Navigation: anyway of avoiding stupid guidance

[AlanDL]

Again, on the previous model you could assign speeds to different classes of roads.  In the new system, it seems to think that because a narrow country road has no speed limit, on can shoot along it at 60 miles an hour.  There doesn't even seem to be any way of identifying different classes of road at all.  I end up now ignoring the guidance and just following the road signs.  Presumably there are some apps which will discriminate and not take you down tracks, but I would rather not use android auto, but I am thinking of doing so when in the sticks: in Ireland the system was pretty crap.

[Harrier Man]

I wasn't totally happy with the Lexus satnav when I picked up my car last year so I used Waze, which was my previous favourite. Then it took me down a very long narrow lane that in no way was the quickest route so I decided to give the Lexus satnav another chance. By and large, over several months, it's been okay (although I don’t like the narrow road width). However, over a recent long trip I noticed it would often send me a long way round to avoid a small section of orange road ( indicating slow moving traffic). This wouldn't necessarily have been an issue except that some roads were ridiculously narrow single tracks with grass growing along the centre. Meet one car coming the other way and the delay was far worse than the short orange section in Kendal Town centre. Next trip, I compared the Lexus route with Google maps only this time it was Google that proposed the single track whilst Lexus proposed the sensible main road route. Not sure how each app's algorithm is set up but all need improvement and to give driver's options on which roads to include/exclude.

[BillSt]

I still have a 15yr old Garmin alongside the Lexus screen. At least with that I have some selection. 
 

[Cotswold Pete]

Found this online

The common algorithms are:

• Dijkstra’s Shortest Path First
• Bellman-Ford
• Rekhter-Lougheed path selection

Not much clued up on what they mean, but I found it on a posting a few years back about whether Tom Tom or Garmin were the best.  As to what Lexus or Google or Waze use, suspect they maybe have taken one of the above models and tweaked.

Generally while out and about and worried about not getting stuck I will be using Google at the same as the Mercs inbuilt or the Mazda inbuilt.  My LS was a real laugh when I tried it, so when bored used it for entertainment value; though it was better than I was at getting me to Cadbury World the quickest way.

[HMT]

The sat nav on my nx450 is much worse than on my old nx300h and that was not to good.

only now use it when I want to use the predictive drive option and then only if I know the route!

yesterday drove from airport to home.  About 98% on motorway or duel carriageway, with only a couple of miles from airport car park to motorway and then a couple of miles from duel carriageway  thro town to home.

1st it tried to take me off the main road across countryto a direction I did not want to go, then later off the duel carriage way onto B roads, then finally as I entered the town where I live it suggested that I take a farm road which is locked with a gate and clearly states private, no entry, thro the farm buildings and then out thro another farm track which is about 3/4 mile from my house.

thinking about getting Tom Tom !!!

[David lings]

Alan

l too have stopped using the Lexus satnav after a couple of times it sent me in totally the wrong direction.

l prefer good old AA Road maps for the route, only using ‘google’ once in at town/city for final directions.

One notices quite a few complaints in general on Lexus quality and some dealers yet surprisingly Lexus don’t seem to react or bother  ~ strange!
 

David

[jdlexus]

I gave up using any sat navs years ago. They all seem to send you in the wrong way.where I live it sends me along roads that I don't have to go along as I know how to get to most places 

Perhaps I'm old school I can read a map so always use one.the main problem with technology is tomorrow it will be out of date and it will eventually break down.

[Sundance]

Nothing wrong with being 'old school' John but having to stop every few miles to read a map and/or find out/check where you are must be actually quite tedious, at least I would find it so.  Now if you have your own human navigator sitting beside you then that's different 😄 .

But then maps can't steer you around traffic congestion so to reflect on the OP I would have to say find a satnav system that works for you and that provides relatively faultless information. Everything's relative 😉 .

Nothing in this world is perfect but I find that my Iphone maps are accurate and adequate for my needs and yes, perhaps they might occasionally go wrong but that's life ... although it hasn't happened to me yet! 🤞

Sticking with old technology, or indeed no technology at all, is still attractive to some and is most certainly heart warming, but it can be a timewaster in the modern world ... and even maps can go out of date and cannot always be relied upon.

Happy travels everyone ... or do I mean travails? 😂

[MartinH]

On 10/19/2023 at 4:42 PM, Cotswold Pete said:

common algorithms

Useful intelligence, but unlikely to be current given the speed of advancement in AI technology. I use Gmaps on an Android phone attached to the screen using a Quadlock magnetic arm (very good). But the AI does need to be used with a little common sense. A described route may be shorter, and may be able to divert you round delays. However it takes no account of the human cognitive load in following a complex unknown route, and the likely exposure to a greater number of turns and other higher-risk scenarios such as narrow roads. Often it is better to stick with a known, or main-road route, even if the time taken is longer, for a lower-stress experience. It would be helpful if the software engineers were able to introduce a routing option that picked the 'lowest-stress' route but that would require the coding of some very tricky human factors.

Also, Gmaps does simply make mistakes sometimes. For example, it knows where Waitrose is in Wellington, Somerset, but not where its access road is. (It's not through the wall of an adjacent light-industrial estate.)

