Google nav

Man of Honour
Joined
20 Sep 2006
Posts
36,509
What's peoples opinion on Google nav? I used to have TomTom on my iPhone which was pretty flaweless but I've since switched to a Nexus 4 so thought I'd try Google nav out. The traffic info is spot on, but the navigation engine seems pretty poor. It'll choose initially what it thinks is the fastest route (not always the same as shown on Google maps, why is this?), but if you decide you want to head straight on instead of turning off you have to tell the phone to calculate an alternate route rather than it figuring it out itself like TomTom does.
 
I think it's pretty good. Have used it for a few years.

The phone will recalculate an alternate route, although you might have to have gone some way off course before it stops telling you to get back on the original one.
 
I find it quite useful but twice over the last 3 years it has taken me down roads that are more like rambler routes. They were fun times but if I was in a rush I wouldn't have been happy. Oh and it isn't very good for city junctions where you have 4-5 lanes to choose from, sometimes you have no idea even which direction you need to go in before you hit the junction.
 
I think it's pretty good. Have used it for a few years.

The phone will recalculate an alternate route, although you might have to have gone some way off course before it stops telling you to get back on the original one.

First time I was driving from South Wales to Gloucester and I fancied taking the back roads rather than M4/M5. No matter how far into the journey I got it kept telling me to go via the M4 (calculating another route to get me to the M4) rather than recalculating the country road route which you'd expect. I thought it was a one off till it happened again this morning driving from Watford to Hereford when it did the same thing. The phone was telling me to turn round and head back to Oxford and go via the A40 (3 hours) even though I was near the M42 on the M40 (1 hour or so).
 
Your probably haven't diverted far enough off your original course for it to redirect an alternative.

So an hour and a half isn't enough?

First time I was driving from South Wales to Gloucester and I fancied taking the back roads rather than M4/M5. No matter how far into the journey I got it kept telling me to go via the M4 (calculating another route to get me to the M4) rather than recalculating the country road route which you'd expect. I thought it was a one off till it happened again this morning driving from Watford to Hereford when it did the same thing. The phone was telling me to turn round and head back to Oxford and go via the A40 (3 hours) even though I was near the M42 on the M40 (1 hour or so).

for your route or just in general?

If I go into the menu after during driving I can ask it to recalculate. What it doesn't do whoever is recalculate at all.
 
When on Nav press menu and then "route & alternatives" then the middle option on the bottom right, then you should be able to choose different routes :).
 
Last edited:
Yes, I know. But I want it to calculate alternate routes automatically. Others here in this thread say it does for them but not me. I'm pretty sure I've already said that?
 
Back
Top Bottom