Current favorite navigation app?

[kingston73]

I know there are many “what’s the best nav app” but I searched and didn’t find any from 2019 so I’m wondering what your thoughts are now? I’ve been impressed with the updates to apple maps but I feel like it’s traffic routing still needs work.

I like google maps for finding things easily but really wish google had traffic camera/sped trap/police alerts like Waze.

Waze is great when it works but seems to often have issues. It’ll time outa d not be able to calculate the route and it also has issues with calculating alternate routes.

Sygic sounds good but is expensive, I’m wondering if that price means it’s going to be better than the free ones.

I have t tried any others.

So, as of July 2019 what are your favorites?

 

[bransoj]

I've been using Apple Maps a lot since getting CarPlay on our new car last March...have no issues with it at all and find the traffic routing is fine most of the time, handle my commute to work and back fine. Also used it for a 2500 mile trip to France and back and it never let me down including warning me of hazards on the motorways etc. I also like the way it integrates in to the phone as well, most of the time either through frequent locations or entries in my calendar when i plug into CarPlay and start Apple Maps it will suggest the location i want to navigate to without me having to ask.

Tried Waze recently for a while but whilst the user based notifications are handy i didnt like how it always seemed to be running in the background and couldnt figure a way to get a proper handle on what it was doing. As for Google Maps i dont like the CarPlay look, its handy for looking places up now and then but i'd then navigate to them using Apple Maps.

 

[willmtaylor]

You’ve already mentioned the big ones. I use Google Maps for most reliable directions and traffic, and I use Wade for accidents and LEO’s. Apple Maps is still much less useful, as it has fewer details and less updated information in my area.

 

[Juicy Box]

I use Waze most of the time. It is better for almost ever situation except for convenience.

I like the given choices and being able to pick which route to drive, Apple Maps doesn’t do this.

Overall, I think Waze is more accurate when it comes to arrive time.

The alerts that Waze gives is helpful too.

I think that Waze has gotten less accurate over the past 1.5 years, I’m not sure why.

A few weeks ago, Waze directed me onto an interstate for my morning commute, as soon as I got off the ramp, I was hit with bumper-to-bumper traffic, stop and go for 6 miles. There was many other ways I could have gone that was clear of traffic.

Stuff like that is becoming more common with Waze.

Pretty much the only time I use Apple Maps is when it is just convenient to use the Siri button on my CarPlay.

Although, Siri is sometimes useless in CarPlay.

I haven’t use google maps in a while, so I won’t comment on that.

 

[kingston73]

Your story is why I’ve started looking for alternatives, Waze seems like it’s going downhill

 

[MisterSavage]

I like google maps for finding things easily but really wish google had traffic camera/sped trap/police alerts like Waze.

It looks like they might be rolling that out.

https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/google-maps-now-showing-speed-limits/

 

[CTHarrryH]

I think you must really try all three in the area that you tend to travel (if possible). I find certain things better in Apple and some locations that Google handles better.

 

[MisterSavage]

I like Google Maps but I absolutely hate how you must enable location tracking in order to share your ETA with people. It's frustrating because Waze doesn't make you do this. I'm going to give Apple Maps another go when iOS 13 drops if they have good coverage with Street View.

 

[bransoj]

I like the given choices and being able to pick which route to drive, Apple Maps doesn’t do this.

Apple Maps does give you route options if there are feasible alternatives, also if you go to the overview of your route whilst travelling it shows other options as well and tells you if they are faster, slower or similar eta. I use this a lot via CarPlay especially when commuting in to work when i dont really need the up close view as i know the way. The overview look means i can see the build up of traffic overall etc plus what the other routes look like. The times i've had it not show alternatives is because they arent worthwhile. On my way home one option is the motorway but if there is an incident etc on it then it wont show it and if i actually check that route its because it can be at a standstill and take almost double the time.

Overall, I think Waze is more accurate when it comes to arrive time.

I have at times done the same trip on all three mapping apps and they will pick the same route with the same arrival time. Generally i find that where i am there is very little difference between any of the apps so i just stick with Apple Maps as it integrates into everything else better. The only thing i would probably like is the user based alerting from other users but i'm not switching to Waze just for that.

Pretty much the only time I use Apple Maps is when it is just convenient to use the Siri button on my CarPlay.

Although, Siri is sometimes useless in CarPlay.

Never have an issue with Siri in the car via CarPlay, fires up every time mainly via the "Hey Siri" command and I use it to set navigation going, make calls and both reading out and sending texts.

 

[Juicy Box]

Apple Maps does give you route options if there are feasible alternatives

I have not seen this, but will try it again soon.

It would be nice to give options and let the user determine if they are feasible or not. My commute has many different paths to take, so I am not sure why I wouldn't see an option to choose a route.

Maybe I went looking for it once, and couldn't find it, so I haven't bother checking again, thinking that there was not that option. Or maybe I just do not know how to find the option for alternate routes.

I have at times done the same trip on all three mapping apps and they will pick the same route with the same arrival time.

I have done this as well, but just with Apple Maps and Waze. Using the same route, they had different times. Only by 2-3 minutes, but still, one was more off, and it was always Apple Maps the few times I compared.

Never have an issue with Siri in the car via CarPlay, fires up every time mainly via the "Hey Siri" command and I use it to set navigation going, make calls and both reading out and sending texts.

I have a love/hate relationship with Siri. When it works, it is great, but many times, it just doesn't.


