I have a question to my fellow Maxima owners, How often do you guys used your car navigation or do you just used your cell phone for navigation. The only reason I'm asking is I always wanted a Navigation system in my car and I like having one, But I noticed that I don't used it. I prefer to used my phone. I think i just like having the Navigation screen display when I'm driving. I have a 2016 Nissan Maxima and my map software is 2014-2015. Anywhere that i go that was built after 2015 is not on the map and when I do think about getting the new map which is only $ 129.00 plus tax. Every once in a while i go to Nissan website and looked at the maps and think about ordering it. I just don't want to buy it when another update is about to come out. example, If I brought the map this month and then in a few months an update comes out for 2021, (damn)

But enough about that, what I came to talk about is, do most of you used the Car Navigation or just your phone, or a mixture of both ??

 

I have a 2016 though about it then decided ill just use my phone. You would think it would ve free.

 

Most often (98% of the time) I prefer using phone via CarPlay. When I had a SiriusXM subscription the native Nissan map was useful and was used 75% of the time. When I dumped SiriusXM, the map no longer provides traffic details or figures traffic into drive-time so it’s a lot lads useful.

 

Phone here (Waze), but honestly this Covid year our travel which required a GPS has been slim to none, and most of the places we have gone probably would have shown up on our 14=15 maps! And I am the same as you, the Nissan maps are tempting. I go to the site think about it and wuss out. I do really like the larger-size map in the Max. Much less glare than using a cell phone too. PS- I did just pick up an Apple 6S and have been using Apple Car Play to view maps on the car's big screen. Best of both worlds.

 

I use the Nissan Navi with XM on the max for everything. Easy to see, simple to use with voice or touch and good enough without tying up my cell phone. Much has been written earlier about why you should not waste the bucks for an update that could "brick" your system. The latest updates I hear are still over 2 years behind.

 

I'm just like you in terms of when and how i use my navigation. However, I have a 19 Max that i bought in February of this year and i get free map updates so its easy for me to update my navigation. There have already been 2 updates for Ohio since i bought my car. It seems to have an update somewhat frequently. The only downfall to it is not having the traffic on it. That's why i'll use my phone for that just because it'll have traffic and re routing capabilities that i'm not paying for through Sirius. I do like to have my navigation on when i drive though.

 

2017 SL here and I rarely use it and can count the number of times I've used it on one hand. Takes too long to input places and a lot of times it doesn't have newer restaurants or roads. And I'm not paying 130 dollars for what amounts maybe a couple gigs of data.

It's much faster for me to use my phone and enter in a destination in Waze, and on Google Maps, I can string a whole bunch of destinations together for one drive. Plus both those apps have cop alerts now.

I do like having the built in Navigation though in case I'm lost somewhere and there's no cell service.

 

Use my maps all the time in my 2019. I use the Premium feature in maps with hot spot on my cellphone to get traffic on my screen.

 

I've had factory navigation in my last 2 cars. In both cars (camry and now my maxima) the navigation is terrible. Ridiculously outdated graphics and alot of times takes me way out of my way to get to a destination. I use waze or Google maps with android auto 100% of the time now. Don't think I could live without android auto in my future vehicles

 

I find the graphics just fine on my 2019 Max though I will concede the routing is often counterproductive. Still I like it running as a co-pilot for current turn status etc.
When I use the waypoint feature, I seem to get better routing for each segment. I did fix one issue and that was to go to the setting menu and include using toll roads in the destination. For ease of use, I find mastering the voice command feature worth the trouble. I can enter a destination address in one sentence far easier than typing it in.
If any of you think this is a hard to use navi system, go try an Acura and a Lexus. Both basically unusable with out touch screens!

 

would you please give more details? Sounds like a fascinating option but I can’t quite conceive how to do it.

