Better map app? Google Maps sucks so bad...

[JoeJxn]

I'm sure this has been asked before but I wanted to post my examples why I hate Google Maps on my phone

1) Was trying to find a hospital in an unfamiliar area, Google Maps had directed me to a bank. Turns out the hospital was 8 blocks to the east.

2) After leaving the hospital, I wanted to find a Portillo's to eat at, Google Maps directed me to a private subdivision, 3 blocks away from Portillo's.

3) 2 nights ago I went to pick my parents up from the airport, I was on the highway and just wanted to check to see how long it was until my exit...Google Maps told me to get off the highway, drive to a completely different highway, then take that way to get to the airport, and it's a much more complicated route than the one I was taking. I'm just sitting there thinking "wtf? really?"


So yea, Are there any? Idc if I have to pay

 

[JP 5.56]

Co-Pilot. It's $30 I believe.

 

[raven1911]

It almost sounds like your gps location is way off?

 

[RW-1]

I hate to say this, but even with a paid GPS app, you're results will vary because it all comes down to the database used and how often it updates, etc.

I've had numerous times where my GPS496 and wife's nuvi660 would have differing data and/or locations than my Droid. I've even had where maps didnt have the subdivision yet and my others did, from a year ago update.

And other times mine didn't have such and such and maps did.

There is no one cureall for this, never will be.

Take what your navigator is telling you wit a bit of salt, always. It's only to provide assistance, you are still the driver (Gee, the number of times I've had to drill that into my student heli pilots ... oy! )

 

[Garrett67]

Are you sure you have gps satellites enabled and not just using network tower triangulation?

 

[scoder]

Are you sure you have gps satellites enabled and not just using network tower triangulation?

Nav doesn't work without GPS enabled.

Google Maps will always try to take you ther fastest route. Even if it's a minute faster, it will tell you to get off the highway you're on, go to another one, etc instead of wasting a minute or two by staying on the same highway.

 

[FunN4Lo]

X2 on RW-1.
I go to several places everyday that I have never been to before. I have used every stand alone GPS in the market and paid lots of money for updates on other GPS units to try to stay current. Google Maps/Nav does an occasional screw up, but by far the most accurate I have ever used. In my city I know that if I want to go from the southwest to the northeast of the city, Google Nav will take me the most direct route on major roads. But that route is miles of stop and go lights. That is dumb. So I go back to RW-1 advice and look over the route before I blindly follow.

 

[Garrett67]

Are you sure you have gps satellites enabled and not just using network tower triangulation?

Nav doesn't work without GPS enabled.

Google Maps will always try to take you ther fastest route. Even if it's a minute faster, it will tell you to get off the highway you're on, go to another one, etc instead of wasting a minute or two by staying on the same highway.

You're right, I stand corrected

 

[RW-1]

Thanks Fun!

Yes, I advise backing out in maps to overlook routes given, you can typically see some issues before you get on the road.

Other times, if I don't mind listening to several "recalculating" msgs I will just drive until it begins to agree with my route hehehe.

If only I could get that to work with ATC

 

[jrl9851]

I don't know what's wrong with yours, but google maps is by far the best GPS I have ever used. It replaced my standalone. It has taken me to the correct places 100% of the time.

 

[Rated_R]

I don't know what's wrong with yours, but google maps is by far the best GPS I have ever used. It replaced my standalone. It has taken me to the correct places 100% of the time.

+1 Google maps owns. Has served me well for several years.

 

[DroidJT]

[FONT=&quot]Better map app? Probably not. Google maps works very good as long as the GPS chip and services are working well on the phone (very small failure rate). An earlier build of Google maps I used had some GPS / triangulating issues but was quickly fixed.

I would start with the obvious: Update Google Maps if not using the newest, Check your settings to make sure the GPS is functioning properly with your phone applications, check settings in route info (make sure tolls and highways aren't avoided), and double check its accuracy against another turn by turn GPS application, such as Waze or NDrive (and there are others). It may be you have a bad GPS chip and need a phone exchange...it might just be your settings. Good luck!
[/FONT]

 

[jdsingle]

Have a Tom Tom in the car and use Google Map's all the time and it works like a charm. Haven't been let down once. Google Maps is probably going to be updated a lot more than some other third party app.

 

[BuglessFan]

I agree with the grain of salt thing, and most have the same problems, but Google is incredibly retarded at times with relatively major landmarks. You can verify on the web by searching for Best Buy in Bellevue, WA. It is absolutely convinced there's one on Northup/NE 20th even though the street view will clearly show you that a Harley dealer and an over-price local Audio store are the only things remotely close to the weird phantom "Best Buy" location. I've found other bizarre misses like this, but Google is sometimes way way off, not just in directions, but in basic existence/location errors. It's probably as good on average as others, but has its flaws.

 

[RW-1]

True.

Lastly though, if you find something out of place there is a site to let them know about it.

Contact Us - Maps Help

Unlike your road GPS units and my aviation one, if google updates maps with your correction, it is available immeadiately after they make the change, you are not going to have to wait until incorporated into the next map update to be downloaded into your unit.

And these are separate from the google maps updates themselves (in case someone wants to argue that) because those update your program on the Droid, not google maps itself.

This is one of the greatist things that really have the other GPS makers cringing, because it can be updated on the fly, and it's FREE to all of us.