• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

BEWARE: Google Maps Are Terrible!

i live in Los Angeles . . . there is no "fastest route." sometimes you can take a route that is 10 miles longer, but shaves 30 minutes off your drive. this map is fine for me.
 
I travel daily and Google Maps hasn't let me down yet. The problem is people throw common sense out the window and put full trust into Google, yahoo, mapquest or GPS.
 
There's been a lot of good discussion on this topic. Yes it's free, but you get what you paid for! Personally speaking, Mapquest has always given me the very best routing and my Garmin GPS has also been very good. Hopefully, Google will improve it's mapping data in the near future and many of the incorrect routes and other errors will be fixed. Meanwhile, I'll rely on my Garmin GPS or Mapquest if I really need to get there correctly and on time. However, if I'm in a pinch, Google Maps will eventually get me where I need to go!
 
I have to agree with the OP on this one. I always use Google Maps as I love Google and 5 out of the last 8 times I used it (online, not on my Eris, but its still the same) it left part of the directions out. Was either missing some streets I needed or just flat out gave wrong directions. I still use it but I now double check with other providers to make sure its correct, lol
 
I've used Mapquest, a Garmin GPS, and Google Maps for years. Mapquest sucks IMO. I've had more problems with it giving me bad directions than anything else. Don't use it at all anymore.

Google Maps has never done me wrong, not a single time that I can remember.
 
I have experienced glitches using Google maps from time to time (Trying to get directions from two places that are approximately 30 miles apart and being given a map covering 4 states and over 500 miles), but overall, I'm very impressed with their service.
 
My GPS get's confused where I am (3g/GPS toggled on). It will be a few city blocks off, and i have to like, wait for it to realize that. Maybe it's just NYC, but it's rather annoying sometimes. iPhone maps never seems to have that problem.
 
If you're in NYC, then that is the problem. GPS needs a pretty clear shot to the satellites to be accurate.

Good example, when I'm at work. Outside, sitting in my car, the GPS has me narrowed down to which spot I'm parked in (kinda cool on satellite mode. I can sit in the bosses truck!). But, when I go inside, it can have me anywhere in the building, including over in the neighboring business. Or even across the street at the firestation.

Or, maybe it knows I wanted to be a fireman when I was a kid....
 
Google maps was 1 of the big seelers for me with the Eris, I was coming from VZ navigator and never had a problem. With the salse peole saying how we will be getting 2. whatever very soon so we will have turn by turn directions, so I said ok. Well google maps has got me lost 3x times already, and still no turn by turn directions. So the salse people need to learn about their products for 1, 2nd I had to buy a GPS for my car because I can not afford to get lost going to a job outa state. If I dont have that with me its mapquest all the way. GOOGLE MAPS ON THE ERIS IS TERRIBLE!!!
 
Yosef said:
Anyone using Google Maps for directions should beware. Google does not use either Navteq or Tele Atlas for Mapping Data. Google uses it's own Map Data that's outdated and incorrect. Following Google Maps will mislead you and almost always send you the long way around to your location.

Don't believe me, then compare the results from Mapquest, Yahoo Maps, or your Car GPS and you will see some amazingly terrible results from Google Maps. Also, check out the internet for various reviews of Google Maps. Hopefully, Google will partner with either Navteq or Tele Atlas in the future in order to be a viable market alternative.

Those excited and waiting for Android 2.1 and spoken directions, will only be greatly disappointed with Google Maps.
Click to expand...

If you hurry - you might be able to catch up to the turnip truck from which you just fell from....quickly...run...you might make it.....go now.
 
iiiarch said:
If you hurry - you might be able to catch up to the turnip truck from which you just fell from....quickly...run...you might make it.....go now.
Click to expand...

Be patient, he's still bouncing and rolling... oops, he's taken root in that pot-hole.

That's ok, we'll always know where he is now.
 
I laughed when I read what vikingson wrote about people losing their common sense when they rely on a GPS unit for turn-by-turn directions.

I rode in a friend's car to a house that was located on a long narrow peninsula that was just 3 streets wide and 20 miles long and runs east to west. We came from the west and drove to our destination, which was about halfway along the peninsula. When we got back in the car to return home, he turned down the radio so he could hear the GPS unit tell him which way to go!

I like Google Maps. But, coming from a Blackberry Curve, I like some of the features on the Blackberry Google Maps that I can't find on the Android version (no "favorites"?!)
 
I just used Google Maps to find the house of one of my son's friends when I was dropping him off. Not for directions, or turn by turn, but to find out exactly where the place was. It was perfect.

When I was riding in the car with my daughter driving a few weeks ago I had Google Maps on with GPS and it was following where we were perfectly. I went into Boston a few weeks ago for a track meet that my son had there and had to park the car pretty far away, after going to several parking garages. Goog maps told me where I was and showed me how to get to the Reggie Lewis Center just fine. (If I recall correctly, when it gives you directions it warns you that they may not be ideal.)

Goog maps on my phone so far does what I need it to do.
 
So far, my best bet is to use the Eris to find the address, and then type it into my Garmin Nuvi. Google maps thinks my house is one block to the West of its actual location, and it constantly messes with my out-of-town visitors.

However, my Garmin has fairly complete maps of even the little dirt back roads here in Montana. I once used Google Earth to find a beautiful lake surrounded by cliffs. I found the nearest street and then searched for the street on my Garmin. I followed the route until it led me to a dirt road with deep muddy ruts that would have swallowed my car. I kept on for half a mile past that, and it found another route that was passable.

I proposed to my girlfriend that day at the lake.

Google Nav has a pretty high standard to reach before I consider boxing up my Garmin.
 
It is very updated bro, i live on a street that was created less then a year ago and it is on there. Im not quite sure where you got this from but its most definitely incorrect
 
I love using Google Nav, particularly given that it's free. I'm the driver in my family. My DH is not the most effective navigator. Google Nav saves me from trying to drive and read directions at the same time. (Never a good idea to drive while distracted).

I have been directed to drive an extra 200 yards past a particular destination. I noticed I was driving past it, and I just turned around at the first legal turn, drove back, and got to the site in question.

Google Nav has directed me from "lost" back to recognizable roads at least 5x since I started using it.
 
Google Maps has given me the long route once just because of traffic lights though. But all the streets were up to date, even the street of my new condo. It's been working amazing for me, never owned a Garmin or Tom Tom, but my GF has a Garmin and it's not even up to date with my streets, though I'm sure she just needs to update it.

So google maps has been amazing for me, don't have to buy a GPS for my car as this phone is always with me no matter what car I'm in.
 
I have had a lot of luck with the Google Nav (Car Home) app on the Droid. Looking for commercial locations, it directed me right to the address... and when close... it switched to a picture of the destination. That's impressive.

Although, I agree, NO GPS provider is going to get it 100% right, 100% of the time, I have tested my Droid to get me to several locations in an area of town I know VERY well. The Droid was right on the money for finding the addresses. I only supplemented the directions with shortcuts I know from driving the area so often.

If I were to go somewhere I am not familiar with, I would trust the Nav app to get me there. It may not be the route the locals use... but it will work.
 
when i went to google maps last night looked for my direction put me close, but it also so accurate within 1000 meters.... however.... i pinpointed the location i was at on google maps, and lets see they should rename 1000 meters to 3000 meters
 
Been misled by MapQuest many times
Been misled by Yahoo Maps many times and it didn't get me to a great restaurant with 50 variants of vodka (curse you, Yahoo!)
Been misled by Google Maps once!

BUT: the Google Maps got me to the correct street and StreetView on the Droid let me actually look at the buildings in the area and I could see exactly which one I was trying to get to.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom