Navigation - complicated?
Driver
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 140
Likes: 7
From: IN
I am not a fan... My maps are old (too much $ for an update), and my older, 2013, car doesn't have very good speech input. My Garmin has great speech input. I don't use my phone for primary nav if I am going out of state since there are cell dead spots
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,295
Likes: 15
From: Texas
Can't wait til the nav is just a screen for your phone's output. Waze, Google maps, inrix all have any manufacturer (minus maybe Volvo) beat at the maps game.
Also, the routing is pretty goofy. I've had it want me to go down a quarter of a mile, make a u turn, make another U turn, just to keep going the same direction, twice on one trip.
Now, with all that said, with the HUD and the expensive Lexus service where you call them and they send a route to your car in real time, that's pretty awesome and I used it a lot during the free trial period.
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Pit Crew
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 185
Likes: 18
From: California
I like the car's navigation. I just had the maps upgraded last weekend. My GS was a very early production, made in December of 2011. I decided every five years that I would get it updated. I noticed driving across the Bay Bridge that my car was in the water. $344.93. Incidentally when they updated the navigation maps the banners that used to drop down on the top portion of my rearview camera when I back out after starting the car stopped doing that. They must have upgraded the software for that too in the process.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,954
Likes: 235
From: SoCal
I almost never use the in-car navigation system. It usually takes weird routes that seem to take longer. The traffic info also doesn't update as often as I would like, and the source (HD radio) isn't very accurate. I only use the map when I am driving somewhere unfamiliar and not using my phone for navigation. Not really worth it to update the maps or the Enform services.
I tend to use Waze and Google maps most of the time. Not a fan of Apple Maps either since I have had too many incidents of inaccuracies.
Until these in-car systems integrate better data for their maps (from phones or separate data plan), I will probably only use them for quick reference rather than rely on them to take me to my destination.
I tend to use Waze and Google maps most of the time. Not a fan of Apple Maps either since I have had too many incidents of inaccuracies.
Until these in-car systems integrate better data for their maps (from phones or separate data plan), I will probably only use them for quick reference rather than rely on them to take me to my destination.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 13,614
Likes: 2,918
From: Texas
I use my car's NAV system often. I have no problem with how it works.
I had my NAV map updated from the 2012 map that came with the car (2013 model) to the most current 2015 map.
• My original NAV map installed on my 2013 GS 350 (built October 2012) had the following information:
Map Version: 21-12-27 [2012-06-1]
• My new NAV map (after update) installed on my 2013 GS 350 now has the following information:
Map Version: 21-15-17 [2015-06-1]
► To see what your current NAV map information is: Go to Menu > Information > Map (upper portion of the screen)
I had my NAV map updated from the 2012 map that came with the car (2013 model) to the most current 2015 map.
• My original NAV map installed on my 2013 GS 350 (built October 2012) had the following information:
Map Version: 21-12-27 [2012-06-1]
• My new NAV map (after update) installed on my 2013 GS 350 now has the following information:
Map Version: 21-15-17 [2015-06-1]
► To see what your current NAV map information is: Go to Menu > Information > Map (upper portion of the screen)
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 569
Likes: 56
From: Ontario
I noticed it gives really weird routes, sometimes much longer than they should be. other times it's OK. It's taken me down some dirt roads... i'd like to update to the latest maps to see if they help.