That's not true. Google Maps, in particular, has by far the best route guidance. It used to be different - but not anymore. Most in-car systems don't even attempt to route the last 300m here because the detailed one-way street narrow layout of tiny streets isn't in their mapping data, or their algorithms are too weak. Google has mostly no problem with that.

Entering Japanese addresses IS tricky, though; here, custom-built Japanese solutions outshine. There are (mainly) no street names; instead, you specify your location by filtering down from Prefecture (Tokyo), City (Ota-ku), Commune (Kugahara), District (1-Chome), Block (26), House Number (1).

Japanese systems allow you to enter it this way - with Google (or, even worse, Apple Maps), it's a bit hacky. You would specify it as Kugahara 1-26-1 and hope for the best.

Google Maps fails in subtle but weird and sometimes costly ways.

On one side, it can't route through a bunch of valid paths. I first assumed it could be because of residents asking Google to cut traffic, but sometimes it's not even through residential areas. I see routes on the map that are avoided in favor of bigger loops, and when trying the shorter routes they're perfectly fine. Or perhaps it's the vehicle size and they optimize for SUVs ?

On the other side it will happily route you through paths that are restricted to specific categories of cars. It's up to the driver to carefully avoid them, but it really wants you to go through and reroutes you there when you deviate, so it's a huge PITA in areas you don't know and try to navigate while ignoring the navigation instructions. Cops seem to have noticed it, We've got fined the first time we fucked up, and now that I'm aware of the issue I see the cops in many of these spots basically waiting for the jackpot.

>avoided in favor of bigger loops

At this point at google, I wouldn't be surprised if they were selling your route to advertizers to "optimize your driving experience."

It should not be a surprise at all.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230129231747/https://www.waze....

https://www.waze.com/ads/

Why not use plus codes? They're well-integrated into Google Maps: https://maps.google.com/pluscodes/

TIL.

The weird part is Maps will accept them for search, but not display the plus code except when looking at POI (randomly selecting a point on the map doesn't show it for me, I only could get that from the /pluscodes/ map)

This seems genuinely useful, but as usual we're having the chicken and egg problem to get it adopted ?

In mobile at least, you can touch and hold to make a red temporary POI that will show you the plus code.

But yeah, nobody uses it in the real World. If I need to share a point with someone else I'll just send them the Google Maps share URL instead, which has its own shortcode

I notice that Google Maps does very poorly on my iPhone 13 Pro with the multi-level roads, like riding around in the tunnels under Tokyo or on the roads with highways above the local roads, whereas builtin navigation units usually have no problems with this. I also find their directions to be much harder to follow than the built-in navigation units when riding around the major roads where turning right requires you to exit to the left for instance. Also, Google Maps fails to provide the variety of route options with fine-grained toll-booth costs, that all navigation units I've used in the last 5 years have gotten spot-on.

Aging population prefers low quality tiny screens with awkward interfaces?

They prefer something they are already familiar with.

That’s one reason I use CarPlay - the interface hasn’t changed for years. Apart from one really annoying change to Apple Maps when they replaced the “silence directions” toggle from a big square to a touch, wait, touch tiny icon interface.

They're not tiny, at least not compared to a phone.

https://www.daihatsu.co.jp/lineup/move_canbus/03_exterior_in...

Damn that looks like a cool car. Shame it's Japan only

Japan gets way better small car options than the US.

Japan has some challenges with traditional GPS and satellites that can be low on and buildings interrupt the signal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-Zenith_Satellite_System

> The Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), also known as Michibiki (みちびき), is a four-satellite regional satellite navigation system and a satellite-based augmentation system developed by the Japanese government to enhance the United States-operated Global Positioning System (GPS) in the Asia-Oceania regions, with a focus on Japan.

...

> The primary purpose of QZSS is to increase the availability of GPS in Japan's numerous urban canyons, where only satellites at very high elevation can be seen. A secondary function is performance enhancement, increasing the accuracy and reliability of GPS derived navigation solutions. The Quasi-Zenith Satellites transmit signals compatible with the GPS L1C/A signal, as well as the modernized GPS L1C, L2C signal and L5 signals. This minimizes changes to existing GPS receivers.

Its got a neat orbit that does a figure 8 with the apogee over Japan (see also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tundra_orbit )

That definitely does not match my experience. I was in Japan in December of 2022 and used my phone to get everywhere, the directions were extremely accurate, more-so than in my home town in the US.