 

[Ken R]

When I do need SatNav I use the inbuilt system on my NX450h and find it to be excellent! Hasn't let me down yet.

[Rabbers]

I’ve sometimes, though I must say rarely, suspected my satnav of sending me to my destination by unnecessarily long routes.  On such occasions, unless I judge it worth overriding the system, I simply console myself with the thought that it will one way or another get me to my destination in any case.

[talaipwros]

In the Android Auto era, can not see a reason why use anything other than google maps

[Pm4]

Lexus sat nav is a total nightmare, I now use only Google. 

Very unacceptable from Lexus, including their software! 

[WhiteHart]

Waze or Google or what every car should have in it. 

[NemesisUK]

My word! They still publish that??

[Harrier Man]

1 hour ago, Pm4 said:

Lexus sat nav is a total nightmare, I now use only Google. 

Very unacceptable from Lexus, including their software! 

Can you be more specific Giuseppe? What is it that you find unacceptable and a total nightmare?

[Barry14UK]

Gave up using the Lexus SatNav on my car a long time ago as several times it took me way off route and even one close to my bungalow.  My 6200 TomTom is much better and has fee updates and cameras.  I do have a large book of road maps just in case a problem should arise or to help preplan a trip but can't remember when it was last used.  Paper Maps mean stopping if you don't have a navigator and can be difficult to read at night,  Tried Google maps but didn't like.  Individual preference.

[Mr_Groundhog]

1 hour ago, WhiteHart said:

Waze or Google or what every car should have in it. 

Yes, I carry one of these along with the yellow pages: I have them mounted on two book easels on the dashboard. Good for shade too. 

[WhiteHart]

20 minutes ago, Mr_Groundhog said:

Yes, I carry one of these along with the yellow pages: I have them mounted on two book easels on the dashboard. Good for shade too. 

Also I have a man in front with a red flag. 

[Serguei]

On 10/20/2023 at 5:42 PM, MartinH said:

Useful intelligence, but unlikely to be current given the speed of advancement in AI technology

 

I don’t think use of AI can deliver any improvement over graph algorithms. Not every task benefits from AI. 

[Ken R]

6 hours ago, Pm4 said:

Lexus sat nav is a total nightmare, I now use only Google. 

Very unacceptable from Lexus, including their software! 

Not had any issue with the Lexus Nav system to date!

[Starlight]

Got the AA wireless but not sure whether I had it set wrong for these reasons;

1. Rarely connects automatically and having to constantly fiddle with phone and car Bluetooth settings in the morning or on restarting the car to connect.

2. Connection often drops while using Waze Nav on the drive which is a driving risk

3. Not sure whether this is down to Samsung Note 20 that I use.

For those who use AA WIRELESS please any ideas the best car setting to connect wireless.

On the other hand saw below re. 10,000 UK Land rover vehicles out of service due to parts and repairs, so cannot complain much.

https://www.msn.com/en-GB/autos/news/report--jaguar-land-rover-cars-stuck-waiting-for-parts/ar-AA1iE1W3?ocid=sapphireappshare

 

[Tickedon]

My Lexus Navigation does seem to like taking me off main roads and onto narrow roads… with width restrictions. Haven’t found a way to stop that yet. Early days, so hopefully over time it’ll learn to stay on main roads if I start scrutinising more the proposed routes. Otherwise, seems fairly accurate in terms of advising where traffic and delays are.

[AlanDL]

I really hit a nerve with this posting.  Thanks for all your comments. I think Tickedon above sums up my view.  I have in the last few days tried a number of apps using Android Auto.  Tom Tom requires a constant data stream.  I used to use Navigator on my phone, as an offline solution: it has the capacity to customise road speeds etc, but is a nightmare for entering addresses and searching.  Waze is also ok.  But of them all, google maps seems best.  However, I still think all the other features of the Lexus system, including actually having the head up display working, and the junction graphic on the left popup, is still the best solution overall.  I will just have to ensure I decide on unfamiliar routes before setting off.

The other advantage of using AA is having the split screen for the audio, which using any number of apps (I found Samsung music the simplest one for my purposes) will allow me to quickly see the track list on my mp3s on usb: why Lexus hasn't made this more easy in its audio player is beyond me.  If one starts the selection with the folder or album, you can then see the track list on the left. But if you restart the car, the track is still there, but you have to go back to the start and find the album again before seeing the track list (I know you can scroll through, but clumsy, as I can't remember order of tracks).  On the Samsung, clicking queue brings that up (same as some other phone based apps).  Just little things like that can make things better.  And I also know voice commands can do that, but have to do that for each subsequent track, as the voice command system is parallel to the screen operated one: why these are not integrated is beyond me. Rant over.

[Cotswold Pete]

On 10/20/2023 at 5:42 PM, MartinH said:

Also, Gmaps does simply make mistakes sometimes. For example, it knows where Waitrose is in Wellington, Somerset, but not where its access road is. (It's not through the wall of an adjacent light-industrial estate.)

 

One mans Artificial Intelligence is anothers Artifical Stupidy.