wowzer

Hello Everyone,

I really couldn't find the right answer so I figured to ask here. In the 2015 ES300h with GPS and Traffic, does the car automatically tell you if new traffic occurs ahead of you? For example, you set the route from A to B. During the drive, new traffic information is received by the car. Does the car tell you that a faster route is available? Does it automatically re-route you? Or does it simply let you drive into that new traffic?

This is important to me, as some built in GPS Nav with Traffic will let you drive into the traffic and not tell you.

Thanks.

Tweaker

I have found that as long as you have an active route the Nav will alert you to traffic congestion. The Nav has not initiated an alternate route.

SLH

The map shows the traffic on the road ahead, and updates that traffic information when it changes. However, the navigator does NOT route around traffic.

I normally take a route that includes about 20 miles of I-95, commuting. Last week, a major incident occurred. The map showed a segment of I-95 with PURPLE traffic... I think that means the road is closed. I got off the highway and took another route, and started the navigator to go "home" just to see what it would do. It continuously directed me to get back onto I-95, to take the CLOSED road, until I was almost home.

(I am confident that my Garmin would have had the sense to avoid using a CLOSED road. Of course, I didn't have that unit with me.)

wowzer

So does the GPS flash on the screen or does it talk to you? What isthe prompting like?

Is there a way to tell the GPS to avoid the traffic once you are made aware of it?

Thanks

Nelexus88

It changes lane colors based on the traffic flow, green, yellow, red and apparently purple (which I have not seen). Nothing is flashing, no verbal warning and no alternate route options that I am aware of.

atoyota

This is true if you are driving with no route/destination entered in. If yo do have a destination and route active, you will get a verbal announcement and the traffic symbol on the nave screen will change to yellow or red depending on the alert.

lesz

Haven't the method of delivering traffic information and the source of that traffic information changed with the re-design of the navigation system for 2015 ES vehicles, compared to what was used for the 2013 and 2014 model years?

mcomer

Yes, the 2015's now have HD sourced Traffic Info. Triple the miles of roads covered, refreshes much more frequently and wait for it...free for the life of the car rather than the $6/month subscription of the XM info after the first free 12 months.

The Lexus system does not, as Tweaker indicated, initiate an alternate route but the driver can press Menu then Info/Apps and then Traffic Incidents. Top banner is "along current route" which will flag a problem.

Return to the map and open the "Route" key at the bottom, select "Preference" and choose Alternate or Short.
Let it recalculate and press through the Menu/Info/Traffic Incidents routine as before to see if you are in the clear.

wowzer

Thanks for the info, it is nice to know that the traffic is free for life. Does this HD traffic come from local FM radio? Does the 2015 alert you to new traffic along your route?

Universe93

Be sure to compare the Nav traffic with Google maps traffic. I have a 2013 and the Traffic updates are very slow or even incorrect. Google Maps definitely beats it in terms of accuracy and speed. Very disappointed with built-in traffic.

Arty101

Have you compared Google maps with Waze? Waze also has updates on PD in the area, which is cool but now controversial.

Mhobizal

I prefer Waze over the traffic info provided by XM Traffic in my 2014 ES300h. I use both devices as a source of information. However, Waze will update a route for you automatically to route you around traffic.

Also, I like listening to Pandora and Spotify in my car a lot. Waze will announce through the car audio system if you have the sound enabled in the app. The volume of the music automatically goes down some and you hear the alert. Something the Navigation system does not do.

Arty101

I use Waze thru my iPhone. How did you hook up your Waze thru your car's audio? That's a pretty cool feature where your volume turns down with alerts.

Mhobizal

It is all through the Bluetooth connection. Most of the time I'm streaming Spotify music to my car. I have the Mark Levinson system in my ES300h and love it.

I need to double check the volume lowering when using Pandora. I believe you will need to make sure you are running the Lexus Enform App. I have a Samusng Galaxy S5 and it is somewhat automatic. As long as you are running the Pandora or the iHeartRadio app this functionality works. I do know with iHeartRadio the volume does not lower.

However, if you are using another source of audio (CD, AM/FM) this is not possible. I just happened on to this functionality. What I like is that Waze reports Objects on Road, Heavy Traffic, Vehicle on Shoulder, Accident and Police reported ahead.

It's nice while you are driving to hear these upcoming events being reported. I did find one day that Waze was reporting Rain. That seemed to be a little annoying since it was already raining - but it was something that someone had reported. And since Waze is a social app - everyone can report!

Arty101

Thanks for the info. To be correct, you need to have the Lexus Enform app, Waze app and iHeart, Pandora or Sportify running and active at the same time? I'll give it a try. Thanks.