Live Traffic Question (Is "Here WeGo" App required?)

In the case of my DriveSmart 51LMT-S I need the Garmin Smartphone app. I believe that newer GPSs require the Garmin Drive app.

I have Garmin Drive, but I thought that Drive used Here to get traffic info.
Don't know if Drive links to Here with or without Here app on my phone.

The Drive or Smartphone app from Garmin, depending on which GPS device you have, is all that's needed.

Here isn't needed. The Drive app gets it data from Here direct.

I have used a DriveSmart 65 & 55 for the last few years without connecting to my smartphone and they did receive traffic from a built in FM receiver. I usually drive without my radio on and did not want to use the Garmin Drive app to get a better grade of traffic due to the drain on the smartphone battery. The traffic I received via FM during those years was sufficient for my purposes. If I felt I needed detailed traffic info I would start the Waze app on my phone. Those times where few. Maybe 3 times a year. I recently got a new smartphone and decided to install the Garmin Drive app and connect my Garmin's to my phone. So far I have had problems getting audio out of the Garmin's using the Garmin Drive app. The drive app keeps defaulting to my vehicle's Bluetooth rather than from my DriveSmart device like before which requires me to turn on the vehicles audio, something I am trying to avoid. I like driving in silence I purchased a electric vehicle just for the quiet ride. So far, I now have to turn on my audio system to get turn directions something I have been trying to avoid. I do not notice any difference in the quality of the traffic info from the Garmin Drive app vs the FM feed but I am giving more time using the Garmin Drive app as the traffic feed before removing the Drive app and going back to the FM feed I've used for years. Hope this helps answer your question.

I have the DriveSmart 65.
I've had no issues with my phone battery life.
I don't normally have don't have my phone paired to the car, so no issue with audio.
However, I had the car paired for about 4 months, to make sure that I wouldn't miss any calls from my eye surgeon. I still did not have any issues.
Unfortunately, I can't offer any ideas about why you're having issues.

As far as data usage, I figure I only use about 1-2 Mb per hour.
I find the live traffic best for me, since I have no FM traffic where I live. I have to travel at least 40-50 km before I get any FM coverage.

After much dithering I started using the Garmin Drive app, and have not found the drain on the battery a problem, or amount of data used. In my area (Edmonton AB)I find the traffic alerts to be somewhat late, both in activating and releasing.

I can load both Apple maps and Google maps on my vehicles media display, both have a traffic option and that is much better.. free but probably uses more data.

You miss understand me. Yes I could connect the DS65 to my vehicle audio system and have the turn directions and Alexia sounds come out of the vehicle speakers. Very Simple. But I prefer to have the turn instructions and Alexia come out of the DS65. That allows me to adjust the volume independent of the volume of the sound from the vehicle. I keep the DS65 volume low so if I'm in a phone conversation or listening to music over the vehicle speakers the DS65 stuff is in the background and less disruptive. When I do listen to music I do not want the music to stop and hear "Turn Left in 200 feet".

In my previous vehicle the usb outlet did not power provide much of a charge to my older phone and I would find the phone battery drained by 2-3 in the afternoon. With my new phone and vehicle that is not a issue.

I totally agree. I prefer to have the GPS independent of the radio.

I have fought this battle long enough and I have given up. After trying multiple times and multiple ways to get the audio to come thru the DS65 while connected to the Garmin Drive app I admit defeat. I thought I had figured it out. When establishing the Garmin Drive app bluetooth connection to the Drivesmart one of the first questions is if I can play music from my smartphone thru the vehicles speakers. If I answer No to that question and show in the Drivesmart settings I want the audio going to the device rather than via bluetoot. It does exactly that. Just as I want it to work. But only for the first time after I set these settings. But when I shut the vehicle off and start on another drive the audio defaults back to the bluetooth connection to the vehicle. I have cleared out the settings in both the vehicle and Drivesmart multiple times and reset the settings again and every time it works like I set it(audio thru the DS) and after the first drive it defaults back again to bluetooth audio. I give up and disconnected bluetooth from the Drivesmart 65 w Alexa and now the audio is thru the DS as I want. But this makes the Alexia and online traffic not available to the Drivesmart.