screen is invaluable. It makes it so much easier to add reports. You couldn't say me to go back to factory nav.

 

[saab93driver]

I've been using Waze for about 8 years and it's become like a 6th sense when making long drives. I started out by using and controlling with just my phone, but the ability to plug into the cars infotainment and control it with the cars built in screen is invaluable. It makes it so much easier to add reports. You couldn't say me to go back to factory nav.

I like the information Waze provides but I hate the cartoonish graphics and the "car on side of the road, is it still there?" messages get annoying. I realize the interactive part is why you get notice of hazards and police presence but it can get to be pretty distracting all by itself. I imagine all that can be turned off in a setting somewhere but I've moved onto other map programs. For my Honda Element where I don't have a GPS but the a.m. Kenwood head unit has carplay I use the TomTom app. Nice graphics with downloadable maps, traffic updates and red light camera locations noted.