Not happy with the overall method of navigation on the infotainment system. While I admire the display and design of the screen, (great for media and radio) in my opinion it's positioning is wrong for navigation. Other manufacturers have it popping up from the dash, so much more in your eye line.

I am having problems with instructions, being told to keep to the right when on a road and there's no where else to go except for a lay bye, my time of arrival at destination completely out of sink , telling me and indicating that the A49 was closed on my way to Shrewsbury, it wasn't! and yesterday getting me lost in the myriad of roads around Runcorne. Think the TomTom will get stuck in the screen next journey.

 

Struggling with this one in terms of positioning of the screen because its still in the same place as when you chose the car! 

 

Plug your phone in and use waze or Google maps via apple carplay or android auto if the navigation is no good. I use AU but thought the standard navigation was acceptable. 

I find the step by step navigation instructions in the maxidot are in the ideal position and you don’t need to look at the infotainment screen.

Didn't think it would a problem after having a Passat with a similar screen positioning but it didn't have navigation. I find myself looking down at it too much and on busy roads I feel this is dangerous.

Just my opinion, others will dismiss it.

 

5 minutes ago, Kenny R said:

I find the step by step navigation instructions in the maxidot are in the ideal position and you don’t need to look at the infotainment screen.

I agree. Although if you use AU or AC instructions aren't shown by the dials. 

1 hour ago, Kenny R said:

I find the step by step navigation instructions in the maxidot are in the ideal position and you don’t need to look at the infotainment screen.

 

+1 on this.

 

Do understand where you are coming from OP, it is slightly lower in the dash than ideal - the Leon has it higher up for comparison. The audible instructions plus the maxidot detail are more than sufficient though for me.

Ditto.  Jumping to the defence of the Octy, it is very rare that I look at the infotainment screen - I too rely on the maxidot and the spoken instructions

 

As far as the A49 is concerned, you can hardly blame Skoda. The national TP system, from which the satnav gets its data, is evidently overwhelmed by the fact that the A49 is closed overnight at three separate locations for a couple of weeks, and one or other of the closures take it in turns to over-run. Nightmare!

 

On the whole the Skoda satnav setup works fairly well but can come unstuck on occasion, I can remember on both my last two Skoda's being instructed to exit the motorway going into Glasgow by taking the next righthand junction! There are actually a few actual right turns onto slip roads off of the M8 in Glasgow but that one definitely wasn't one of them. At other times there can be excessive delay in the instructions being given to the point you've actually driven past where its telling you to turn by the time it gets around to telling you but that doesn't happen all that often.

I'm making the same trip Monday, will give it a go with Waze. 

After five years of using the admunsen sat nav in the Mk3 I would have to say that overall it's been pretty good. The position of the head unit is OK as I only glance at it the same as glancing at a road sign. The detail on the maxidot is useful at junctions etc. I use the sat nav as an aid and sometimes ignore the the route because I know that the traffic is heavy in the route it has chosen. I tend to use the postcode option and it's never sent me to the wrong destination. 

13 hours ago, Kenny R said:

I find the step by step navigation instructions in the maxidot are in the ideal position and you don’t need to look at the infotainment screen.

 

I couldn't agree more. I've tried both waze and Android Auto and whilst they have their advantages, I prefer the VAG system. I usually set the infotainment to radio, have the navigation sound off and simply follow the instructions on the maxdot display. I just find all sat navs continual instructions annoying.

 

Regarding SatNav's wrongly telling you roads are blocked, jammed and put you in the wrong lane - I've yet to use one that doesn't.

 

I came from a Renault to Skoda and having driven a top-of-the-range Renault Captur rental whilst my Octavia is being repaired just brought back how better Renault's system is, especially at motorway junctions. There's mention above of the M8 around what I assume is Kingston Bridge / Charing Cross area? I was coming from Clydesdale Expressway on to the Northbound M8 - a junction which can be confusing if you're not familiar with it, but the Renault's lane directions were spot on.

The display may not be as large or as clear but based on TomTom, it's very good and Renault keep their database up-to-date which can easly be downloaded from their website. It's probably the best standard manufacturer system I've seen. That said, it still said I was on a 40mph road near home which was changed to 30mph two years ago.

 

Edited 6 July, 20196 yr by Guest

17 minutes ago, Scot5 said:

Regarding SatNav's wrongly telling you roads are blocked, jammed and put you in the wrong lane - I've yet to use one that doesn't.

That's because the information about road blockages and jams that most sat navs use is derived from the TMC signal transmitted over FM radio frequencies - and the companies that collate that data don't seem to keep it updated as frequently as they should.

TMC is usually worse than no traffic info at all 

This is were the Virtual C0ckpit comes in handy