I love the wife's 2017 Limited but have been unhappy with the GPS..This is our first and only vehicle with built in GPS and I know very little about GPS except that my 10 year old hand held Garmin gives MUCH better directions than the new one in the 4Runner..It seems the maps are different and certainly the routes are different..Both are set for fastest route..Talking to others it seems Toyota is not the only auto manufacturer whose GPS is substandard..Are there any auto manufacturers that use Garmin maps? Is there something I can do to my Toyota GPS to make it as good as my old Garmin? Any information about GPS is appreciated as I'm getting ready to buy a new truck and would like to get one with a good GPS...Thanks
G.p.s. Questions
- Thread starter Lawman
- Start date
Register to hide this ad
LawnDart
Senior Member
A smart phone and google maps/waze.
What's that?
Much of my our driving is where there is no cell signal.
MossJenks
New member
er...an example of a tablet you might be familiar with is an iPad. A phone works good too.
A mount is something to mount the tablet or phone to so it's easily visible when driving.
MossJenks
New member
That's fine. You can download offline maps to Google Maps. For backcountry navigation GaiaGPS is hard to beat.
I'm a 62 year old low tech guy...I just barely can use a cell phone to make calls..I really just want an in dash navigation system that works like my portable Garmin that I set on the dash..Is that possible?
okay..Can you explain to me how it works? Do I need to have a cell signal when using the nav system? Do I need to download maps of the area I will be going to? Can I use it for going from Texas to Missouri? Overall explanation of how it works might help me..
Thanks
Buy an iPad with cellular capabilities. Even with no cellular signal, the GPS antenna still works and will receive GPS location signal. Download your offline map of choice to the iPad turn off cellular modem and you will see the GPS app will still work.
I think, for one, if someone is using the same navi for 10 years it probably has more to do with the person is more used to their own navi than it is about the in-dash being so bad. OP probably needs to use a few different ones and get used to the new features and turn-by-turn directions.
I used to love Navigon because the turn-by-turn directions was more suitable to my driving style. The way Navigon announced exits and turns made more sense than Google but I made the switch to Google Maps and I haven't went back.
Pastor passum
New member
Being an old fart and far from tech savvy myself, other than the small display screen, I find the in dash unit as good as and better than some I've used. The Subaru unit I just came from was ridiculously slow and constantly crashing. The turn by turn directions are actually better than in our '16 X5 which often tells you to turn just as you pass your turn!
Like SlickTRD says, probably just a matter of a little use and becoming familiar with the unit.
Like SlickTRD says, probably just a matter of a little use and becoming familiar with the unit.
flyrv9
New member
We don't use our NAV system as we rarely go somewhere where we need help getting around. It didn't seem worth it to pay a subscription fee and not be using the system. That along with all the reported problems with updates etc. we decided to let our trial period nav lapse. However, it would be interesting to know who really makes the Toyota Nav system and maps. I doubt they and other manufacturers all make their own.
Garmin is one of those companies that have made GPS / NAV systems for aircraft for years. They are a good choice with reasonable subscription rates too. if I was going to get one it would be a Garmin.
Garmin is one of those companies that have made GPS / NAV systems for aircraft for years. They are a good choice with reasonable subscription rates too. if I was going to get one it would be a Garmin.
Hi Lawman,
I'll attempt to give a little more detail to what everyone else is saying
There are several reasons the in-dash GPS on many vehicles are not the greatest:
1) The quality of the dataset (i.e. the maps). There are many different data sets that various GPSes use. Some of them are government-produced, some of them will be maintained and created by private companies (Garmin, Google, etc) and some of them are public data sets maintained and distributed for free (Open Street Map). The public one is surprisingly good, some might even say the best. Typically the data sets used on in-dash Nav systems that come with new vehicles are not the best.
2) The quality of the software (i.e. the thing that tries to give you directions). Again, the software that comes built-in with most vehicles is junk. Dunno why this is, or why they don't just license it from Google but that's what we're stuck with.
3) Whatever comes with most vehicles doesn't seem to be updated very frequently (either the data/maps or the software).
So basically what everyone is suggesting is some variation of getting a system that uses better data and software, which is why Google Maps is a popular suggestion, or any one of the numerous apps you can get on iPhones and iPads that uses the OpenStreetMap data. They're all great.
If you are dead-set on having the in-dash version you can buy aftermarket systems to replace the Toyota one that have better GPSes but it's going to be a big pain and pretty expensive, which is why everyone is suggesting the cheaper/simpler option, which is:
- Get an iPhone or iPad with a GPS chip (if you want a bigger screen).