3-4 years ago, I was driving in an area that I was not familiar with, and I was really low on fuel. I asked Siri on my CarPlay to give me directions to the closest gas station, which Siri directed me to a station that was about 10 miles away, which was surprising, because I knew there was one closer, but in the opposite direction of my home and the way I was traveling.

I followed Siri's directions, and the gas station was closed. It look like it has been closed for years.

Not a big deal, I just started driving again, asking Siri for directions to another station, which showed one about 2 miles away. I followed the directions, and about halfway there I felt like I was having déjà vu. Siri took me back to the closed gas station.

I asked Siri in many different ways, of basically asking the same thing, such as "where is the next closest station", or "where is the closest Royal Farms", since there was a lot of them, and the closed station was not Royal Farms. It would always direct me to the closed gas station, like a scene out of a b-rated horror movie.

I started driving again, really frustrated, and traveled in a direction that I knew there was a station, but it was 15 miles away. About 7 miles in, I asked Siri to find me the closest station again, which Siri gave me the same option it did many times before.

I drove to the gas station that I knew about, happy I made it there without running out of fuel. I filed up, updated my car fuel and maintenance app, and before I left for home, I just wanted to see what Siri would recommend as the closest gas station, and it was still directing me to go to that closed gas station, even though I was at one already, and I was sure there was many others in between me and that closed one that Siri kept telling me to go to.


I have another CarPlay/Siri story, but not really navigation related:

A month ago I was trying to get a prescription filled at a Walgreen's. After many days of the Walgreen's stating that they would have the prescription in, but failing to due to, I decided to try a different Walgreen's.

I was driving, using CarPlay, and asking Siri in every way possible to find and/or call the number of the Walgreen's I was looking for, it just wouldn't so it. It would find me other Walgreen's in different states, tell me the location and give me directions to the Walgreen's I was looking for but not call it nor give me the number, tell me that there was not a Walgreen's near by, or just say "Okay", and do nothing.

I said it many different ways, and the same way over an over, and got different results, but it took about 20 or 30 times before it called the correct Walgreen's for me.


I had many similar situations with Siri in the past, it is very frustrating. Keep in mind that these problem situations happened on three different CarPlay head units, a few different iPhones, and and few different iOS versions.

 

[bransoj]

I have not seen this, but will try it again soon.

It would be nice to give options and let the user determine if they are feasible or not. My commute has many different paths to take, so I am not sure why I wouldn't see an option to choose a route.

Maybe I went looking for it once, and couldn't find it, so I haven't bother checking again, thinking that there was not that option. Or maybe I just do not know how to find the option for alternate routes.

Just done a quick route search for Derby to Chesterfield and this is the screen it shows me...shows both possible options and i can choose the other route by pressing somewhere on the route. Just comes up as default for me.

I have a love/hate relationship with Siri. When it works, it is great, but many times, it just doesn't.

3-4 years ago, I was driving in an area that I was not familiar with, and I was really low on fuel. I asked Siri on my CarPlay to give me directions to the closest gas station, which Siri directed me to a station that was about 10 miles away, which was surprising, because I knew there was one closer, but in the opposite direction of my home and the way I was traveling.

I followed Siri's directions, and the gas station was closed. It look like it has been closed for years.

Not a big deal, I just started driving again, asking Siri for directions to another station, which showed one about 2 miles away. I followed the directions, and about halfway there I felt like I was having déjà vu. Siri took me back to the closed gas station.

I asked Siri in many different ways, of basically asking the same thing, such as "where is the next closest station", or "where is the closest Royal Farms", since there was a lot of them, and the closed station was not Royal Farms. It would always direct me to the closed gas station, like a scene out of a b-rated horror movie.

I started driving again, really frustrated, and traveled in a direction that I knew there was a station, but it was 15 miles away. About 7 miles in, I asked Siri to find me the closest station again, which Siri gave me the same option it did many times before.

I drove to the gas station that I knew about, happy I made it there without running out of fuel. I filed up, updated my car fuel and maintenance app, and before I left for home, I just wanted to see what Siri would recommend as the closest gas station, and it was still directing me to go to that closed gas station, even though I was at one already, and I was sure there was many others in between me and that closed one that Siri kept telling me to go to.

I have another CarPlay/Siri story, but not really navigation related:

A month ago I was trying to get a prescription filled at a Walgreen's. After many days of the Walgreen's stating that they would have the prescription in, but failing to due to, I decided to try a different Walgreen's.

I was driving, using CarPlay, and asking Siri in every way possible to find and/or call the number of the Walgreen's I was looking for, it just wouldn't so it. It would find me other Walgreen's in different states, tell me the location and give me directions to the Walgreen's I was looking for but not call it nor give me the number, tell me that there was not a Walgreen's near by, or just say "Okay", and do nothing.

I said it many different ways, and the same way over an over, and got different results, but it took about 20 or 30 times before it called the correct Walgreen's for me.


I had many similar situations with Siri in the past, it is very frustrating. Keep in mind that these problem situations happened on three different CarPlay head units, a few different iPhones, and and few different iOS versions.

I'm not sure these are Siri or CarPlay issues more the data that it calls on. The first one is down to what was available on Apple Maps in terms of fuel locations and that seems to be improving all the time but was well known to be a drawback of Apple Mpas in the early stages. The second one is a similar thing but with internet data. I often use Apple Maps to find supermarkets etc and it works fine. Even now the data available to Apple Maps etc can vary massively from area to area.