I've basically given up on Nav in this car

[SalisburySam]

CAUTION: venting frustration here! Proceed at your own risk!

I agree completely with OP and the name of this thread; I too have not had much luck with using the NAV, and certainly no luck with the voice activation for it.

Yes, I can use GoogleMaps from a computer before leaving home, and send the destination to the car, if I remember to do so and if CARWINGS is working properly at that time. But we have no L3 and few convenient L2 chargers in Central Ohio so any trip is going to be a short one, more of a sortie than a trip.

As a result, my NAV needs are all pretty local and then only for places I've not yet been to, such as a new restaurant, relocated business, boutique shopping (just where is that dog proctologist?), and so on. And I want most of these while I'm enroute combining errands. LEAF NAV just not practical for such use. The unit seems to be designed for the long trips, like ICE-car navs.

Sooooo, I keep my iPhone5 handy for its mapping apps and the LEAF Link application, the latter of which I am bright enough to actually use productively. If I don't wish to fumble around with fat-fingering a small iPhone5 touchscreen, I keep my Garmin Nuvi 750 GPS in the glove compartment and use it. The several-years-old Garmin is up-to-date with lifetime map updates, over 8+ million POI's, has every street in its database I have ever needed, can be setup for multiple stops, is trivially EASY-TO-USE, and just works.

I know I am spoiled with good user interface designs on everything from TiVo to some websites, and a bad UI really, really stands out. The LEAF NAV is, for me, a weak UI with seemingly little design towards minimizing keystrokes (touches), intuitive use, logical defaults, and optional settings.

Results: I use the NAV head for viewing the energy screen and for the backup camera. And for music, I plug in my iPhone5 to the USB port.

OK, my whining is over, I feel better, I think.

 

[thankyouOB]

you can bluetooth the music from iPhone to the car.
why would you plug in to usb?

 

[evnow]

you can bluetooth the music from iPhone to the car.
why would you plug in to usb?

USB *should* sound better than BT.

 

[SalisburySam]

you can bluetooth the music from iPhone to the car.
why would you plug in to usb?

Fair question. While USB connected, the iPhone5 battery is also being charged. This gives me more juice at destination.

 

[Shaka]

Fair question. While USB connected, the iPhone5 battery is also being charged. This gives me more juice at destination.

To the guy who asked... you also gain more control in USB mode. You can use the head unit (radio/nav) to select a song/artist/playlist/etc. If you use A2DP BT streaming you can only usually play/pause FF/RR track skip etc... no navigating through the iOS music menus. So the USB is the better option for more safety/control while driving...

 

[harryjpowell]

Back on NAV, will there ever be an update to the Leaf's maps?

 

[Elephanthead]

There probably will be an update but it will require you to replace the whole car with a newer one.

I would love album art for the ipod connection and some POI in the nav. Right now the energy screen is more helpful in getting me places. I know how many times I can circle the block looking!

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Back on NAV, will there ever be an update to the Leaf's maps?

If u got the money, they got the update

 

[mwinnett]

I never use the nav for entering information. The leaf link app works so much better and the passenger can send the data to the car while its moving. I highly recommend this app.

OMG!!! This is a fantastic app. Thanks for posting this palmermd. Not only is it much more elegant than the Nissan app, the address book and map features look like the solution I've been looking for.

I've had my Leaf SL for about 10 days, LOVE the car, HATE the navigation system (but knew that going in: I've rented cars with onboard nav systems for several years and find them all terrible compared any handheld unit or Google). I've used the Send-to-Car feature in Google, (simple, but just sends the destination not the route) and the Plan your Route website linked to CarWings website (awful beyond words).

Meanwhile, has anyone figured out how to hack the nav system altogether and replace it with another package, like Garmin, Tom Tom, etc? Probably wishful thinking, but....

Cheers

Mark.

 

[Newporttom]

I still have my 5" Garmin sitting on the dash. Don't use Nissan's.

 

[Rat]

I used the Leaf nav yesterday to do four urban geocaches. It took me right to each accurately with no problem. There was one point where I wish it had just told me to make a U instead of going around a whole big industrial section to get back on the same street the other direction, but that's no big thing. I do have to download the waypoints using Google Maps, but that can be done easily, either parked (which almost always do) or moving. It's much superior for the car to the Garmin 60Cx or Nuvi I have. I use the Nuvi for my Acura but it's a pain to use. The 60Cx is actually pretty handy even in the Leaf, as I can hold it in my hand while my hand is on the wheel, so I don't have to look down or over while driving, and on the right screen it says how many feet I am from my destination, not just a "You have arrived at your destination" message, which may be off by 200 feet or so from the Leaf nav. It's not a cell phone, so it's legal. But the 60Cx doesn't give voice directions, and the screen is too small and dim to be useful as a map while driving. The big bright Leaf split map screen and good volume of the Leaf nav is the only way to go, IMO. Both give a warning when you're close to your turn or exit, but the Leaf's is more accurate in my experience.

 

[kikbuti]

I got used to Nissan's Nav in my 2010 Maxima. The salesperson told me the Leaf Nav worked virtually the same. Not true. With the Maxima Nav, you can use voice recognition to enter an address. I used it all the time going to different golf courses. All you need is the street name and the city. If you have the entire address, fine. I was surprise with the limited voice commands in the Leaf Nav.

The can update the maps with a card, but it will be expensive. Nissan just offered a maps upgrade on my Maxima for several hundred dollars. What a racket.

I am disappointed and will let Nissan know so. They already had the technology, but for some reason chose not to give it to us.

 

[brettcgb]

you can bluetooth the music from iPhone to the car.
why would you plug in to usb?

Fair question. While USB connected, the iPhone5 battery is also being charged. This gives me more juice at destination.

True... except the Nav system then takes control of the phone (Android anyway).

I purchased a cig lighter > USB charger so I could use my phone as desired, and still get it charged.
(I don't remember exactly why I did this, except that plugging the phone into the Nav USB port was a bad thing.)

 

[brettcgb]

Back on NAV, will there ever be an update to the Leaf's maps?

Yes, but you have to purchase it. $180

 

[TomT]

And it will be five years out of date the day it ships...

Back on NAV, will there ever be an update to the Leaf's maps?

Yes, but you have to purchase it. $180