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Are others in Canada using/happy with Navigation?

Discussion in 'Prius c Main Forum' started by GabriolaGuy, Jun 10, 2016.

  1. GabriolaGuy

    GabriolaGuy Junior Member

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    Gabriola, BC, Canada
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    2016 Prius c
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    I'm a new Prius owner and new to Prius (C). The first thing I found out after buying our Prius is the Entune service that "comes" with the Navigation package is not available for us in Canada.
    At first I was really upset because I thought, from looking at the on line web site that it was available.
    I am over that right now because initially I thought (or hoped) it was a free feature and that the GPS updates followed it and so on.
    I guess I am misguided and I think (others can correct me) it is a purchased service and not available here in Canada and it is not what I really wanted, it turns out.
    So, on my first highway venture I thought I'd try the GPS navigation I do have and getting away from home would be more of a test because I can input businesses I am not familiar with.
    The first location I input was a restaurant that we thought we'd like to try and as I got close, realized we were in a business area of the city and because the GPS did not tell us which side of the street our destination was on and because both sides of the street were lined with businesses, we ended up parking the car and finding one that looked good.I was disappointed because other GPS I use tell me "approaching your destination on the right".
    Big disappointment. The next one was scrolling the list of businesses and seeing a couple that I know are no longer here.
    So, I downloaded the ap "HERE" on our Ipad and figured a way to temporarily mount it where we can both see it and that will now be our "GPS". AT least I know it is constantly being updated.
    So, what do you do? If you have Entune, how does it work for you?
    And, if you're like me, in Canada and without it, what do you use?
     
  2. w2kpugsly

    w2kpugsly Junior Member

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    I don't like the Toyota system at all. Very disappointed in its capabilities. I get better capabilities with my phone. At this point I can never recommend the Toyota or any other car manufacturers system. Not worth the price.
     
  3. Sean Nelson

    Sean Nelson Active Member

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    I use a Garmin GPS. I really like Google Maps, but I prefer the larger screen of my Garmin to my smart phone, and the Garmin works everywhere, even in the areas without cell coverage that I find myself in when I'm on road trips. You can download maps for offline use with Google Maps, but of course you have to do it in advance and it can take up a prohibitive amount of space on your mobile device if you're going on a long trip. And of course I don't have to worry about the limits on my cell phone data plan when I use the Garmin.

    Every once in a while if it looks like there may be a traffic problem I'll fire up the Google Maps on the phone to check out its traffic overlay because I don't subscribe to the traffic service on the Garmin, but I don't generally travel in the rush hour so it's pretty unusual for me to have to do that.

    I have to say I really love using GPS navigation. I drove down to LA recently and the GPS gave me the confidence to drive around the city without having to worry about where I was or how to get to my destination. It allowed me to drive as if I knew the city like the back of my hand, so I could focus on traffic instead of searching for street signs or worrying whether this was the intersection where I was supposed to turn. I used to pride myself on being able to find places without any help, but the GPS really reduces the mental workload and really eliminates all the stress of driving in an unfamiliar place.
     
  4. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Entune *was* a subscription-based service but it's been free since.... 2014 I think? The only two things I like out of Entune is Bing Search (so you're not limited to your map's database) and HD Traffic.

    I can't comment on this since the Prius c uses a different navigation system (2012-2014 Prius c uses the same nav as the 2012-2015 Prius with the 6.1" Display Audio System. My system is closer to the 2012-2015 Prius Liftback with 7" Premium HDD nav). I think the 2015-2016 Prius c uses the same map as mine and the 2016 Prius but I'm not sure. I know Toyota's dumped the Garmin-esque navigation system found in Toyota vehicles with the 6.1" screen between 2012 and 2015. It was a strange time lol.

    But my experience with the DVD-based system on my 2010 is decent. There are flaws for sure (I have a TomTom ONE New Edition that I've used since 2006 before getting my car. I still use it on vehicles without nav or on rentals). I find that if you input an address, it'll tell you if it's on the left or right (because the street numbers are in the map's database) but if you use POI search, sometimes it doesn't know which side because the POI wasn't placed properly on the map (lat/long is off by a smidge).
     
  5. Sean Nelson

    Sean Nelson Active Member

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    That's a great tip, thanks!
     