- Get some kind of a mount to attach it to your dash/console. There's a number of threads around here with lots of different suggestions.
- Get one of the good apps (GaiaGPS is one of the best) for it.
With the apps on a phone or iPad you don't need to be in cellphone range, as long as you have downloaded the data for where you want to go ahead of time. Most of the apps you can download whatever data you need - you can just go to the map, draw a big box around the area you want and the app will save it all for you. Then to use it, all you need is a GPS signal.
For example, I live in Lake Tahoe. I have downloaded all of the data on to my phone for most of Northern California and North-Western Nevada. It's always there regardless of whether or not I'm in cellphone range, and since I always have my phone with me I have excellent navigation on roads when driving, biking hiking, dirtbiking, snowmobiling etc. pretty much anywhere I want to go. When I get in my car I clip the phone in the mount and it's an in-car GPS. When I get out I put it in my pocket and it comes with me.
This is by far going to be the cheapest, easiest, and best way to get high-quality navigation data and good software into your 4runner.
I'll attempt to give a little more detail to what everyone else is saying
There are several reasons the in-dash GPS on many vehicles are not the greatest:
1) The quality of the dataset (i.e. the maps). There are many different data sets that various GPSes use. Some of them are government-produced, some of them will be maintained and created by private companies (Garmin, Google, etc) and some of them are public data sets maintained and distributed for free (Open Street Map). The public one is surprisingly good, some might even say the best. Typically the data sets used on in-dash Nav systems that come with new vehicles are not the best.
2) The quality of the software (i.e. the thing that tries to give you directions). Again, the software that comes built-in with most vehicles is junk. Dunno why this is, or why they don't just license it from Google but that's what we're stuck with.
3) Whatever comes with most vehicles doesn't seem to be updated very frequently (either the data/maps or the software).
So basically what everyone is suggesting is some variation of getting a system that uses better data and software, which is why Google Maps is a popular suggestion, or any one of the numerous apps you can get on iPhones and iPads that uses the OpenStreetMap data. They're all great.
If you are dead-set on having the in-dash version you can buy aftermarket systems to replace the Toyota one that have better GPSes but it's going to be a big pain and pretty expensive, which is why everyone is suggesting the cheaper/simpler option, which is:
- Get an iPhone or iPad with a GPS chip (if you want a bigger screen).
- Get some kind of a mount to attach it to your dash/console. There's a number of threads around here with lots of different suggestions.
- Get one of the good apps (GaiaGPS is one of the best) for it.
With the apps on a phone or iPad you don't need to be in cellphone range, as long as you have downloaded the data for where you want to go ahead of time. Most of the apps you can download whatever data you need - you can just go to the map, draw a big box around the area you want and the app will save it all for you. Then to use it, all you need is a GPS signal.
For example, I live in Lake Tahoe. I have downloaded all of the data on to my phone for most of Northern California and North-Western Nevada. It's always there regardless of whether or not I'm in cellphone range, and since I always have my phone with me I have excellent navigation on roads when driving, biking hiking, dirtbiking, snowmobiling etc. pretty much anywhere I want to go. When I get in my car I clip the phone in the mount and it's an in-car GPS. When I get out I put it in my pocket and it comes with me.
This is by far going to be the cheapest, easiest, and best way to get high-quality navigation data and good software into your 4runner.
Last edited:
BobsTrail
Senior Member
I would not choose a vehicle by the GPS system, get what you want and supplement it with a new Garmin or Magellan with a bean bag mount on the dashboard.
I do this for our older Astro Van. I do use Google maps in my T4 with offline maps on a tablet with good results. It takes a bit of planning before a trip to make sure you have saved the area needed.
I do this for our older Astro Van. I do use Google maps in my T4 with offline maps on a tablet with good results. It takes a bit of planning before a trip to make sure you have saved the area needed.
Thanks guys, you have told me what I need to know..I don't really understand the point of having an in dash navigation system since all acceptable navigation suggestions involve another device .......I might as well continue to place my old Garmin on the dash of my $48,000.00 vehicle..
philsey
New member
@OP. Why not just get a new Garmin? I have a very nice one, with lifetime free updates via my laptop - it's easy. I love the thing, haven't even turned on my OEM one.
I can move it to the wife's car. The OEM will not allow any input while driving -- I hate that.
There are lots of ways to mount it - I have mine snapped into the left-center AC vent.
I can move it to the wife's car. The OEM will not allow any input while driving -- I hate that.
There are lots of ways to mount it - I have mine snapped into the left-center AC vent.
