Sat Nav foibles comedy thread

[morini]

So as not to pollute the "Who's ordered a Cupra" sticky thread I thought I'd start a new thread to cover the Sat Nav routing quirkiness I have encountered. I am used to a portable tomtom and I must admit so far I have been pretty unimpressed with the integrated nav system standard in mk3 in comparison with my (now very old) tomtom go 730.

A couple of examples where it has got me scratching my head.

1. Coming into Wales westbound across the Severn Bridge every time (tried on both blue and red route mapping) it tries to send me down the M48 via the old crossing. Even when you ignore her and carry on via the M4 she tries to make you turn around (at the junction before the new crossing for the M49) go back up M4, turn around again and take the old crossing. Why on earth does it do that? Staying on the M4 is both shorter and quicker.

2. While in France we got a late ferry crossing into Cherbourg and booked an overnight hotel just outside the town before travelling further down the following day. The nav sent us broadly in the correct direction but when close to the hotel (which was on the left of the road we were on) it asked me to turn right, into the sea. There was no left turn available so I followed the road until next roundabout and swung around onto opposite carriageway. As we approached the road leading to the hotel (now on the right) she told me to turn left, into the sea.

Multiple other occasions I thought it sent us on some pretty strange routes. Single tracks when there were good D and N roads available. Anybody else had any bizarre behaviour from "Shaky Sally" the satnav lady?

 

[Ckpearce91]

When I've travelled to Wales 2 different times it took me different ways each time. The first time I went it took 2 1/2 hours the second time took me 4 hours because it took me down all sorts of country lanes in the pitch black dark. And then last week I was travelling to Silverstone and again took me two different ways going there and back and took me up some very strange single track lanes that looked like they were meant for horses. I always travel the blue route and I always wonder how one earth can this be the most economical route?!

 

[Seastormer]

When I've travelled to Wales 2 different times it took me different ways each time. The first time I went it took 2 1/2 hours the second time took me 4 hours because it took me down all sorts of country lanes in the pitch black dark. And then last week I was travelling to Silverstone and again took me two different ways going there and back and took me up some very strange single track lanes that looked like they were meant for horses. I always travel the blue route and I always wonder how one earth can this be the most economical route?!

One thing I do know, is that there are 3 choices when you put in an address. The blue is the normal, the red is the quickest and the orange is the shortest (I think I have got the colours/choices right) so even though you are going to the same place, you can pick a diff choice and presto diff route appears. The manual does explain it all, like the shortest might take you down dodgy tracks etc, or the quickest might be actually longer in miles.

 

[Ckpearce91]

Well the blue is supposed to be the most economical and the red is the quickest and not sure about the orange. But the blue always takes me down dodgy tracks which are highly un-economical

 

[Seastormer]

Sure I use blue mostly, and have had no bother in the 7 weeks I have had the 280.

 

[terryt]

The route also changes depending on traffic conditions. It once took me around a town then back where I entered into the town and off again!

 

[morini]

I think the bottom (orange?) one is shortest, so you I guess you could expect it to use the smaller / dodgier horse trails which is why I don't use that route option. But that doesn't explain why it sends me down stupid routes on the red (quickest) and blue (best balance between time / distance) route options.

Every single time I've been on M4 westbound it thinks the M48 is the best way to go. Look on google maps, it is significantly longer so surely can never win in terms of time, distance or economy. I don't think the issues are anything to do with traffic congestion either as it happens too frequently and my TT730 has the same TMC traffic system and never did this.

I maintain my opinion that it's a crap system. In fact, I just bought a Qi wireless charger vent mount thingy for my nexus 5 and will be using mapfactor instead of the built in whenever in places I don't know.

 

[mick_n3]

I think the bottom (orange?) one is shortest, so you I guess you could expect it to use the smaller / dodgier horse trails which is why I don't use that route option. But that doesn't explain why it sends me down stupid routes on the red (quickest) and blue (best balance between time / distance) route options

I maintain my opinion that it's a crap system. In fact, I just bought a Qi wireless charger vent mount thingy for my nexus 5 and will be using mapfactor instead of the built in whenever in places I don't know.

Agree with that it is a pretty poor system, last week I planned a route just out of curiosity, I didn't go the way it wanted me to at the start because, I knew there were Road works (nothing on tmc) it proceeded to keep trying to turn me round to go back to the original route, so much that the time it added was more than the journey would have taken me anyway.
May be that's why Seat are giving them away with the new car deals.
Whilst on the subject of sat nav is there anyway to get speed camera alerts on the factory one

 

[Seastormer]

Agree with that it is a pretty poor system, last week I planned a route just out of curiosity, I didn't go the way it wanted me to at the start because, I knew there were Road works (nothing on tmc) it proceeded to keep trying to turn me round to go back to the original route, so much that the time it added was more than the journey would have taken me anyway.
May be that's why Seat are giving them away with the new car deals.
Whilst on the subject of sat nav is there anyway to get speed camera alerts on the factory one

No, cos as it's built for the Euro market, and cam locations are banned in some countries, discussed already in some thread, if you do a search.

 

[AndrewJB]

How good is the Euro mapping? Doing MK>Spa next weekend

 

[morini]

How good is the Euro mapping? Doing MK>Spa next weekend

The maps seemed OK in France. Found everywhere we wanted to go anyway. Its the route calculations that let it down.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[MattW35]

I had (still have!) a tomtom Go 730 that I used in my mk2 and I'd certainly agree that the factory fit isn't as good as that. For me, it's "good enough" for me to not bother using my tomtom, but it's definitely not as good at general route planning. That said, I found it quite good with POI's if you're in a town that you don't know etc.

 

[simonali]

Except the POIs are hopelessly out of date. Mine shows petrol stations, cafés etc that have been closed for years!

 

[AndrewJB]

Yeh I used mine to locate a shell for 99ron fuel that was actually a BP

 

[simonali]

My nearest fuel station is a block of flats and has been since before the Leon 3 came out.

 

[tardis56]

I used mine for two journeys before realising it really is a pile of junk.
I now use the Navigon app on my phone which is Garmin for all intents and purposes and it works via the bluetooth and thus speakers. Functions perfectly.

 

[scrich7]

I think it's perfectly acceptable personally, not really had any huge issues with it and think it does the job just fine.

The only strange thing I've seen it do is going onto the M25 from Heathrow, it's the first exit on an island and whilst approaching, it tells me to keep right, weird.

 

[dontbother1979]

The Satnav is the one disappointment in the car. Although I was driving through the lake district and it did direct me up and down some pretty good back roads which I can't imagine the tomtom choosing...

So I guess it's not all bad

 

[Ckpearce91]

Also today I was driving through Central London and it kept wanting me to go through the congestion zone. I clicked avoid toll roads but I don't think congestion zone is recognised as a toll road on it, but it is on my tom tom

 

[leeburton1986]

Im pretty disappointed reading through this thread about the Sat Nav on this car and I havent picked mine up yet.

It cant be that bad can it??!!