It has been a few years since I jumped ship and started using Google Maps for navigation. However, over the past year I have become increasingly frustrated with maps. For instance, it insist on taking roads that might be faster, distance wise, but in actuality they are country roads that are slow and difficult. From what I have read this is because google maps focuses the route on 'fastest/shortest' and not comfortable (I have not been able to find much on this)? It has gotten so bad that I dont trust its route, Last week it had almost half my trip to Raleigh NC routed through cities and neighborhoods. Since I do not drive this often I was not familiar enough to realize that google was dumping me off the main road and onto some overcomplicated backroads until it was too late.

I have looked into a few other smartphone apps and I am not happy with adds or subscriptions etc.

This brings me back to Garmin, I remember always being pleased with its routes. And when my Nuvi 3.5" finally gave it up a few years ago, that was when I switched to using google maps.

I am looking at the new ones and was wondering do you guys have an opinion on the more modern Garmins? Really I just want a nice route that takes me on the main roads when possible even if that means I travel a few feet further.

Check the apps setup, it's possible that it has selections for avoidances, such as toll roads, gravel roads, interstates etc. If some are selected, even if you hit fastest route, and you have avoid toll roads, it's going to route you over the next possible fastest route that doesn't involve tolls.

Same happens if avoid interstates/highways is selected.

I had Garmin for several years. It only got me lost a couple of times.

Then I went to Google maps. No issues.

Then I tried Waze; Works on iPhone and my wife’s Car play and in my older Acura TLX. I can preset trips and schedule when to leave alerts. Shows road obstructions, construction, police cars etc. So far it’s my favorite. It’s worth trying.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
Check the apps setup, it's possible that it has selections for avoidances, such as toll roads, gravel roads, interstates etc. If some are selected, even if you hit fastest route, and you have avoid toll roads, it's going to route you over the next possible fastest route that doesn't involve tolls.

Same happens if avoid interstates/highways is selected.

I have the options for "avoid highways, tolls, ferries" all unchecked. But "prefer efficient fuel route" has been added and somehow I have overlooked it. I have unchecked it and I may give this a try and see if it helps.

I can 'change' the route as well. For instance it has me taking country roads anytime I go west through Roanoke. I always have to manually make it take the much faster highway route for some reason.

I am cutting ties to all things google.

I use Apple Maps and it's mostly fine. What I find is it tries to send me on higher speed limit major roads with more lanes but lots of lights and traffic, instead of slightly lower limit country roads with less traffic that are actually faster.

Mostly it looks at distance and speed limits I think. Traffic is crowd sourced from other users so major slowdowns and stoppages result in re-routes. But there have been times I decided I know better, and I didn't....

Also use Waze but it's not very well implemented into Apple Carplay. You have to program the destination manually.

I think that, since purchasing Waze, Google is in the process of trying to integrate their navigation with the Waze app. You might find different preferences/configuration items depending on which front end you use. I use Waze and am generally happy with it. The account registration aspect of Waze has been insignificant, and the way I figure it, thry already have your phone identification, and Google account.

Another thing I have found handy is to preview my route on a larger screen (e.g. desktop). The web-based front end to Google maps (GM) will allow one to choose optional routing (dragging the blue line to other roads). While not perfect this allows one to compare drive times & distance, Interstates vs. back roads, etc. I have not found this functionality on the mobile device front end, although I haven't really looked for it, I tend to stay off my phone as much as possible, especially when in the car. This will at least show if GM is trying to take you around the barn to save 5 seconds of drive time.

I haven't actually seen a comfort vs. speed configuration toggle, but there is one for super highways vs. surface streets and an avoid/accept tolls option. I think there is also an avoid traffic lights option. Choosing wisely might lead to better automatic route selection.

I looked into Waze, but did not care for the UI. I may need to give it another go.

Isn't Waze owned by Google now?

I've noticed the same - google will often choose a route that is 10/20/30 min longer simply because it's a mile or two shorter OR (the worst) the most 'fuel efficient'. The hell with that. I'm not driving an extra 30 min (on a 3 - 4 hour trip) to save a thimble of fuel.

quote:

"prefer efficient fuel route"

That setting screwed me several times in the last week before I found it and disabled. Not sure when it was added.

