New 2025 Prius Plugin XSE Premium. Agreed to trials of all the subscriptions, although not likely to continue with any of them past the trial. (Unless I find any very worthwhile.) So far I have used Google Maps on my phone for navigation, connected to the car via Android Auto. Yet it appears in the manuals that the car might also have its own navigation system. Any advantage to using it, instead of Google Maps-Android Auto? If so, how? Thank you,
actually, it would be a disadvantage. google is far superior to anything toyota and partners have ever produced. especially in updates.
One of the most disgusting things about Factory Map ($mall fee$) upgrades is that too often, the new communities will still not be there. We find that so in a plug-in pacifica. Looks like we're driving across somebody's Ranch but that ranch ended over 10 years ago as now it's a town bypass.
Zero advantage to using Toyota's half-baked navigation software that has zero ability to update and re-route if a road gets closed or overly-congested... You'll be stuck in traffic with all the other sheep that don't know how to use real time navigation on their phone.
Thanks for the feedback. I guess I'll continue with Google Maps. On the Tesla I used its built-in navigation (don't know who made it), as it worked pretty well, did not require a subscription, and that car did not have Android Auto. But it looks like built-in navigation is not a good option for Toyota,
I would bet that Tesla does too... Specifically in 2013 the Google monopoly aquired the Waze app for $1.3 Billion and waze was/is a community-built crowd sourcing app to get real time info about traffic, road hazards and accidents. Even apple uses this resource in their maps.
Google AI says yes. They both use Google Maps data but put their own interface over it. Personally, I use Google Maps and Android Auto, but that's mostly because I also use AA to stream YouTube videos on long trips where I need nav. SM-S901U ?
If we still enforced monopoly laws Waze would still be a huge independent company worth tens of billions and they probably would of gotten into hardware and there would be way more robust competition than Google owning/controlling the Waze service that modern world navigation depends on.
There is built-in navigation, and it is much improved over the one in my Gen 3, which was terrible. This one seems to be very useable and seems to have updated information. It's advantageous when your phone is not available, or you have location services turned off on your phone. I don't use it very often, but when I have, I found it a perfectly good substitute for Google Maps.
One advantage is by inputting a destination into the Toyota navigation it taps into Predictive Efficient Drive allowing you to use more of your charge without the use of gas. From my experience I went from about 150 mpg so that means like 1500 miles between fill ups to averaging more like 200 mpg so about 2000 miles between gas station visits. I think I will be able to get this higher in the future (ie more like 250-300 mpg) but took a hit recently some longer drives in between charges requiring gas.
Um, is that a source of unbiased accurate information about Google!? Here in Europe at least, Toyota are still using HERE map data, acknowledged in the version screen - lots of details about it are quite familiar from my G2, which used the same source. (Formerly Nokia maps, Navteq). I'd be a bit surprised if they were using different mapping data in the US, but I guess it's possible. Are there any copyright/acknowledgment messages in the system? Being a different system from the "native" one could conceivably explain the lack of any offline support, the markedly reduced navigation options and the lack of Predictive EV Drive. (Even if there's no fundamental technical limitation, re-implementing features for a different map API would be extra work).
As I've said before (here and here), all the information I have says that the subfunction of "Predictive Efficient Drive" you're describing that needs destination set ("Predictive EV Drive") is not present in US cars. The function you do have ("Predictive Deceleration Support") does not need the destination set - it just uses the car's navigation in the background all the time. I think you'll find your change is mainly down to temperature and time of year. Both functions can be seen operating in my European car: Predictive EV Drive switches visibly between HV Mode and Auto EV/HV on the display, as if you were pressing the drive mode controls yourself. (Switching between "try to hold charge" and "try to use charge"). And it displays messages about increased EV range at the end of the route - although it's very unclear what exactly it's saying/measuring. Predictive Deceleration Support puts little leaf icons on the map at common deceleration points, and highlights them as you coast up, when it's increasing the coast deceleration. (The difference is also quite physically perceptible, although not as strong as the proactive drive assist slowdown for a car in front, and you can also see the regen clearly higher on the HSD display when it's doing it.) As far as I know, you should be seeing only the second of those in the US, and there's no other invisible function in the PHEV included under the "Predictive Efficient Drive" banner. If you do see automatic mode switching, then that would be very interesting. I'm pretty certain they couldn't avoid that being visible - the control is like a "high level" function that changes the "mid level" drive system behaviour, just as if using the drive switches, not a complex subtle integration.
Indeed, here in the USA the Toyota embedded navigation map is "©Here All Rights Reserved" (as shown in "About" option when viewing the embedded navigation map). Toyota press releases have stated that Points-of-Interest (POI) search capabilities is provided by Google.
