Vehicle Nav Systems

I would have bought the factory nav system for my 2023 VW, but you have to get the full deluxe package with lots of stuff I didn't want (fancy wheels and interior, etc). I asked if they could install the nav system on my car and they said no, because it requires a completely different "cockpit" display with a bigger LCD screen. Whatever, I'm probably lucky not to have it. I use Google Maps, Apple maps and others on my iPhone via CarPlay. This works just fine, but only on the entertainment system LCD and not the main "cockpit" display like the factory system.

I've read multiple articles about how the "way of the future" is endless subscriptions, even for crazy stuff like we would expect to come as standard (heated seats, maybe?). I declined all the special subscriptions on my VW and don't think I'm missing anything. VW was in the news awhile ago when there was a stolen vehicle (IIRC, there was also a child inside of it) and the company that handles their vehicle tracking service refused to provide law enforcement with the vehicle location because the owner had not subscribed to that feature. That generated so much bad PR for VW that they started including the location service for free on all vehicles.

I guess it's a difficult choice in your case, you have to decide just how much you like the builtin nav system and either bite the bullet or do without. Very frustrating, I'm sure. Can you at least use CarPlay or Android Auto as an alternative? How does that compare?

…of over the air services when OnStar came along back in (I think) 1996. Other makes (BMW, MB, Toyato, Tesla, etc.) followed and the services available increased with the result being the subscription services we see today. One annoyance I have is for some services the hardware and electronics are present in the vehicle (and thus the price is higher) and I can toggle the service on/off by enabling the subscription. My 2022 Acura for instance can have remote start added for a nominal monthly fee. I know people who only get that service in the Philly area for November through about March.

There is an interesting article you may want to read at https://www.motortrend.com/features/car-subscriptions-why-pa...

My base trim '22 stinger (gt line) came with in built nav. At time of purchase salesman was rather persistent about setting on the kia spyware (kia connect). I outright refused. Eventually he gave up. Whatever trial was included (but never activated) has long since expired. Nav continues to work. Not 100% certain (but suspect 100%) the car is still transmitting telemetry to the mothership without any subscriptions.

I would be furious if such features worked initially, but stopped after the trial ended, unless there was clear communication at time of purchase of subscription dependency.

I have had Factory Nav systems in my last several cars, but always end up using my old Nuvi 3590.

It is configurable and can add POI's to it.

It's so much user friendly too. Has Pedestrian mode and is portable.

Plus, the maps don't cost $100 to update.

With my first VW that had "connected" features (2014?), there was a subscription. Didn't have a nav system and the subscription wasn't very expensive. IIRC, about all it gave you was a VW app that showed where you parked, whether the doors were locked, etc. I guess there were some onstar type emergency services too? I never used any of that and just let it expire. No big deal.

But I was reading about it, and apparently the only way you could prevent it from tracking you (if requested by law enforcement, for example) was to physically remove the gps, transmitter and antenna. As long as that hardware was there, it could be activated remotely.

Yes, I can use Apple Car Play, which displays on the nav screen, but I usually use it with Wase, and navigate with the Garmins.

There was a similar incident near here a couple of years ago where a woman drove off the road into a flooded drainage ditch. She couldn't exit the vehicle and it began filling with water. She repeatedly pressed the On Star button but was told they couldn't help because her subscription had lapsed. It isn't clear if it was a recording or a real person. Sadly, the woman drowned.

There was a big stink when the story hit the paper but no response from GM. There was a lawsuit filed but I never heard how it was resolved.

Our Teslas include quite capable onboard mapping and navigation. The only subscription fee I've paid to augment the included capability is called "enhanced connectivity" or something like that, costs about $100/year, and just adds display of traffic data as colors on the map, and optional display of overhead photography (so-called "satellite") neither of which is at all essential, but both of which I like.

So I get maps that are updated without me doing or paying anything. The maps and navigation are good enough that after comparing them to my Garmin 3790, to Google Maps on my iPhone, and to Apple Maps on my iPhone, I generally use the onboard Tesla stuff by preference.

They could probably up their revenue by exploiting the subscription model much more fully. I hope they don't.

I recall reading somewhere not long ago, car manufactures either are or soon will be no longer providing interfaces to those apps to be used in their vehicles.

Instead, they'll be providing their own interactive "appcs" for a fee!

As it is, with some manufactures that offer some functions like auto remote start with or without climate control capability, garage / gate opening / closing capability, and other functions require a subscription.

You can do your own searches, but AFAK General Motors is the only vehicle manufacturer that plans to discontinue CarPlay and AndroidAuto (I think this will come into full effect in 2028). GM vehicles aren't on my shopping list anyway, but this would really bother me if they were..

