I'm picking up a new car this eve and first major outing will be a drive from Yorkshire to Cornwall at the weekend.
There are a couple of roadworks en route and the A30 is always a nightmare – I'd usually use Google Maps for traffic updates but over 7 hours it's a bit of drain on data, plus the new car has BMW Connect Nav with RTTI, but is it reliable or should I stick with Google?
I've found it pretty reliable in mine. It occasionally throws up the odd false positive but I've never been diverted because of them - it usually just updates the arrival time by a couple of minutes or so. I seem to recall reading the system uses several sources to identify issues
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You will probably be better off with the Waze app (it is where Google maps derives most of its traffic & accident data from).Originally Posted by chrisparker
It uses approximately 0.5Mb per hour so you're only looking at 3.5Mb for your journey.
I've had my X1 with RTTI sat nav for a month or so now and have been using it up and down the UK on gigs. I'm still getting used to it but I'd say it is on par with google maps, so not perfect but very good. Both it and google maps failed to predict a lane closure on the M6 J6(?) on Monday morning. I got in from the gig at 6:45am!!! :-o
Thanks all. I'll give it a go on the way down. Hopefully it'll be a clear run - aiming to set off in the small hours.
I find it very random. Was out last night and it didn't flag up one motorway junction closure but did another a few miles away. I have no idea where the information comes from.
For what its worth I always use a combination on important journeys (Waze, BMW, Tomtom)
An element of OCD but I often find they pick up different things
I always found the BMW sat nav traffic to be pretty accurate. Since moving to jaguar last year, I now rely heavily on google on the phone - crap!
I've had it in the last and current family car. It's very reliable and you ignore the advice at your peril I have found. Particularly where it tells you to stay on your route as it's still the fastest even with traffic. Occasionally the diversions are nonsense but the easy scaling of the map assists with that decision.
Pretty accurate for me in my 520, colour coded roads are often a good representation of the traffic situation
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Apart from small roads where it doesn't have traffic info, hence some suggested diversions are foolish to follow as it would mean driving through city centres!
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On a recommendation from this forum I have been using Waze.
It's far better than Google maps IME - the notifications of traffic and hazards are outstanding.
The speed control is superb as well on roads where the limit isn't clearly signposted.
At the end of the day, it's the aggregation of user data that counts - presumably more people feed into Waze than any other? Or perhaps there are complex data sharing agreements in place. I'm afraid I don't know.
Anyone using Google needs to try Waze, free and far superior.
Google Maps is also free. I tried waze a few years ago and it must have improved since then cos I don't remember it being very good tbh.
I have an 18month old BMW 3 series with business Nav and it's without doubt the worst Sat Nav I have ever encountered, I don't even put it on now and swear by Waze which has saved me many times
I also actively contribute to Waze, which makes me a Wazer......not sure I'm too proud of that tho lol
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Waze is very good because more and more people use it and thus make it both more accurate and more reactive. It's weakness relies in its mapping which is significantly inferior to via Michelin or even Google maps. However since Google bought Waze 4 years ago we may hope. The last updates seem to show an improvement.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
I got the basic standard sat nav in my new 3 Series a few weeks ago and it's absolutely useless compared with the one I had in my A5.
Got completely lost on its first outing from Reeth to Hawes when the road we were on wasn't even on the map and ended up at Nateby.
Back to Waze again for me after that.
The latest BMW Pro Nav isn't bad, quick and accurate but as noted above, the traffic info coverage is woeful, it only covers main A roads so can get easily caught out. There is no speed camera data either due to legal difficulties with this in France and other places. A modern Tom Tom or even Google is better but just not as convenient.
It's changed massively. There's a reason it's such a big deal that it's come to Android Auto. The routing, traffic info and notifications are genuinely far, far better than Google maps.
I've regularly used tomtom go, Google maps and Waze. Compared to the other 2, Google maps feels like a last generation product.
BMW, Daimler and Audi acquired HERE maps for $3bn in 2015. HERE was formerly owned by Nokia, and before that was owned by Navteq. They are recognised as offering some of the most comprehensive road mapping and routing capabilities on the market. The acquisition was done to take on Google.
