Volkswagen ID.3 Forum

Is the built in Satnav any good in the id3?

Does it do stuff like automatic rerouting, updating maps, and so forth?

Basically, how does in compare to Apple/Google Maps using CarPlay?

As I understand, only the built in Satnav works with the ID lights (turn animations etc.), so I’d like to use it if it’s not rubbish.

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Kind Red Family I’d.3
Delivers Jul/Aug 2022

You may find this is something of a can of worms. My opinion:

Pros - display is nice and clear, sound quality is good and the ID light can be helpful in identifying the correct turn off. The function that finds you a charging stop en route has actually worked very well for me whenever I’ve used it, though others may have different experiences.

Cons - the location database is limited, so it is much less good than Google at finding your desired street/shop/whatever. Route selection is suspect and fails properly to account for small/unnavigable roads at times. Traffic updates are not very accurate compared to google.

It does do re-routing.

Amusingly it is over-polite and says ‘please’ before every instruction.

Would agree with the above. A nice feature of the in-car nav system is that it will identify necessary charging stops when calculating the route at the start of the journey.

My preference currently is to use the in-car app for long journeys and Apple maps for short journeys / very specific locations where I can find locations on my phone beforehand.

I think it's reasonably good. What I like about Apple maps (and probably applies to Google as well) is that you can search on your phone, down the pub or anywhere really and get in the car and you can pick up that search when using Carplay. No need to search again.

Completely useless,

Comparing this to my BMW M240i ( 2020 model) which recognises phrases such as "take me to" or "direct me to nearest .." the VW must hear "navigate" and even then it's so unintuitive for example "navigate to Radlett Station" will only show "Radlett Station Road" as a result.

The BMM command system also showed a screen with the weather, news, Local.wiki that automatically updated depending on where you are. And it was the standard Sat Nav not BMW's pro.

In a week I have given up with the ID.3's sat nav and use Apple Car Play and Waze.

Still on a +ve note you can ask the ID,3 to tell you a joke - but it only has 1 !!

I think VW will consider taking on a major player like ABRP and feed in the SoC.

I am used to checking my iPhone/iPad for directions but prefer in car sat navs as they are better integrated, at least in the CX5 it is. Loosing HUD functionality would annoy me.

DumfriesDik wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 10:52 am I think VW will consider taking on a major player like ABRP

I think this is about as likely as Satan ice-skating to the office.

Welcome to the internet!

When we tried out the ID3 for a week, I rarely used the in-built sat nav as Apple Maps is just much more convenient (although I don't get why they had to make the menu icons so small compared with other cars).

rikimaru wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 11:28 am

Welcome to the internet!

When we tried out the ID3 for a week, I rarely used the in-built sat nav as Apple Maps is just much more convenient (although I don't get why they had to make the menu icons so small compared with other cars).

Surely it depends on what you have used in the past? The in-built has failed to find 1 destination in 4 months, for me. Other than that it's been fine. Apple maps is just better and more detailed. Doesn't make the in-built useless.

Scratch wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 11:33 am

rikimaru wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 11:28 am

Welcome to the internet!

When we tried out the ID3 for a week, I rarely used the in-built sat nav as Apple Maps is just much more convenient (although I don't get why they had to make the menu icons so small compared with other cars).

Surely it depends on what you have used in the past? The in-built has failed to find 1 destination in 4 months, for me. Other than that it's been fine. Apple maps is just better and more detailed. Doesn't make the in-built useless.

Perhaps you quoted the wrong person lol as I don't disagree with you, just thought it was amusing to see.

I'm sure it's not useless either. The one or two times I used it, it seemed to navigate to places fine. It just takes a bit more work to find the exact place you want to go as there's no "single" search box.

Maybe "useless" wasn't the best word!

Perhaps:-

Outdated or
cumbersome

Again from the BMW, I could find a destination within the mobile app and "send" it to the car, so the sat nav destination was pre-loaded into the car sat Nav when I got into it.

Or perhaps

“Not as good as BMW’s iDrive system” ?



You’d be surprised how few satnav systems actually have this basic “Send to Car” integration, despite how simple it should be to make it work (it’s basically lat/long and a bit of descriptive metadata!)

You've probably all seen this before, but VW have already partnered to improve this: https://www.tomtom.com/press-room/gener ... avigation/

First models from Volkswagen Group brands showcasing the next generation navigation product co-developed by CARIAD and TomTom will hit the road in 2023

As usual from VW, it’s all “jam tomorrow”

Yeah, nice to see that it'll improve with OTA updates but only coming to cars manufactured from 2023 onwards. Do better, please.

SomeIrishGuy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 6:32 am Is the built in Satnav any good in the id3?

Does it do stuff like automatic rerouting, updating maps, and so forth?

Basically, how does in compare to Apple/Google Maps using CarPlay?

As I understand, only the built in Satnav works with the ID lights (turn animations etc.), so I’d like to use it if it’s not rubbish.

—-
Kind Red Family I’d.3
Delivers Jul/Aug 2022

It's about a 4 out of 10, I love the id:Light and AR support but it simply fails to find locations too frequently, including roads I'm parked on and it displays the road name. The database is hilariously old, and I mean at least 6 years out of date in places.

It's better to use Waze, Apple Maps, Google Maps - Apples maps shows directions on the HUD but doesn't support the AR.

wayn0 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 11:54 am Maybe "useless" wasn't the best word!

Perhaps:-

Outdated or
cumbersome

Again from the BMW, I could find a destination within the mobile app and "send" it to the car, so the sat nav destination was pre-loaded into the car sat Nav when I got into it.

I regularly send the location I find on the App to the car, it rarely gets there..

Anduain wrote: ↑Thu Dec 30, 2021 2:26 pm I regularly send the location I find on the App to the car, it rarely gets there..

Always gets there for me, but usually after I'm already back home from whatever I was going.

I’ve yet to find a navigation app better than Waze in my current Ateca. However I do occasionally switch to google maps, built in satnav or apple maps.

I use google maps via android auto but have found a way to combine this with the built in nav so I get a satetllite view in the main display which I prefer, junction info in the instrument cluster and the ID light operating. Its a bit nerdy but I use the display to its max. If I find the built in nav unable to find my destination I use the google nav which also shows junction info in the instrument display but no ID light.