 

I found this in the 2019 Navigation manual

https://www.nissanusa.com/content/da...ion-manual.pdf

You need to

1. Enable mobile hotspot on your cell phone.

2. Connect your Maxima Wi-Fi to your cell phone “Connecting to a Wi-Fi network” Page 2-34

3. Enable Premium Traffic “PREMIUM TRAFFIC INFORMATION” Page 6-46.

When you go to Maps, you will see “Premium” in the lower right corner with traffic info now on the screen.

 

Thanks!

Must be something not applicable for a 2018, though. My Navigation manual only goes to page 2-27. I guess I need a newer car... LOL.

 

Thanks for your guidance! I did not know how to do this or that we could do this.

 

There are a few spots around Orlando when the car nav will tell me to exit and then immediately get back on the highway.

I like to have the map up but I use navigation on my phone much more often.

 

I put the map up on my 2016 Platinum screen the day I bought the car (9-18-15), and have had it there ever since. I use it daily. I am often cruising residential neighborhoods looking at homes, with no specific destination in mind. I usually set a destination only when on longer trips, usually to a different state. I have considered updating my maps, but had trouble updating the navi in both my 2004 and 2009 Maximas, so am hesitant to try again.

I dropped the Sirius subscription early on, opting instead for just the traffic option, which I renew once each three years. I pay close attention to the traffic density, speed, wrecks, etc, especially around urban areas and while on longer trips. As a disclaimer, I admit being a fossil from the dark ages (early 1930s), and have never owned a smart phone. I began my phone life by using a walnut wooden box on the wall of a Ranger station by cranking a handle on the side of the box which reached the local operator, who would route my call after I gave her all three digits of the number I wanted. There were only a few dozen phones in use in that county at that time.

As many posters here already know, I have owned nothing but Maximas since October 1984, and the end of Maxima production with the 8th generation has broken my heart. I decided back in October that I would wait one year in case Nissan changed their mind, and if the Maxima is truly gone, I would then decide whether to await Nissan's decision on their IMs concept large electric 4 door sedan, if and that decision had not yet been reached, I would settle for the Nissan Ariya 4 door electric sedan with the larger 87KWH battery with 310 mile range. I have loved every one of the eight Maximas I ever owned, and will be very sad to be moving away from them, and will miss the friends here on the board, who have been both patient and helpful for me.

 

Hey Light,
There is no law saying you have to leave our site just because you opt for a different Nissan vehicle. You gotta' few years experience with the Max that we can all learn benefit from.

 

Im gald I paid a onetime fee for a lifetime membership for Sirius radio. When Sirius radio first came out they offered a onetime payment of $450 for a lifetime.

 

Yes. I remember that. Quite a deal. Missed out.

 

compyelc4 - Yes, I will be posting on the board of whatever vehicle I end up buying. But after 37 years of owning nothing but Maximas, you have to know where my heart is. I actually sometimes sneak back to the sections of boards here for previous generation Maximas, just to see what is going on there. Brings back happy memories. The second generation Maxima remains the most important and most influential vehicle I ever owned (my wife and I each owned 1985 Maximas, and were very emotionally attached to them). Although I began driving by maneuvering tractor trailers around the loading docks of my uncle's freight company in 1945, I did not own a vehicle and begin driving on public roads until I got my Studebaker in 1949. No power steering, no power brakes, no automatic transmission, no air conditioning, and the heater did not work. Took a MAN to drive a family sedan back then. At least I did not have to stand in front of the radiator and hand-crank the car to start it, as my Dad's early 1930s cars required.

I will keep my current 2016 Platinum at least another year, and maybe longer. There are inherent issues with electric vehicles with which I still have hesitancy. Such as recharging in the Mojave Dessert. Or in Death Valley. Or at recharging stations on public roads in a driving rain or freezing temperatures. Real gas stations have canopies. I have had Maximas that I kept for over 200,000 miles, and I carefully maintain my Maximas, so there is no firm time limit in keeping my current one. I even keep my eyes open on some dealer sites for a 2021 sunset drift Platinum. But that requires convincing my wife. I will still be peeking in here and checking posts. And I will always love Maximas.

