Nav radio with Android Auto.

[XCyrexX]

Is there going to be any reason for me to get a radio with nav built in if I can just use Google Maps.

 

[frankos39]

Wont use your phone data. but if you don't really use NAV very often it won't matter all that much

 

[Pedrore]

I ended up getting an aftermarket Pioneer unit with nav since I figure the time I get somewhere with little/no cell reception is the time I will need to know directions! Also, if your unit has nav then AA will use the unit's GPS receiver (more accurate) and demand less of your phone. AA will still use your phones data for the map info.

 

[Cant Miss]

I considered one with built in NAV. The unit it replaced had it. But it costs hundreds of dollars a year to keep the maps and POI's up to date, and even the newest update is a year or two out of date by the time it is released. Google is waaaaayyyy better and far more up to date.

I have never had a signal loss for so long that I would have gotten lost (unless you deviated from the currently set route and had to wait for a signal to re-route), and I live in the middle of the damn forest and am on T-Mobile. Still, I have CoPilot on my phone with 'no data required maps and routing' just in case (think it was $20 or something). It is very capable but I have never had to use it.

 

[SuperTongue]

I considered one with built in NAV. The unit it replaced had it. But it costs hundreds of dollars a year to keep the maps and POI's up to date, and even the newest update is a year or two out of date by the time it is released. Google is waaaaayyyy better and far more up to date.

I have never had a signal loss for so long that I would have gotten lost (unless you deviated from the currently set route and had to wait for a signal to re-route), and I live in the middle of the damn forest and am on T-Mobile. Still, I have CoPilot on my phone with 'no data required maps and routing' just in case (think it was $20 or something). It is very capable but I have never had to use it.

Same for me. I could have gotten the 7100NEX for a couple hundred dollars more just to add the GPS features. So far, I've not once wished that I got it. My phone sits inside the center console and still grabs a pretty strong GPS signal. I'm also on T-Mobile (though I live near a pretty populated city) and occasionally do head into 2G / No Signal territory. If I haven't already started navigation and I really need it, I always have HERE maps to fall back onto.

Once Google Maps gets offline capabilities (that hopefully actually allow navigation), AA navigation will be perfect.

 

[DrKrizzle]

I have the Pioneer 8100 and have had connectivity issues with the phone, so I used the built in Nav as backup which helps a lot. If AA doesn't work, then you have no maps. Google maps also does not show the speed limit for the road and the built-in Nav does, which comes in handy.

 

[dec]

It really just depends. Most of the time I could use my GMaps, but after a couple months with a Pioneer 7100, I've found myself not plugging in the phone every time I get in the vehicle. If it needs some juice . . . I do almost always. In my normal profile (day-to-day) its nice to have the NAV unit. As mentioned, there are a couple items in the NAV that isn't in GMaps. To me the real reason is not using the data and the fact that if I'm in remote area with no data access I still have full NAV function. With that said, I don't know that I could say that extra $ for the NAV function will pay off in the short term. Probably didn't help you much, but so far I'm glad that I have the NAV, but more importantly all the capabilities that the head unit has in addition to the NAV and the AA over a stock unit I had been using.