ike Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 On vacation this week. We first used Yahoo maps to plan our route from Northern Virginia to OBX (Duck, North Carolina). Yahoo said the best route was 293 miles and about 5 hours. Google Maps says 300 miles, 5 hours, 28 minutes. Plugged the North Carolina address into the AVIC D3, and it comes up with a WHOPPING 400+ miles and over 7 HOURS !!!! I tried Fastest Routed and Shortest route, and re-calculated and both were over 7 Hours. What gives ??? So, we started driving, allowing the D3 to bark out the directions but following what Yahoo gave us. The first time we ingnored one of the roads that the D3 suggest, it re-calculated and instantly knocked off over 80 miles !!!!! We kept doing this and after a few hours into the trip, the D3 finally had a route and time that was nearly identical to Yahoo. Is there some other setting in the D3 that I'm not aware of, that was making it pick an AWFULLY long route? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shotgun_customs Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 You can go into "System Options" and bump up the average speeds of all the roads by 5-10 mph. This will help the est time b/c who drives the speed limit. You can also have the unit give you mutiple routes and select the straitest route. The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I have the same "problems" w/ my Z2. I really don't consider these problems though. The unit is suggesting a route based on a math problem, we need to input the correct varibles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ike Posted July 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 My problem isn't with the time calculation based on speed limits and route chosen, it's with it's ability to determine the shortest distance. As you said, it's a math problem. THe D3 should be able to automatically find a route that is better than 100 miles more than Yahoo or Google maps. I could understand 10-20 miles more than other map-based programs. But over 100 Miles ? That's an ENORMOUS difference. What other variables are there to enter ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shotgun_customs Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 Speed, shortest or fastest route, avoid areas(selectable areas), avoid freeways, toll roads, and ferrys. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnx50 Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 It's just the D-3. Its a good radio but as a navigation device it sinks. I work 17 miles from my work and going to work is ok but coming home it routes me 29 mile. It tells me to go by the turn to my street and drive 4 more mile and than u turn back down the same road 4 miles and than turn on the street i passed 8 mile before. I have reported this to pioneer and they act like they know about it. We just need more people to complain. I would take mine back but after installing it who wants to do that? I just tell my friends not to buy it! Get a Garmin! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
shotgun_customs Posted July 5, 2007 Report Share Posted July 5, 2007 I have heard alot of reports of the AVIC's tring to put your destination on your right. I guess it feels that it's easier to turn right, rather that left across traffic. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tr1ple8 Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I just ordered my D-3 and it is coming tomorrow. Reading this is getting me a bit worried. My main reason for buying the D-3 was because I was in the market for a nav unit. Does everyone experience these problems or is it something that can just be modified in the settings. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ike Posted July 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Speed, shortest or fastest route, avoid areas(selectable areas), avoid freeways, toll roads, and ferrys. Well, like I mentioned - I tried both Shortest distance and fastest route. I didn't tell it to avoid anything. There's no excuse for this thing to take me on a route that's 100 miles longer than necessary. 100 MILES !!! If I didn't do anything incorrectly and the D3 is truely a terrible trip planner, then something should be done. This severely limits the unit's usefulness to me. It's not like the D3 is the first generation navigation unit from Pioneer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ike Posted July 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 It would be nice for some of you who have the D3 to plot a route from your home to some place 300 miles away or so. Do it using Yahoo! maps, google maps and then the D3 and post your results. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yankeeland Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I think the nav stinks too. The last trip I made it took me 50 miles and almost and hour longer to get to my destination. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ike Posted July 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I think the nav stinks too. The last trip I made it took me 50 miles and almost and hour longer to get to my destination. If it truely stinks this badly, I wish I would have known ahead of time. I would've purchased a Kenwood or an Eclipse. I don't need a $1000 radio. I thought that Pioneer had a decent reputation for Nav units. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhoglesr Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I just ordered my D-3 and it is coming tomorrow. Reading this is getting me a bit worried. My main reason for buying the D-3 was because I was in the market for a nav unit. Does everyone experience these problems or is it something that can just be modified in the settings. I have a D2 and knowing what I do now would look real hard at other units before buying Pioneer's nav system. Garmin has much better navigation so I would look at the Kenwood DNX 7100. Pioneer's nav is great compared to not having nav at all but pales compaired to Garmin or TomTom and they don't charge $250.00 for map updates. My new TomTom maps cost me $55.00 w/shipping included .Thats 5 years of updates from TomTom for the price of 1 yr for Pioneer's crappy maps . TomTom doesn't have as many POIs but it is much easier to find the ones you want. If you have a route planed it looks for POIs ahead of you on your route near the exits and gives them to by distance from your location. You don't know how many ways Pioneer's maps are lacking unless you have used a real nav. company's unit. The rest of my Pioneer is great. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
steve310 Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Doesn't the TomTom use Teleatlas? The same the Pioneer units use? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rapayn1 Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 I can't speak to/for the D3, but I posted a similar concern about my AVIC-Z1 here: http://avic411.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7774 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jhoglesr Posted July 6, 2007 Report Share Posted July 6, 2007 Doesn't the TomTom use Teleatlas? The same the Pioneer units use? Yes TomTom uses Tele Atlas maps and there are mistakes but they present the information differently. Say I'm on Rt. 5 North headed for Rt. 10 East and Rt 10 has on ramps , Pioneer tells me to turn left across oncoming traffic and use the on ramp for RT. 5 South onto Rt. 10 East instead of using Rt. 5 Norths on ramp to 10 East which gos off to the right . It is shorter , just illegal and dangerous. When I take the correct ramp it sees it so it is on the map. Another one is when I'm on a 4 lane road and my 2 lanes split one lane going each way. Pioneer doesn't tell you which lane to take since you are still on the same highway. One last one is when you come a to split in the road with many other roads around you Pioneer's closeup map looks like spaghetti (which I love but not on my dash) and it is hard to pick your 2 choices out of all the rest. These choices have to be made with little time and Pioneer doesn't do as good a job in this area as some others. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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