  6. GabriolaGuy

    GabriolaGuy Junior Member

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    Thanks for all the great information.
    One thing I forgot to mention with the Toyota GPS navigation that bothered me was the "Speed" option. I think (may be wrong here) that it displays the current speed limit as well as my speed. My ap "HERE" does this and it can be set to alarm when the speed limit is exceed.
    I would hope that Toyota figures out they have a "dud" with their GPS and takes steps to make it match the integrity of the rest of their equipment.
    The Ipad option using "HERE" is now our vehicle system.
     
  7. Scramblegg

    Scramblegg Junior Member

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    The Navigation is definitely half-baked on the C. If I recall correctly thru the map update schedule, it was last update on 2014. My next question is, do I get a free update (if there is one) if I bring my car in to the dealership? And will it fix the issues? I got my vehicle 2 month ago. I use Google Maps in some cases as a backup to compare routes.
     
  8. GabriolaGuy

    GabriolaGuy Junior Member

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    From what I've been able to surmise is there are annual updates and they are available at a cost. I was quoted "around $200". Compare this to smartphone aps that are monthly or more and free.
    I bought my Prius a month ago and my software is dated 5/15.
    I guess the Prius is not perfect. I love most everything else about my new car.
     
  9. Scramblegg

    Scramblegg Junior Member

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    Thanks for the info. I will call my dealership to explain why my 2016 model has such an outdated version. I'm not going to be happy if they make me pay $200 plus to update. FYI in case someone decide to do future update for their navigator system. I was told they get a annual release during the month of November.
     
  10. Bigboi

    Bigboi Member

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    I got the 2015 Prius C 3 with nav and the only thing it's good for are rudimentary road trips. My android phone loses all gps signal in the entire state of Wyoming and half the state of South Dakota but my nav knows what highway I should be on and the important thing is the compass that tells me what direction I'm driving. Other than being middle of no where, I never use the entune nav, not even to have as a map to look at. It's really slow and leagues behind google maps.
     
  11. dborn

    dborn Junior Member

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    None of my cars have built-in navigation (including a 2013 Camry Hybrid and 2015 Prius C2). I use Waze on my Android phone and I haven't been disappointed by it. I have an old Garmin GPS which isn't getting used alot these days, that I keep in case of emergency.
     
  12. christinec7

    christinec7 New Member

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    I'm not in Canada but I can attest to the fact that the built-in nav is not that great. I use it ocassionally if I'm just doing a quick trip to a saved POI (I haven't taken my C on a road trip yet) and don't feel like getting my phone out. But most of the time I end up using Google Maps on my phone because I like the lane assist and it reroutes much faster, and it's always much more current. Just my two cents.
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    It depends on when your car was built.

    e.g. My car is a 2010 built in July 2009. It has v8.1 maps (2008 maps). Those who bought their cars that were built in Dec 2009 or Jan 2010 and later would have v9.1 maps (2009 maps) because, as you've mentioned, the maps come out around Nov for us (Sept-Oct for the States... not sure why).

    Also, because they're released late in the year, 2015 maps doesn't mean January 2015. It really is only half a year old which is pretty new.

    Granted, at least for my DVD-based version, it's a bit behind the exact same maps on my TomTom. (TomTom bought TeleAtlas which creates the maps for Canada. The US uses NavTeq. This is why, at least the 7" LCD navs will have similar maps to TomTom products).
     
  14. hayashi

    hayashi Junior Member

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    .
     
    #14 hayashi, Jun 18, 2016
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2016
  15. GabriolaGuy

    GabriolaGuy Junior Member

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    Location:
    Gabriola, BC, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius c
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    Technology
    I am learning a bit more on how to use and apply features in the Navigation "App" (I'm in Canada so no Entune).
    I think the whole system is a bit "clunky": I happened to be at my dealer and asked the salesman about getting the speed on the screen. It turns out you can only get the speed limit on the screen and its pretty small for a guy to see with bifocals :) There is no comparison agains your speed, you need to use the speedometer for that.
    In order to see the posted speed, you need to go to the bottom right hand bar, the one telling you the street you are traveling on and eith touch that box or the "i" next to it and the speed will show up.
    Also, don't care for the way a location is stored in "Favorites" or "recent Destinations" or in "Contact list".
    I'm just interested in trying to figure out how to use it, I'd never rely on it.
    It seems the programmer(S) wanted to get as much information in it in many places and sacrificed "User Friendly".