Is the D3 a bad trip planner ?

[VOLSFAN]

I just completed my first road trip using the D3 from Olive Branch, MS (near Memphis, TN) to Panama City Beach, FL (around 500 miles). The online map services (Google, Yahoo, and MapQuest) were recommending basically the same route. I utilized the multiple routes option on the D3 and selected the route which was closest to the online services (the D3 and MapQuest actually had the exact same route). I was very pleased with the D3's performance on the trip. The turn by turn instructions were right on the money and my positioning was always accurate to within a few feet. On the return trip I actually used the Freeway Search option to alter the first leg of my route to get me on the Interstate sooner than what the D3 was recommending. The D3 is a solid nav system in my opinion.

[ike]

Well, I guess on certain routes it does OK and on others, it just isn't intelligent enough.

 

The route it picked for me on my vacation was pure and simply bad logic somewhere.

 

I've tried a few others lately and the route it picked was OK.

[shoman94]

I've owned my d1 for 2 years now....It has never failed me and I've done many trips... even local stuff. Granted it doesn't know every local shortcut... but every trip I've been on with it...as much as 900 miles has been spot on. I have mine set to shortest route and multiple. I've put it side by side with my inlaws nuvi660 I had them buy and they were pretty much the same.

[OrangeElement]

I agree. I've not had a single major issue with anything on the navigation. Just spend some time with the system and make sure that it's set to "shortest route" etc... it's fine.

 

Just make sure you leave the disks in.

[deeredude5510]

Your routes depend on the areas you are in. I have used yahoo, mapquest and pioneer and in California at least the routes are very similar. The AVIC reroutes itself and sometimes is shorter than Yahoo. I have found that some of the internet maps direct you onto roads that do not go through or do not exist. I havent run into that problem with my D3 yet.

[dalbert]

Well, I guess on certain routes it does OK and on others, it just isn't intelligent enough.

 

The route it picked for me on my vacation was pure and simply bad logic somewhere.

 

I've tried a few others lately and the route it picked was OK.

 

I live in Northern VA. Tomorrow Ill try entering a route to Duck, NC and see what kind of results I get. They maybe different, who knows. Ive already tried entering many different routes (philly, va beach, etc.) and they all seem to be pretty much the same as google maps. No 100 mile detour. Maybe the nav doesnt like remote locations? For example, if youre in any city within 10 miles of a major highway, and set a destination to any other city within 10-20 miles of a major highway, it should take the same route as googlemaps. Obvously this is the most ideal trip for the nav to handle, but probably not very likely.

 

If I get the same 400 mile trip to OBX im going to be pissed lol. I just got my d3 installed today. But i tweaked the avg speeds so hopefully I shouldnt run into too many shitty nav routes. Im trying to be optimistic

[ike]

Well, I guess on certain routes it does OK and on others, it just isn't intelligent enough.

 

The route it picked for me on my vacation was pure and simply bad logic somewhere.

 

I've tried a few others lately and the route it picked was OK.

 

I live in Northern VA. Tomorrow Ill try entering a route to Duck, NC and see what kind of results I get. They maybe different, who knows.

 

Please do ! I would be quite surprised if your D3 didn't calculate the same 400 mile route that mine did.

[NickyCarts]

i just ordered a D2 and i want to make sure that after reading this entire thread that the following are all suggestions on how to adjust the D2 for better routing.

 

1-increase average speed

2-multiple routes option

3-?????????(any more i should know of?)

 

if theres others i missed please inform me that way i can improve my D2's routes as soon as its installed.

 

thanks

-nick

[ike]

i just ordered a D2 and i want to make sure that after reading this entire thread that the following are all suggestions on how to adjust the D2 for better routing.

 

1-increase average speed

2-multiple routes option

3-?????????(any more i should know of?)

 

if theres others i missed please inform me that way i can improve my D2's routes as soon as its installed.

 

thanks

-nick

 

As far as I know, increasing the average speeds will do nothing to help it pick better routes. It simply helps it make a better ETA calculations.

 

The multiple routes options may help you find a better route. In my case it didn't but others have reported success with this option. I still don't understand why the D3 can't pick the best of the multiple routes it suggests, based on fastest time or shortest distance.

 

 

dalbert Any report back from your test of making Duck, NC a destination from your location in Northern, VA ?

[steve310]

As far as I know, increasing the average speeds will do nothing to help it pick better routes. It simply helps it make a better ETA calculations.

 

I would think that changing the speeds would change which route is calculated. If you are looking for the fastest route, and your highway speeds are set faster than the standard, it would probably be more likely to route you to a highway, then have you take back roads all the way.

[dantastic]

Wow... Interesting thread.

 

I JUST installed my AVIC D3. After inputting my very first destination, the navigation tells me to go on NON-PUBLIC fire roads for use only by emergency vehicles. They're not even PAVED!!! They're also gated with chains & padlocks. The shortest/quickest route was the 3rd route. Definitely not a confidence inspiring first impression.

 

I had the unit set to show multiple routes, fastest first.

 

 

FWIW, the navigation on my parent's lexus is pretty good, almost identical to the new eclipses. I've used it constantly for over a year and has steered me correctly 99% of the time. It's NEVER told me to go on a road thats ILLEGAL to drive on.

[scrupul0us]

ive never had any issues... i routed from albany ny to york beach maine and it routed me the same way my family has been driving for over 5 years now

[ike]

As far as I know, increasing the average speeds will do nothing to help it pick better routes. It simply helps it make a better ETA calculations.

 

I would think that changing the speeds would change which route is calculated. If you are looking for the fastest route, and your highway speeds are set faster than the standard, it would probably be more likely to route you to a highway, then have you take back roads all the way.

 

Aren't highway speeds set - by default - as being faster than secondary roads ? The D3 shouldn't avoid highways unless you specifically tell it to. By it's OWN calculation, when I ignored one of its turn commands and finally got it to follow MY route, it immediately knocked off 80 miles in an instant. At that time, my route was set to "Shortest Distance", which it - without question - was not.

 

I could set the highway speed to 150 mph and it wouldn't make the D3 pick the shortest route for me from Northern VA to Duck, NC. Its problem wasn't that it was routing me on back roads. Its problem was that it couldn't determine the best highway route.

 

In my situation, outlined on the first page of this thread, the D3 takes the long route on a highway where there is an obviously shorter route on a different highway.

[ifroyd69]

Well, i dont want to say here that the d3 is a bad trip planner but i merged into another freeway than the one d3 was telling me to go, and it acctually told me to:

"... If possible make a safe U-turn..."

 

That was tripppppppppyyyyy!

 

Lol, but overall its working fine for me....!

[frazyaf14]

So after searching I see im not the only one with this problem. I put in a route I already knew how to drive and it wanted me to go waaaay out of the way to get there. Im having second thought about the D3, might start looking at the kenwood because its garmin based, although I heard its hard as hell to use.