25 minutes ago, peter_k said:

The Google Maps app has "offline maps" in the settings :- https://support.google.com/maps/answer/6291838  and once an area is downloaded using free wifi then mobile data use is minimal -traffic info. The maps last for at least a month and prompt for "update". 

 

So Which? Don't know how to run a test then ?

I have had the same type of thing in my Golf (65 plate). Just ignored it but it can be frustrating when you are out in country lanes and it starts taking you off up single track lanes you wouldn't want to take your Landrover

 

Think it is in settings (shortest route) selected but haven't gotten round to it yet.

Edited 10 June, 20188 yr by Defenderben

2 hours ago, themanwithnoaim said:

So Which? Don't know how to run a test then ?

 

I have the entire Google UK maps downloaded over wifi so the only 4G data used is for initial route planning and any traffic updates. From the limited tests I've done a usual journey is less than 100kB. Looking at a single webpage would use more in most cases. I do this due to black spot signal issues through the peak district more than anything else as I have a 25GB contract for data.

 

Of course you can do everything streaming and select satellite view or street view and you would be way over the Which figure.

 

As always the devil is in the detail. What had they got pre-downloaded and what level of detail were they streaming?

 

Lee

In our previous vehicle the maps seemed to work fine, but the first trip my wife made in the new car (it was only 3 days old) was down to Devon, she ended up being directed down extremely narrow lanes - some of which were signposted as unsuitable for traffic. She would liked to have turned around but when the banks almost touch both sides of the car at the same time its impossible.

 

I think part of the problem is the 3 route choice it offers at the beginning of a journey. It is not clear what options each route is offering. Shortest, Fastest, no motorways etc. I think these overide the default settings that you may make in the setup menu.

I know you can turn off the 3 route choice, so I am guessing the one you are given is the one that matches your preferences.

 

Generally speaking I do not use the built in nav.

I use Navmii - its a free nav system, and runs on android and iOS. 

The advantage with Navmii is that you download maps whilst at home (for any country - or individual states in in the USA) prior to use. 

There is even an option to turn off live data (for road updates if your data plan is not up to it).

We travelled all around the world in 2016 and navigated through many cities and across the wide open spaces, all without major issue.

The best bit about this app is that it is integrated with what 3 words (link) which will give you a dotted 3 word address for any 3m square on the planet - such as this hits.anchors.improper which is great if you are navigating to a location that does not have a street address.

 

If I am travelling a route that I know well and don't actually need navigation I use Waze - which gives (crowd sourced) up to the minute information on road obstructions, and will re-route accordingly.

Yes it uses data, but only minimally.

 

 

Edited 10 June, 20188 yr by vegit8
added iOS

2 hours ago, themanwithnoaim said:

So Which? Don't know how to run a test then ?

 

The Which test results show results of tests on "apps requiring an "always-on" data connection" and that would indicate that they tested Google Maps with no off-line maps. 

Quotes from the Google link I posted:

If your Internet connection is slow or absent, Google Maps will use your offline maps to give you directions

and where there is no data connection:

You can get driving directions offline, but not transit, bicycling, or walking directions. In your driving directions, you won't have traffic info, alternate routes, or lane guidance. You also can't modify routes like avoiding tolls or ferries.

3 minutes ago, peter_k said:

If your Internet connection is slow or absent, Google Maps will use your offline maps to give you directions

and where there is no data connection:

You can get driving directions offline, but not transit, bicycling, or walking directions. In your driving directions, you won't have traffic info, alternate routes, or lane guidance. You also can't modify routes like avoiding tolls or ferries.

Which is why I love Navmii, you still get alternate routes, lane guidance, route modification when no data feed is available.

39 minutes ago, VAGGAZ said:

Hi

 

We have a 2ltr TDI vrs in at the moment and the vehicle position on the sat nav screen is out of place. It is somewhat delayed by around 2 seconds when driving but also when stopped the position of vehicle appears to be further back than should be. Have tried a hard reset of unit but to no avail. Has anyone else had this issue? I kind of think the GPS antenna may be faulty

Thanks

 

 Here's a wild thought.........

