SOME OPINIONS, PLEASE

[oldguyinTX]

For those folks that use a smartphone app for navigation, what do you use and/or prefer? I have used Waze & Google turn-by turn (forget what it's called) and find them to be at least as good as my Garmin Zumo 660, and in some cases better. I am soon to be without the Garmin, so I'm looking for opinions and recommendations as to what's out there and works well. Thanks in advance for any replies.

[trikermutha]

I use Android Auto with the google maps and its been dead on accurate compared to the GPS.

The only drawback is the data usage on the cell phone.

Now keep in mind this is being used in my truck.

[aka1004]

Google maps for navigation but Waze is on for cops.

[2dogs]

Google maps.

[oldguyinTX]

I neglected to mention in my post that data usage is not an issue for me. I have a "grandfathered" plan with 15 GB & with 3 phones on the plan, we have never used more than 1 1/2 GB in any given month.

[trikermutha]

Start using Google maps more often and watch it eat up data.

Once in awhile you should be fine.

[CA-SPYDR]

I download google maps of the area I’ll be riding in to my phone because sometimes there is no cell reception.

[WA5VHU]

Google Maps is not a navigation app, Waze is. I use Waze to navigate and 99.9% of the time it will direct me turn by turn to the door of the shop in the parking lot. Google Maps will often put me somewhere a few blocks away or around the corner on the wrong street. I do use Google Maps as a replacement for paper maps when looking for something nearby, such as someplace to eat. I use Waze daily for work in my cage as I am almost always going someplace I haven't been before.

That being said, I learned the hard way that when on the motorcycle and you get into the twisties in southern VA and northern NC and run out of cellular coverage Waze just wants to crash. I have bought a Garmin Zumo 660LM for those times.

[aka1004]

I get opposite results with waze and google maps.
Google maps pretty much gets me where I’m going but waze... I only leave on for alerts for cops.
I gave up on waze after few funky directions I was getting from it.
I use about 50-110 gigs of data a month and once in awhile I get depriotized(or could just in slower coverage area) and maps slow down a bit but it’s not much of a problem and I use google maps with satellite and traffic on 100% of time.

[Chasinsparks]

Like waze for the police alerts! And it does exceptionally well at avoiding traffic delays.

[Chasinsparks]

We use Waze everywhere we go and have not had the problem yet, been using for at least 2 years (knock on wood). I did have Google maps take me to a trailer park in Dumfries Va. while looking for a restaurant my wife wanted to try. Although frustrating that we drove 45 mins to go to this restaurant it was funny the we ended up in the middle of a trailer park.

I get opposite results with waze and google maps.
Google maps pretty much gets me where I’m going but waze... I only leave on for alerts for cops.
I gave up on waze after few funky directions I was getting from it.
I use about 50-110 gigs of data a month and once in awhile I get depriotized(or could just in slower coverage area) and maps slow down a bit but it’s not much of a problem and I use google maps with satellite and traffic on 100% of time.

[aka1004]

I don’t trust any maps/Navi 100%.
I find the place on google maps, zoom in to take a look then I always take a look at route the google map gives me before I head out. It’s easy to do on google maps and quick.
Google finds better route on the way and ask if I want to switch routes.

I can find place to eat, sleep, fuel and get their opening hours, menu, how people like their food, mattresses AND how to get there. All in one app and I trust google’s gathered data over any other app although it’s not 100% but I don’t think anything is.

It’s funny and weird that apple can make a lot of things work so well but can not get a map app together.

[DGoebel]

Check out Myroute-app, has curvier and hillier routing options, can be used web based or mobile device based, can create turn by turn routes and share them with others, and can export those routes in all GPS common formats for importing into "old fashioned" GPS'.... or just use it on your dash mounted phone. If you make your routes at home you can download the offline maps over your home wireless connection before travelling and use VERY little data while on the drive, but still have detailed Google Maps data. (or use other mapping layers/overlays).

[PaladinLV]

I use WAZE.
As it is constantly being updated on traffic conditions via the user community and their maps seem to be the most correct especially when it comes to POIs

AJ

For those folks that use a smartphone app for navigation, what do you use and/or prefer? I have used Waze & Google turn-by turn (forget what it's called) and find them to be at least as good as my Garmin Zumo 660, and in some cases better. I am soon to be without the Garmin, so I'm looking for opinions and recommendations as to what's out there and works well. Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Bfromla]

Not often but I have done a combination of using my phone google maps & Zuma. one case the address could not be found (some back woods airport) so google got me close, I used satellite view & found it, dropped a pin & routed that way. Plugged phone to aux so I could hear it, then used the Garmin as the screen worked surprisingly well

[imfleck]

I use Google Maps on my Android. Waze has gotten itself lost on me one too many times for city driving. For highway driving they work about the same for me.

[Kiry]

For the shorter routes, I use Waze. Google maps for "what's in the area" but Waze 100% for navigation.

However, for planning the longer routes with motorcycle option, use InRoute app. You can break up the legs, create sections where you want to take a side trip and store them for later (bookmark). I started using this since Google maps doesn't seem to like to keep or have hilly/motorcycle/leg creation.

[Zip]

When I am traveling from here to there I use google maps or WAZE and they work fine. Now here is my issue. Say I want to visit all the covered bridges in Lancaster PA. So at home in NY I go on the computer and set up the route point to point in google maps. Then email it to my phone. The issues are first you need to be spot on with your first location or the trip wont start, if you don't hit the exact spot on any of your trips it wont continue. If you get too far off track it wont continue. I have had success using this method more than once, but at times it did not want to follow my route and made up its own on the fly.

[2dogs]

Yes, Google is good at recalculating. If I'm on the interstate I know where I'm going (most of the time) I turn Google Maps off and I just keep my exit number in mind. After taking the exit it's generally time to rest the butt. I turn Google Maps back on and it picks right up and shows me the route to my destination. Works great and rarely is ever wrong.

[wrb3004]

I have been using MapQuest. On a recent trip MapQuest was running on my iPhone for 8-9 hours on the way there and 8-9 hours on the way back with no navigation issues and used little data. I don't know the exact number but it was less than 1gb.

[Flamewinger]

I like Waze but when I find myself out of cell service Waze is useless. I have either TomTom or Garmin that had built in map data.

[oldguyinTX]

Thank you all for your concise thoughts and opinions on this subject. I have used a Garmin Zumo 660 for 5 years, and will miss it when my Spyder gets (soon) traded in. Nice to know that there are some alternatives since I can't pop for a new Garmin.