Factory Nav vs Google Maps

[Dr. Zaius]

Well it is integrated into the factory nav so you don't need to do anything to see the typical green, yellow, red on the roads for congestion and yellow icons for accidents, construction, etc. It will automatically reroute you for significant traffic issues.

There is also an App under the App tab on Sync that provides, detail traffic conditions, gas prices, sports scores, ski conditions, weather, etc. It is also here where you would turn on weather alerts.

That explains why I didn't see it since I've only really used the built-in nav a couple of times, and none of those were in a situation with traffic ?

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[WOADKIL]

I will take the factory nav over Google Maps, Waze or Apple Maps any day.

The biggest argument for phone based nav is "they are always up to date". That is a fallacy, while they may be updated on a regular schedule it still takes up to a one and a half years for a new road to show up. That has been the case with the new roads that have gone in in the past 5 years in my area.

The biggest advantage of the factory nav over the phone based nav is it is integrated with Sirus XM Travel Link. Travel Link is much much better providing traffic conditions, construction and recommending alternate routes. And for an area with a couple of million people within 40 miles of my house Waze is useless because know one uses it.

The biggest disadvantage to the factory nav compared to phone based apps is the Sync voice recognition is weak compared to Google or Apple. But that is mostly negated if you install Ford with Alexa on your phone and use the Alexa voice recognition, it integrates directly with the factory nav.

Personally I don't like using Android Auto, it doesn't integrate well with Sync (it is much better with uConnect in my wife's Jeep). Plus the general appearance is not as nice as Sync.

Good points! To add to it, factory NAV is satellite based, so it works without cell tower range. Just like XM radio.

Used NAV in the boonies many times with success!!

Just depends on preference, like using IOS or Android…

 

[NOVA_Ranger]

I have the factory nav but I use Waze 99.9% of the time.

 

[NOVA_Ranger]

Good points! To add to it, factory NAV is satellite based, so it works without cell tower range. Just like XM radio.

Used NAV in the boonies many times with success!!

Just depends on preference, like using IOS or Android…

Bingo, that is the 0.01% I was referencing in my post.

 

[mtbikernate]

Good points! To add to it, factory NAV is satellite based, so it works without cell tower range. Just like XM radio.

Used NAV in the boonies many times with success!!

Just depends on preference, like using IOS or Android…

you realize with the right apps and settings that you can also have nav via AA without cell reception, right?

 

[CB750F]

I much prefer a real paper map!
If I don't have a map, Wase it is.

 

[RangerRick15]

Love the factory nav. Hate using synch. Hate how it commandeers the whole display. I’ve tried both (several apps) but stuck with the factory nav.

It’s very current and up to date, with construction and road changes in my urban environment. The traffic and route adjustments work just fine for my needs. Even on longer road trips and not just day to day.

The only time I use a phone now is rare occasion a strange address won’t come up. But I keep that nav on my phone and don’t use synch. But often I’ll just find the spot on the factory map and nav to.

Synch nav apps (iPhone maps and google app, and motionX) would often have me 100 meters off the road, skipping around, not following me. I’ve never had a problem with the factory nav.

 

[LaBalbe]

The only thing that I don't like about the fac-nav is that on longer trips, when I get to destination, instead of giving me the total distance and time spent on the trip, it just gives me the time & distance from the last point where I stopped, usually for gas or food. Is that a setting issue that I have to tinker with, or is that just the way it is?

 

[SigOris]

Agreed.

Which is why I use AA. Phone based NAV displayed on my truck's screen.

There is nothing that a factory NAV system can do that a phone based app cannot do multitudes better.

Alcoholics Anonymous has a NAV APP ??? ?

 

[Dgc333]

you realize with the right apps and settings that you can also have nav via AA without cell reception, right?

Google Maps defaults to a relatively small amount of offline down loaded data. Based on my Home Map data it is about 30 by 40 miles worth of data. You can grab larger areas and create new areas but it still is limited compared to the entire country with the factory nav. I have driven out of my cached area and lost cell coverage resulting in a blank nav screen.

 

[Dgc333]

I'll agree with this. I'll go a little farther and say that I'd prefer to see a 3rd party OS installed on head units from the start. Auto mfr partners with Google or Apple to install that company's mobile OS as the native OS.

FWIW, Prior to 2016 Sync was Microsoft Windows based, even had a little plate on the console stating; Powered by Microsoft.

Starting in 2016 they moved over to Blackberry's QNX mobile operating system. QNX powers the infotainment systems in BMW, Ford, GM, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, and Volkswagen vehicles.

I read somewhere that the next generation sync is going to be Android based.

 

[mtbikernate]

Google Maps defaults to a relatively small amount of offline down loaded data. Based on my Home Map data it is about 30 by 40 miles worth of data. You can grab larger areas and create new areas but it still is limited compared to the entire country with the factory nav. I have driven out of my cached area and lost cell coverage resulting in a blank nav screen.

and other apps allow you different amounts. Gaia, in particular, gives you more control over that than Google does.

Download Maps for Offline Use – Gaia GPS

No, you can't download the entire country. but you don't need the entire country if you've got a phone with a halfway decent data plan. and even if your data plan sucks (or you still don't have one), you can still download maps for a sizeable chunk if you're on wifi.

not sure if they still exist or not (or if they work with AA), but I remember there being car nav apps that DID download the entire country's map database so you didn't need a data plan.

 

[TXRangerTim]

Alcoholics Anonymous has a NAV APP ??? ?

The sponsors don't know. It's how people find the after parties.

 

[Dgc333]

not sure if they still exist or not (or if they work with AA), but I remember there being car nav apps that DID download the entire country's map database so you didn't need a data plan.

I know the TomTom app would allow you to down load the entire country. As I recall it was about 2.7 Gig of data.

 

[GTGallop]

Alcoholics Anonymous has a NAV APP ??? ?

has all of the locations of the bars on it.

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