 

Use your eye's and look at the F@#king map on the screen and the road layout you're on

 

Also there are big thingson the side of the road with information written on them

Amazing how good sat have is when combined with a bit of basic cop on.

 

2 hours ago, 181ce said:

 Here's a wild thought.........

 

Use your eye's and look at the [email protected]#king map on the screen and the road layout you're on

 

Also there are big thingson the side of the road with information written on them

Amazing how good sat have is when combined with a bit of basic cop on.

 

 

Friday flamer arrives one day early. 

5 hours ago, Redboy said:

 

Friday flamer arrives one day early. 

Lol. Every car forum I have ever been member of (after 68 cars its quite a few) has one. Or many

 

On a serious note with a wife and two young kids under 4 y/o would like to think that she could trust it if on 200 mile round trip to her mate from school if there were an incident that forced her off normal route and onto unfamiliar roads...... #safehome

My point is yes you can trust it unfailingly.

Any sat nav.

Depending on which options one selects they behave differently.

Opening ones eyes and applying a bit of thought works wonders rather than blindly unquestioningly following.

The above statement should apply to all endeavours BTW

 

 

41 minutes ago, 181ce said:

My point is yes you can trust it unfailingly.

Any sat nav.

Depending on which options one selects they behave differently.

Opening ones eyes and applying a bit of thought works wonders rather than blindly unquestioningly following.

The above statement should apply to all endeavours BTW

 

 

Better put point

 

Agree on that and having passed my test many years ago, spent more time following road signs than sat nav!

 

As seems to have come out though, 2018 maps for whatever reason seem to have latent faults - mates 2016VRS doesnt throw a wobbler at M50/M5 jct as an example. 

 

And that can be only explanation to take you off motorway, onto B road, go opposite direction to first roundabout, then do u turn and re-join at exit you just came off!! Hopefully something that map update will resolve as only fault i have with new VRS and 2500 miles in a month!!

How did I manage touring Cornwall, Devon, California USA, Germany, Australia and France using maps? My Tom Tom Start 20 cannot count exits at roundabouts, guides me up one-way streets the wrong way, single track roads with passing places, etc

Edited 14 June, 20188 yr by edbostan

6 minutes ago, edbostan said:

How did I manage touring Cornwall, Devon, California USA, Germany, Australia and France using maps? My Tom Tom Start 20 cannot count exits at roundabouts, guides me up one-way streets the wrong way, single track roads with passing places, etc

Tom tom start 20 on ebay. No reserve. Will swap for OS maps??!!

 

I know exactly what you mean!

On 10/06/2018 at 07:33, themanwithnoaim said:

Whilst it's a free App, it's on a six hundred quid plus phone, downloading (which may or may not be free) constantly.

 

For instance, NNG Software's logo Nav downloads 38kB for an 11.5km journey but, Google Maps downloads 5,232kB for the same journey. Yeah it's probably all the snooping Google HAS to do but my actual point is

 

 Data ain't free & neither was your phone...

Only if you choose to buy a ridiculously expensive phone. Mine was 200 quid five years ago. Android Auto didn't even exist when I bought it, so that was effectively a free bonus. Data costs me less than 5 quid a month. As I already had the phone anyway, SmartLink was a bargain compared with the cost of the Skoda satnav.

Picked up my new (to me) car last week. 2014with sat nav. I have to say it's the worst I've used. It's trying to take me off motorways too soon as someone else mentioned. 

 

I'm wondering if it's possible to overwrite the oem software for something like Google maps or tomtom. Not sure if it's possible to do this through the sd slot. 

 

Another thought was screen mirroring Google maps from my phone but my headunit doesn't have the android play option. When I plug my phone in to the USB I just get phone features such as address book. 