Be that as it may, I use Waze, which I find excellent.
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Regarding data usage of Google Maps. Check the settings for offline mode and then add a Saved Area that covers the whole UK. Won't then use any of your data contract except for traffic info.
4 series pro nav for three years and 45000 miles has always been pretty good- like waze too but prefer integrated.
I've been using it for over two years now on my Pro nav system and I would say it's pretty good, the only complaint being there tends to be a lag between jams materialising and it being aware of them and vice versa but I think that's inevitable.
The system does a much better job of sorting out the traffic than the TomTom I use in my MX-5 in my opinion.
I use BMW RTTI satnav on almost a daily basis in a variety of different BMWs. Never had a problem getting to a destination and the traffic updates are consistent and revised every 5 minutes or so. When used properly I can't see how you can get lost, and, with it being continually updated, the road information is good - to the point where temporary speed limits for road works are noted in the more sophisticated versions. Suggested diversions are generally accurate in the predicted savings - of course you can never double-check these once you turn off your original route. Re-routing if you miss a turning or choose to ignore one, is quick and accurate.
I like the fact that you can programme shortcuts to different map views and also customise many of the settings. Touchscreens start in the top models and are filtering down to the lesser series. Recent revisions have seen faster reaction times, so you don't find yourself approaching a junction and wondering which way it will send you, a problem with many older systems.
Audi system is not bad in the latest models, but the Mercedes Benz Garmin system is a bit clunky with cheap-looking graphics and really needs a complete rethink. Nissan have decent satnavs too and touchscreens - although the controls are not very intuitive if you're not familair with them.
On foot or public transport I make regular use of Google Maps - generally good other than the occasional glitch in finding the quickest public transport routes. Traffic jam information is not detailed enough.
Waze is good too - but very reliant on the accuracy of local Wazers and whilst incidents may be spotted quite early, they tend to linger for a long time after the road has been cleared. I usually only use Waze to determine the extent of any hold ups ahead, rather than for navigation.
A few months ago I had just dropped my wife and younger daughter off at El Dorado airport and was heading home with our other daughter when a car shunted us at a junction. Said daughter learnt a few new words and then I left her waiting (and the junction blocked) whilst I made a couple of phone calls and discussed reparations. All settled, I returned to the car where she was excitedly asking me to turn on Waze. She was absolutely delighted to find our incident featuring on the app, having been reported by half a dozen Wazers.
It is used and updated by a lot of professional drivers in this part of the world, and is invariably accurate. The only downside is that it is indiscriminate about the areas that it routes you through and some of them are much like The Shades in Ankh-Morpork. Some local knowledge is also essential.
waze is the one to use, constant live updates, live info on police locations, works abroad with no issues. One problem is it wont link very well to my apple car play I can get it talking but not displaying the map.
a few times I ignored waze directions on a route change and in every occasion I wish I did not
waze is the one to use, constant live updates, live info on police locations, works abroad with no issues. One problem is it wont link very well to my apple car play I can get it talking but not displaying the map.
a few times I ignored waze directions on a route change and in every occasion I wish I did not
I've got the BMW Nav with RTTI, I think in the last week it has saved me about 5 hours in the car and given me a lovely tour of the roads and villages north of Rye. In France the week before it directed me down tiny country lanes with no problems at all. I think it's a fantastic system and when I compare it with some other cars it makes me very glad I bought a BMW!
I dumped Waze a few years ago due to its reliance on decent 3G signal which meant it would lose its way far too often to be relied upon. The BMW traffic data seems as good as any other integrated solution but none are 100% foolproof so errors do occur, better than nothing though or trusting to chance.
Keith
I also have a BMW with the RTTI. I would consider it an essential thing to have now. I always put my nav on and get a rough check on the route to work.
I find it to be generally very good, it is not perfect, but has on many occasions alerted me to heavy traffic which I have been able to avoid.
I thought it used to google traffic data anyhow, but I am not sure where I heard that from or if I made it up in my head!!
Anyhow it is a really good system.
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