Is the D3 a bad trip planner ?

[Raiden]

Today, my gps suggested getting out of the highway, rolling 4km on the service road and then go back on the highway.... Pretty nice!

 

Also, in another part of the trip, he suggested taking local small road instead of using the highway that was just by.

 

Yep, just home the 2008 disks will be better!

[viking396]

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?

 

I love the D3 however as a Navi unit it stinks, my Garmen C330 blows it away. I live in South Elgin, IL, my D3 has no clue what most of the OLD streets are let alone the newer ones, the newer ones a new map DVD can cure, but the old ones? Nope, also it maps out the worst way to go no matter how I set it. I was going to sell my Garmin, now I'm keeping it so until I figure out how to correct the D3's Navi flaws I have something accurate to use.

[viking396]

I just went to my brothers house 15 miles away, it wanted me to take a 25 mile route to get there. I had the D3 take me home as well, it was off by 11 miles and had me purposely make a U turn in another spot, why would it knowingly make me turn left then right away make a U turn and go the other way?

 

Good grief this thing is horrid as a Navigation system. Is it even possible for Pioneer to fix this?

 

$900.00 for something that knows less about directions than my wife, sheeeeesh. She thinks its funny, I don't.

[shoman94]

weird how people have problems with this.... I just installed a d3 in my car... and moved my d1 over to my wifes truck.

I never have any major issues with it.... although the latest 2007 maps are pretty bad.... it's not the d3 itself but the maps..... Things changed with the routing since i upgraded to the 2007 maps. I'm making major suggestions to Tele-Atlas's website for next years map.

[Xenster]

I'm usually travelling in-state and so far i've had a few quirks with it telling me to make u-turns when i clearly see my destination ahead by a half mile or so... i sold a magellan unit for this thing and i hope pioneer does something to update all these problems... otherwise i'm selling and getting an eclipse or something.

[bgaulin]

I just had mine installed and I am going to continue to use my Microsoft streets and trips to plan routs. The MS cost $99, including the GPS receiver and it even has the private and small sectional roads here in Canada, it is excellent.

 

From that I went to the D3 and it doesn't even have some highways, it routed me to a 400km route home, where I had a direct highway that was only 160km. I could not believe what it was doing. Further it plots me about 100 yards off the highway in a lot of rural areas where I drive. I have played with the speed settings and the multi-route, nothing makes much difference.

 

I also have a garmin on my boat and a magellan for hiking and the D3 navigation is the worst thing I have ever used. I complained to Pioneer, they weren't any help.

 

If I had realized the navigation was this bad I would have bought a kenwood. Too late now after spending $1000 for installation of all the modules.

 

Thanks, at least I now know that I'm not alone. Have a great day and don't get lost.

[gdub]

if you are reading this post...

 

Make sure to call pioneer as they wont make a fix, until they see this as a problem. When I called they said they haven't heard of anything about this issue.

 

The product specialist there is named "Frank" so when you call, ask for him and let him know this problem. If we call enough maybe they will "see this as being a problem.

[ike]

Can someone post the number to call for the correct person at Pioneer ?

 

Also - has anyone tried comparing the D3 with other model Pioneer's to see if they're any different ?

[VBLUE42]

Guys, Im sorry to say this but your all wasting your time. Calling Pioneer is not going to do any good. They wont actually look into the problem unless they start getting a substantial amount of units in for service. They have the worst support staff that will talk to you like you have no right to contact them with a problem or that your not qualified to even suggest it is a problem without it being user error. And if you do want to get anywhere with them DO NOT ever mention this site. You will be discredited almost immediately. I say all of this because I have contacted them several times about other minor issues with the D3 and the response has nearly always been this way. And if they do sound receptive they will tell you they will look into the problem but it will most likely never be pursued. They also monitor this site and they know what problems people are reporting. But they will typically only fix an issue when they have received an overwhelming amount of units in for servicing and unless everyone sends there units in they wont consider it a problem. Sad but true.

[gdub]

Here is Franks phone number.... I hate giving out peoples direct numbers but this issue is retarted and if it takes us "pissing them off" to get any reaction. LETS DO IT!!!! call them until they need another phone line just to take the calls reguarding this issue.

 

1-905-946-7403

 

Sorry Frank. It had to be done.

 

G

[ike]

If they're treating their customers like crap and ignoring problems reported, then who cares if we irritate Frank !! I will call him for sure.

 

Be polite and professional.

[silvertbss954]

i did a map on mapquest to yorba linda california from fort lauderdale, fl where i live and mapquest gave me 2693 miles and almost 39 hours travel time. when i punched the address in my d3 it gave me 2407 miles but no time.

[Yettavr6]

I just have to say that the problem is not the maps, its the way pioneer programmed this thing. I have a TomTom which also uses the 2007 TeleAtlas maps, and it has no problem giving me the shortest route. Even with the Pioneer set on "shortest route" it will give me a route 40% longer than the TomTom. I have contacted Pioneer once already, and I'm going to call this Frank guy now too.

[Master]

The only way to do something about it is to let Pioneer Managers know that this issue exists. I've worked in a corporation for a long time and know how things are done. Regular workers usually could care less about your complaints. The manager on the other hand could see an opportunity to make things right and look like a hero to their manager.

We should really find out who is the right person to speak to and send him a letter via regular mail. In the letter we should describe our concerns and reference this site. On the site we could create a section where visitors can sign the letter. We could also add a poll results to it.

[Yettavr6]

Has anyone spoken with Pioneer recently about this issue? I received a call back stating that they were aware of the issue but i'm sure they were just trying to shut me up.