Routed me to the back of an industrial park I was trying to get into, which had an RFID card reader operated gate, of course I didn't have a card... Most everyone else that enters that park does, so google girl "assumed" it was a freely traveled route. NOPE.

Thanks a lot you green boneheads.

Speaking of Garmin, which I generally prefer, my shocking discovery on a coast-to-coast trip 9 years ago, was my Garmin "Rhoada the Road Bitch" could be counted on usually, but AT LEAST ONCE a day, would steer us into a major unexplainable blunder....like suddenly advising "RT turn" off a 4 lane highway into a pasture access.

I've only managed to get my Apple Synch 3 gizmo running once, as I refuse a number of required cell phone setting changes.

It's sort of an unresolved conflict, having that marvelous large screen unused in the dash. The 2nd time I tried connecting it wanted to download all the updates since the last time. Having a little Alexa/Bixby/Siri silicon servant readily at hand doesn't work for me.

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Originally posted by signewt:
The 2nd time I tried connecting it wanted to download all the updates since the last time. Having a little Alexa/Bixby/Siri silicon servant readily at hand doesn't work for me.

It is a computer after all...and in the 21st century, updates are a constant. When its wash/clean time for my truck, I'll use that time to hook-up my Garmin to the computer and get it all updated. Sometimes they're fast, others maybe 30-min, I'm spending the next 3-hrs cleaning the rig anyways so, no time lost.

When i was traveling for work regularly i started using my Motorola phone's nav app which actually was pretty good except that it tied up my phone display. Then I got a new phone and the nav app was not very good so i tried various apps and was not happy with any of them.

I got a Garmin with lifetime updates and I love the interface, accuracy, and that it doesn’t require any interfacing with my phone or the car. Especially when I’m in a rental.

I also found some of the apps lagged behind my actual position, where I would be turning and it would tell me my turn is coming up. The Garmin, being designed for the hardware it is on, doesn’t suffer from that.

Somehow “avoid highways” got turned on once, so it told me i couldn’t get to where i wanted to go.

But I’ve never had any other issues with google. Way better than apple maps. I hate Apple Maps.

Get a paper Atlas and check it against the GPS or phone route.

No offense, but I think it's foolish to depend solely and only on GPS and/or a phone app.

There are just way too many stories of people simply following the gps/phones routing and end up on top of a mount or river, totally lost and alone. The latest example is the elderly couple in Nevada, one died, the other was airlifted to a hospital.

One more thing about a paper atlas or map, it gives you a rapid large scale view of the wide area, narrow area, etc, and gives your minds eye an excellent idea of what you need to drive and avoid getting in dire shape.

One checks and balances the other.
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Whenever I'm going somewhere that's a ways out of the area I know well, I check maps on the net before I go and decide which way I'm going to go.

Then if my Google maps says "go this way" I ignore it and go the way I'd originally planned. The app resets itself and continues on with no problems.

I have Nav in my new Toyota Highlander but I prefer my Garmin DriveSmart GPS coupled with Waze on the large screen. I can usually say 'OK Garmin' and tell it what I want and off I go. Works great 99% of the time.

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Originally posted by corsair:
Sometimes they're fast, others maybe 30-min

thanks for the tip

I prefer Waze but I use Google maps for a backup. The differences can be subtle to significant.
Courier for a living.

I’ve been a Waze user almost since it’s inception (when you had to fight for points and chase targets around the map to help them build their algorithms and achieve your own Waze-King status).

I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone right now.

I don’t know if it’s a local or regional thing or to what extent it has to do with the Google buyout, but more often than not, server connectivity is a huge issue and it’s incredibly hit-or-miss searching for waypoints (i.e., gas stations, restaurants, etc.) often returning an error message.

I’m just now experimenting with Google maps.

-Rob

Google is MUCH better than Garmin because it is "real-time" Shows traffic slowdowns, wrecks, cops,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,suggests better routing.

There is NO comparison to the utility.