When that happens, I'll get one of these dash mounted Bluetooth screens and use it with Apple Car Play:

https://www.amazon.com/WonVon-Motorcycle-Navigation-Bluetoot...

I asked google ai whether other manufacturers were also planning to discontinue CarPlay/Android Auto. It said no, and in fact the other companies are weaponizing GM's decision and using it against them in their own marketing, LOL.

in my 2020 Audi to display the Android TomTom Navigation app. The Audi navigation subscription expired in 2024 and it still works but does not include live traffic and updated maps anymore.

One with Nav and one that doesn’t. My Hyundai has navigation and it gets updated every six months, more or less. My GMC truck doesn’t have navigation on it and I use my iPhone with it. I will use Apple, Google, or Waze. I was able to use either of the three with my old iPhone but I got a new iPhone 17 last week and it is giving me issues with Google Maps. When I pulled up CarPlay a couple of days ago, I had Apple and Waze, but no Google Maps. I don’t know if there is a permission that I am missing or what, but if any you folks knows anything about this issue, I would certainly entertain any suggestions since I tend to favor Google over Apple.

Speaking of kia/hyundai updates, they just dropped another one.

https://update.hyundai.com/US/EN/home

https://update.kia.com/US/EN/home

Bought a 2016 Acura MDX with technology package which included NAV. We loved the car, but NAV was always crap compared to Garmin. Never updated the NAV database and just used Garmin.
Bought a 2022 Tesla Model Y. Onboard NAV is phenomenal. Quit using the Garmin, at least on the Tesla. Still use it on a several other older cars.

Actually there are several after market systems available for VW.

I have the VW NAV system and as far as I am concerned it is a piece of crap. I did find a way of beating their update fee by doing some research on the web and paid $ 35.00 for a map update. I did that twice but then decided that it just is not very user friendly compared to my Garmin.
For example on my drives to Mexico I had no choice to bypass Cincinnati using the VW Nav.With my Garmin I could chose I-275 to bypass. Plus on this long drive the VW system only let me do this in several sections but not too far in advance. I cannot remember when I used it last. I now have an expensive radio and back-up display.

Actually, I looked into it when I first got the car. There's a VW forum for the Taos where this was discussed, and a couple people went so far as to buy the special VW LCD panel and interface box via some grey market on a Chinese website. They were then able to get an authorized dealer to swap it out for the factory version (which is not trivial), but this costs thousands all together and they ended up with grey market components that might affect warranty. No thanks!

I'm fine with Google Maps or Apple Maps in CarPlay, next car... will see what happens, but I'm not gonna get the expensive model with fancy seats, special wheels, etc. that I don't care about just to get the nav system (and then have to pay some BS subscription for it also, LOL)

I get the more I accept "the way it is."

I seriously don't see myself fighting city hall as I age.

We bought a 2025 GM, I didn't know any of this tbh.

It comes with 8 years of On Star basics. This means the screen on the dash can do google maps and stream audio for free, with the cellular that comes with it for 8 years. I bet most people don't even keep a vehicle that long to find out one day it is no longer free.

We got 3 mos free XM, then $2.99 plus tax ($0.18) for 3 more months, then they wanted $27/mo and only would come down to $6/mo, now $5/mo. No thanks, one car is free for life and since it ran out here, discovered free Spotify which blows XM away.

Car got an update over the air so Netflix, HBO Max, and YouTube can be watched on the dash--yipee. Go to try it, nope. Have to pay for wifi or it won't work. It does work if on a hotspot or home wifi.

Is all of the above a money grab? I think life is to tell you the truth. The new business model is to work less, or not at all, and get lots of money (how is this any different than 50 years ago when folks aspired to be slumlords). It's admirable. Get 5 mil subs on YouTube and you have a life of leisure and become an inspiration for kids in elementary school lol

At any rate, I would not pay $180 to $480 out of principle (let's see what happens 7 years from now when ours runs out, do I pay? maybe)

My 2007 car doesn't even have a screen and I have to turn my head to back up.

My 2006 car has a 2016 disc and the nav is so old it doesn't even move smoothly, it jerks as if page by page. The calendar and reminders built in (reminds me of Palm Pilot) ran out like 4 years ago, they never anticipated anyone using in 2021+.

These are first world problems, we should all be happy with what we have, and I think many here are. industry standard and don't pay.

I heard many vehicles one cannot do their own brakes anymore. You can't retract the rear parking brakes without a subscription lol

I saw on YouTube we can do it ourselves on our 2025, that is to put the rear brakes in maintenance mode. I'm not paying someone else to do my brakes, not ever that's a high bang for buck DIY

Toyota nav is cloud based and is dead without a subscription. all u get is a subscription ad. I may have to rethink a Tacoma limited.

You're rethinking, be sure to get a manual as they still make Tacomas that way