 

I have only used it twice on my 3 years with the car . Prefer using my phone which is already updated and it gives u the fastest route. I find the onboard car navigation very cumbersome and takes a very long time to plug in the destination if it is found...

 

Thanks light. It is always great hearing from you and your adventures with your Maxima's. I also love hearing about your old school experiences. Keep them coming.

 

I have a 2013 Maxima with Nav, having always wanted a car with Nav, but quickly realized my phone was far superior with finding locations along a route (i.e. show me the closest McDonalds along my route), and real time traffic, which is a must for me with driving around Chicago land.

I guess you could call me a bit of a tech nerd (I'm a Dir. for a tech consulting firm) and the stock Nissan nav system in my car is garbage in my opinion, and nuts that they're making you pay so much for map updates when I'm already paying for a phone that does everything way better.

I'm a little surprised there hasn't been after market solutions to fix this problem and replace the stock head unit with something that can do Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. I would gladly pay $1000+ for that to fix this annoyance, as outside of that I love my car and am not ready for a new one, and refuse to buy a new one simply for this issue

 

Even though I am an Android guy I picked up an Apple 6S just so I could use Apple CarPlay on my '17 Max SL. Sure wish it had android. Love the convenience and quality experience of hearing SiriusXM, Pandora, Google Maps, Pod Casts, Siri, and especially Waze. Love the ease of using my 8" screen in the Max. Have used the stock gps system only a couple of times but as you may know the maps were 2 years outdated on the early Gen 8 Max's. And no way am I paying the outrageous prices for an upgraded set of maps.

 

I just bought my first Maxima SL on 12/5/2020. I'm glad to see so many Maxima lovers, all generations here. I'm very, very happy with this car. To answer the question I use the built in navigation. I tried the Android Auto and just didn't like it. I can't say living in the suburbs/rural area of southern Jersey that I need it that much, but I have used it at least 10 times in just a few months. I had a 2014 Nissan Altima SL and yeah it was a bummer to have to pay to update the maps. In fact I did the same thing as most of you, never paid to update it, and used my Samsung Galaxy instead. But this one is a breeze to update (if you use a flashdrive), and it's free to update the maps.

 

I have a '20 SR, and I never use the navigation system, I prefer pulling over and asking "the guy on the street" for directions...and I am constantly amazed, that guy never speaks English, and has no clue where he is...

 

With failures in carplay I’ve had to use the in car nav more
if I open a door other than drivers first, the car gets on my WiFi and pulls down traffic
I can also use online search sooner than if I open driver door and turn on car
odd but true

 

I use my cell phone 99% of the time. I have a 2010 Maxima SV with Nav and the Nissan software is pretty bad. I understand it is a little better on the 8th gens?

A few times google or waze has bugged out and I used the built in GPS. But I have had it take me to roads that were closed it doesn't update like google and waze do from what I can tell.

By the way is there a way to update the map software?

 

Update of your 2016-2018s is a waste of your hard-earned money. The latest "update" is over 2 years old and there is a good chance it might brick your SD card based unit.

 

I agree with this. Nissan sent an encrypted (or blank) SD card.

Note that the newer models have OTA updates (kind of), but the map updates suck compared to the things that matter - that is, new content/POI's.
With online search (car >>> phone hotspot or other WiFi) I can pull new POI's. But even those (Nissan data source) is dated (i.e. a restaurant near my house which opened 18 months ago is still missing).

 

I much prefer the nav system in my 2020 Maxima to using Android Auto. That software sucks. It is nice you can update the Maps via WiFi and a flashdrive, fast and easy to do. But it's hard to beat using my Samsung Galaxy S8 with Google Maps. It's a breeze to use and there is no need to update. I'm not a power nav system user. I don't commute in heavy traffic and I usually just need to display the map which I find more convenient then looking at my phone