Ah, thanks. I think they might also be using Google in Europe for online POI searches too - stuff in the manual does suggest a significantly different and extended system when online. (But I've never actually used the navigation online, having not signed up or agreed to anything, so I can't report on the differences).
Well I know what you said but I own a Prius Prime in the USA. I think that gives me a little more credibility when it comes to being familiar with what US Toyota Prime has and doesn't have. It is in the manual. No. Never seen any leaf icons on the map. Anyone with the required subscriptions and that has access for a Prius Prime in the US can try for themselves. Just requires inputting a destination into the built in navigation. Difference is pretty clear especially when driving on routine routes. Without predictive efficient drive the gas engine kicks in much more frequently. For my regular trips on the freeway I was using about 1/4 gas and 3/4 electricity. With a destination inputed it is often 100% electric. Very similar speeds. Do have to accelerate more slowly but I have found that by using the Dynamic range Cruise Control I can avoid triggering the gas engine.
"Predictive Efficient Drive" or "Predictive EV Drive"? Those are two different phrases meaning two different things. The US manual I have and which was posted on the other thread has the "Predictive Efficient Drive" section with only "Predictive deceleration support" under it, but the second "Predictive EV Drive" subsection describing the behaviour you're talking about is omitted. Do you have a different copy with it present? The subsection reads as follows in the 2023 Europe manual: ■ Predictive EV Drive When using route guidance by the navigation system, the system automatically switches between EV driving and HV driving based on data such as the remaining charge of the hybrid battery (traction battery), route and traffic information to ensure that the vehicle efficiently uses electrical energy from the traction battery. For example, the system switches to HV during high load section such as highway, uphill. ■ Predictive EV Drive The system operates only when AUTO EV/HV mode is selected. Newer version of the manual changes that slightly - now saying that it doesn't work in HV or charge mode, suggesting that it also works in EV mode(?), and adding a bit about geofencing/low-emission zones (a new feature mentioned in press release blurb for 2025 models in Europe, as basically the only revision they had to talk about, apart from adding the missing phone chargers). Are you seeing the car switch between HV MODE and AUTO EV/HV mode on the dash? It's possible that maybe the predictive EV drive function is present, but if you're not seeing the mode switches, and if it's not there in the manual, and you're not getting messages on the navigation at the end of trip, there seems to be very little evidence for it. If there's no indication, can you at least perceive mode shifts? Do you see it holding charge for multiple miles of highway cruise despite indicating AUTO? So what are you saying changed, exactly? Note that "predictive EV drive" should only do anything when the route is beyond your EV range. Predictive EV drive's function is to save EV charge for slower parts of the trip, rather than just use it all up at the start, as AUTO EV/HV would otherwise do on a greater-than-EV-range trip. You're saying you think there's a different function that can somehow extend your EV range by knowing the destination with no engine use at all? Or are you saying that the car was using engine unnecessarily, leaving EV charge unused, until you told it you were on a short trip? Maybe there's some extra hidden function of "Predictive efficient drive" beyond the documented "Predictive deceleration support" and "Predictive EV drive" functions, but it seems as unlikely as "Toyota Safety Sense" containing some undocumented function beyond all the listed "PCS", "LTA", "FCTA" etc. Toyota are very exhaustive about listing all the actual functions in the manual that come under the umbrella terms.
Predictive Efficient Drive. Where does the manual say "only?" How would I know if I have a different copy of the manual than you? I have the manual I downloaded from the Toyota App. Why would you use predictive efficient drive in hybrid mode? If you are in hybrid mode you are either out of charge in the battery or you are not prioritizing using electricity first. I am in EV mode when I am using it. Driving in Eco mode. It doesn't extend the EV range. It prioritizes using electricity over gas. I like to view the energy monitor when I am driving. I also like to use cruise control. I also make the same trip pretty regularly with minimal traffic. The temperature has not changed much since I have started experimenting. Yes. I don't know if hidden is the best description. Maybe more like complexities not well elaborate in the manual. There is no way they could include all of the details of all of the functions of the Toyota Safety Sense in the user manual. For example they don't mention how important a good data connection is for the US system to function to its full potential. I have a Starlink Mobile dish on my Prius and I have made two observations in the 6 or so months I have been using it that can likely be attributed to the speed of the connection. 1. I had Sub-Battery failure in my car and the local Toyota dealer called me while I was driving within a couple minutes of the failure. It was not the first time it failed but it may have been the first time it failed while I was using Starlink. Can't say for sure though. 2. Inputting destinations into the US Navigation Systems is much smoother when inputting a destination into the phone and sending it to the car. The navigation also updates much faster than when I was using just my cell phone data connection.
