how does the map get into the radio?

Micky, GPSs can't work miracles.

There are a confusing number of models but you can get a Garmin Nuvi for less than $100 with lifetime map updates. The updates are done with wifi. The ones with real time traffic updates are more expensive and may not be useful depending on where you live.

Digital maps have varying quality data. Urban areas are usually more up to date than rural.

Get the radio without it.

I don't know about the prices, but some of the new cars with navigation have a USB slot where you download the maps on a computer and then transfer them with a USB drive to the car.

As many said, just get a Garman or such with the lifetime updates for free.

That would save money, and I'm more likely to find a radio with real buttons, which are easier to use when driving.

Thank you for answering my question!

I don't want another device. I just want a radio, which may or may not have GPS. In order to judge whether to get GPS, I need to know how much detail the map will have, but if the map is bad, that just means no GPS, not that I would buy an additional device to have a better map.

Thanks.

Is it a miracle to tell me where I am?

I don't want another device, just a radio which may or may not have GPS.

I hadn't thoughty about traffic updates, but that would definitely require a receiver and a higher price. There is pretty much only one route to take to work, so knowing about the traffic doesn't help.

In Chicago where the streets are on a grid, one can just take a parallel street if there is traffic, but not here.

This DVD does have more streets within Baltimore, but I have a paper atlas of Baltimore which has all that too, and more, and I rarely go some place I haven't been to 10 times. The DVD wasn't up to date on the rural areas even when the car was made. At least it doesn't have enough detail.

The maps are usually very close from one GPS to the next if they are updated.

I don't care too much for the radio, but do like being able to plug in a USB drive into the audio system to play songs of my choice. You do not need the GPS option for that.

I bought a 2017 Toyota and it came with sort of a GPS, but not really. From what I get out of it, it seems that it has a map that works off my cell phone. You start out with it and it calculates here you are and which way to turn. If you get off the given route it still thinks you are on it. So it is worthless. They do make a true GPS for that car,but it just was not on the one I bought.

I have a Garman with lifetime updates that I like to use and can move it between the car and truck as I need to. While not allways accurate it has a traffic warning for the traffic jams and backups.

No question, just background:

A couple weeks ago I went to Harrisburg, Pa. and took the long way home to Baltimore because it's more interesting.

Along the east shore of the Susquehanna River. After a while I wanted to see where I was, largely because there are bridges over the river near Harrisburg and between Lancaster and York. And again on Route 1 and I-95.

But there is only one bridge in between those 2 areas.

Two years ago I had to ask for directions, and the first 4 people said they were visitors and didn't know! Turns out, the road to the bridge doesn't say it goes to the bridge! No signs.

The car's GPS was too vague, and you can only slide the map a little bit away from where I am now, and even then it bounces back. Zooming out takes away too much detail.

Because I'd driven this way once before, I'd forgotten to reload maps to the phone, google maps and maps.me, so google maps only had the map it comes with that that covers the whole US. Showed where I was, even though it didnt' show a road there. Almost enough, but not quite.

I ended up using my paper map of the entire state of Pennsylvania, that is 20 or 30 years old. Can't zoom in but it still had enough landmmarks and highway numbers that it worked. I carry maps for Md. and adjacent states in the car all the time.

If the car didn't have GPS, I wouldn't miss it, wouldn't want it, but it has a rudimentary form of it that tantalizes me.

Right. I do that too. But not from a port right in the radio. I have to plug something into the cigarette lighter. Despite that it works, that was another reason to get a new radio, but I twisted the thing 90 degrees and now I can see the buttons and it's pretty easy to replay a song or skip to the next song.

Clever. I didn't have a specific method in mind, but I thought there would be some 4th method by now. A shame it doesn't work better.

Yes. I often see things that make me turn off the route.

I have a Garmin too with lifetime maps and traffic but had to fight with it yesterday having to route around a road closure when it kept trying to reroute me back to it. Not the first time I've either had to ignore it or turn it off.

Don't know about current Toyota's but a friend said it would cost $200 to have dealer put new maps in his Rav 4. Garmin maps may be updated as much as four times a year. It is not just road changes but new business openings and business addresses changing.

Wow. I'd rather be lost than spend $200.

I mean, they found the Thai cavers. Surely someone would find me eventually.

Paper maps are FREE at any DMV. Thats all I need!!!!

Its a real money make for them. Most cars are $100 to $200. My car has

3 years included or I'd not bother.

I had recalled ads in car magazine for dealers that dealers could make a large profit off accessories.

Googled it up and found this recent article:

Also recall years ago when I bought Chevy's where my brother was the service manager. Warranties did not last long, if there was one, and my car developed a cracked block and needed a new engine. My brother could not reduce the labor cost but bought the engine himself for the shop to install. He saved me the %100 part markup that the dealer would have charged.

I mostly agree with you. That's what ended up working on my Sunday drive the other day.

Before I drove to Florida, I went to tourism [state name] for each of the states I was driving through, and they each sent me a map. I think the search word was tourism. Allow 30 or 45 days.

Plus if you are on an interstate, and it's 9-6 Sunday - Saturday, there is usually a plaza soon after entering a state where you can stop and get a state map. Though in a few states, everything is on display except the map, which you have to ask for.

I've driven across the country a few times and parts of Europe with paper maps. I still like to look at them for the overall view.

That said. navigation in a car is a very useful tool. Pick a state and a major city and I'll take you to it with no map, just a basic knowledge of geography and road signs.

So. we are traveling and think it is about time to call it a day. On my navigation I can search for hotels. I can choose "along route" and it brings them up by distance. I can choose on and press a button to call ahead to see if they have a room. If yes, I push another button and the car will guide me to it. I have a Head Up Display so it even shows me the next turn on the windshield and the distance down to 10 feet.

Do I need it? No, I've done well for decades. It is though, a great tool along the way to find food, fuel, lodging. As I said, I can get you to Cleveland or Fargo, but the navigation will take me right to 666 Park Street. Its a tool I'm willing to pay for.

That's what I find valuable. As far as large scale navigation goes, I drove OTR in the '90s and like the song says I've been everywhere. However calling up the motels and grocery stores in Fargo saves time.

That's where the updates come in too. I hadn't updated mine in a long time and last fall it guided me to a Basha's in Tucson that was gone.

I'm surprised that they still make standalone GPS units. I use an app on my phone - Waze. The app gives real time updates on road/traffic conditions, estimated time of arrival, presence of road hazards, including police. In t he future, all cars will be sending data back and forth to each other.

At any given time, your car will know what every other car near you is goin g to do. We won't have to worry about driving defensively. Road traffic wil l act as a single huge living organism.

WE still have our Garmin with lifetime updates, but we gave up using it: Before a longish trip about five years ago, I updated the maps, with the result that it was telling us things like "keep left" where there was no intersection or ramp, and was showing us driving in the middle of a cornfield when we were in fact on the highway.

Maybe a further update would solve the problem, but the Sygic app on the phone is much better, with a heads-up display mode and lane assist.

Perce

Some people (me for one) don't pay for a monthly cell phone plan. If I did, I would make use of such an app.

I think you were taking those words as traffic instructions, when they were actually political. Garmin was taken over by a commie pink consortium.

and was showing us driving in the middle of a

And by the anti-farm lobby.

They have 10 apps. The first one just gave me directions to Bratislava. Which one do you use?