 

Any ideas or thoughts? I should mention I have no idea what software version my car has

10 hours ago, Dowsett said:

Another thought was screen mirroring Google maps from my phone but my headunit doesn't have the android play option. When I plug my phone in to the USB I just get phone features such as address book. 

 

Any ideas or thoughts? I should mention I have no idea what software version my car has

 

Check @SashaGrace thread on her VRS, she replaced the head unit with an MIB2 unit from a later car (65 plate plus I think) which gives CarPlay and Android Auto, IMHO that's the best end result if you don't mind shelling out and can get things like component protection sorted. There are a couple of other threads on head unit replacement. I have a FL so it came with CarPlay and Android Auto out of the box, I've not actually got round to trying the latter yet, but the former is a great improvement and likely to only get better as Apple and app developers keep updating. I'm switching between Apple Maps, Waze and Google Maps a bit at the moment, slightly favouring Google with Satellite mode on I think but  looking forward to TomTom in the new year.

 

 

Edited 2 November, 20187 yr by uchuff

My MY18 VRS 230 has a daft sat nav too...I'm often being advised to come off a motorway only to rejoin it - doesn't make any sense at all and this is having selected the 'Fast' route of the three. Its caught me out a few times.

 

My 2015 Elegance was faultless with its sat nav though, never had this issue. Something clearly wrong with the pre installed maps on my new car. I hope they put it right soon.

 

I have exactly the same issue but on a 2018 Golf. It's been to the dealer but no joy.....I've checked all the settings but it's always the same on the M42/A42 and the York ring road - always advises me to leave the ring road, head into town and back out again on the same route, for no reason. It's done the same for various town/city ring roads - infuriating on a new car.

Glad it's not just me!

Just buy a new map card. Or better still just buy a proper sat nav like a Garmin or Tom Tom. 

 

You can now even use Waze or Here WeGo on your mobile. 

1 hour ago, TheWanderer said:

Just buy a new map card. Or better still just buy a proper sat nav like a Garmin or Tom Tom. 

 

You can now even use Waze or Here WeGo on your mobile. 

 

Can you buy tomtom or garmin sd cards to load on like that? Didn't think they sold them.

 

Im not interested in buying a dedicated sat nav. The idea is you have one built in however it wasn't something I checked when buying. 

 

Also have Google maps on phone which is good. The oem sat nav doesn't give clear directions 

No I meant go to the dealer and buy a new SD card with the maps on or go to the Skoda portal and download them. 

 

But if you are pushed for cash then try to install Waze or Here WeGo on your phone. 

22 hours ago, Ciderspace said:

 

Thanks for the ideas and call me old fashioned but I don't see why I should buy anything else, or use data on my phone, when I've just shelled out for a sat nav equipped new car. There's clearly a fault with it if it's diverting me (and others) off the same dual carriageway/motorway junctions and back on again, as well as taking me off ring roads into often congested towns at exactlythe same place every time I go there.

Back to the dealer for me!

This is only going to get worse in the future IMO, across all manufacturers as they increasingly lean on Android Auto and Apple Car play to let phones plug the gap. Why spend a fortune on your own sat nav R&D when you can just let people plug in a phone and choose whatever nav they want?

46 minutes ago, Kenai said:

This is only going to get worse in the future IMO, across all manufacturers as they increasingly lean on Android Auto and Apple Car play to let phones plug the gap. Why spend a fortune on your own sat nav R&D when you can just let people plug in a phone and choose whatever nav they want?

The problem lies with the both the map providers and the providers of traffic data.

 

If the map data is wrong (it includes speed limit for roads but NOT speed actually achieved) then any algorithm based on "fastest" will choose the wrong route. This is why some sat nav developers (such as Alpine) often include data for actual speed possible as well as speed limit.

 

If the traffic data is out of date (as TMC usually is) then you will be routed off a congested motorway onto the less congested roundabout at a junction and back onto the motorway - that's the fault of the TMC provider not the map provider or the sat nav developer.