[goodbyalfa]

I had the worst experience with BMW nav this last week in the Isle of Wight.
On the way to the very nice lodge park, we ended up routed down a single Lane dirt track, that slowly became a tractor Lane. Holes 20 inch deep in places. After crawling down the lane for around 10 minutes, finally got to a point where it was impassable for a normal car. Had to reverse I don't know how long to a turn point. I was expecting the dreaded crunch at any point. Not impressed at all, but this was the first time I've had this sort of experience. Something going on with the latest nav algorithms???
It should be reportable, the routing was that bad.

[machman767]

We did a straightforward out and back trip from Preston to Hull on Saturday, granted just M61/M60/M62, but the ETA at the start of both journeys was bang on to actual arrival. Same when we went to Dunfermline at the beginning of the month so definitely seems to have got better.

[Charlie (Wessex)]

Mine came with Connected Package Professional. Not sure whether re-routing happens without it, but I am always amazed at how it knows where the jams are. Yesterday on a small, unimportant B road, ambulance parked on one carriageway with about half mile queue... It showed up on satnav. It doesn't always get it 100 %, but seems to more than not.

The timings are accurate, so I do have faith in it re-routing, more so than Waze.

Tend to use both on a longer journey, mainly Waze but checking from time to time on the inbuilt satnav to check the route and whether its picked up traffic issues.

[gavinwong]

I like the bmw sat Nav too, as I tend to prefer looking at it in the HUD.
In Italy at the minute, and as per OP it has taken me down some roads I'd rather not have gone down - especially small village roads, that are more like dirt tracks, are supposedly 2 way but only just about wide enough for 1 car, and in some cases I've had to fold in the mirrors to prevent me scraping them against the side of a building
Will go back to this road and take a picture, as the incline was also a joke. Good job I had auto hold.

When you look at the speed limit of the road, the car suggests it's a 90km road too haha. So I think that's where it gets confused sometimes when using fastest route as the criteria. On one occasion I used the reverse assistant feature for the first time to get me out of a tight situation.

Can't say I have faced the same issue in U.K. or in the Netherlands…yet.

[Charlie (Wessex)]

Waze works in HUD as well, though not as detailed as the OEM one.

[xenon]

This is not really BMW's fault, or the fault of the routing algorithm. In the UK at least, many unclassified roads are the national speed-limit, or 60mph, even though they'd be totally unsuitable for that. Nevertheless, if the routing is set to fastest and the map data believes that there is a 60mph road between point A and point B then it will clearly use it. The issue is that map data used to be surveyed by a person who would have marked such a road as unsuitable. Now it's mainly generated from high-resolution satellite images where the processing software will say "ooh look, there's a road there!" even when it's a completely unsuitable track. Mine tries to route me through a farmyard near me as the track does connect two main roads but it's entirely unsuitable and entirely private. Since more and more vehicles started using his private road the farmer took to leaving copious quantities of fencing nails covered in pig shit on one of the accesses...

[Charlie (Wessex)]

Sadly, some people seem incapable of using their head when satnav sends them down somewhere clearly unsuitable (different when you find out after a few miles!). We are blighted with lorries. Signage at end of road says unsuitable for HGVs, but they still come down. The last one who got beached while trying to do a tight 90º corner told me that his satnav didn't say not to come down the road. I asked whether he saw the sign saying unsuitable - he had, but it didn't say no HGVs. So that coupled with his satnav, he thought it would be OK.

We had to get the farm's telehandler to come out and lift its rear end up (fortunately he was empty)

[Keith_C]

Used to love the connected app maps where you could plot a route and send it to the car, now you just rely on adding destinations and hoping for the best with the sat nav.

[paulockenden]

One thing that makes the built in Satnav better is if you program one of the 1-8 buttons to be ‘Alternative routes’. Dab that at key points of the journey to recalculate the route, and see whether there are any quicker / shorter / greener alternatives. Very handy.

[machman767]

paulockenden that sounds like a great idea, how do you set it up? Managed to do radio stations but that's all🙄

[paulockenden]

Originally Posted by machman767

paulockenden that sounds like a great idea, how do you set it up? Managed to do radio stations but that's all🙄

While you have a route planned highlight the alternative routes menu option (on the right, scroll down a bit). And then long press one of the 1-8 buttons to save the function.

[thescouselander]

I don't trust BMWs sat nav. Quite a lot of the PoIs are miles out and it can take you on a right run around. I also don't like the way it nags you to take an alternative route to save 5 mins but when there's a big jam and I know for a fact there's a better alternative it does nothing. Basically I've learnt over the years to always double check the route.

[giorgoXXI]

I just came back from Cornwall and I know the frustration. The car would insist in taking me on roads like the image below. It never saved anytime, added a lot of stress and I am sure quite a few scratches, but I think because they are roads officially with "national speed limit", the sat nav doesn't know any better. In the end I learned to ignore the stupid sat nav suggestions and use some common sense!

[ramparts]

Originally Posted by Keith_C

I feel your pain, took me down this road (called a footpath where I'm from) at 10:30 at night right up near Snowdon!!

I remember that road ! All fun and games with the family, not ! Needless to say we took the long way home

[MD707]

Originally Posted by giorgoXXI

I just came back from Cornwall and I know the frustration. The car would insist in taking me on roads like the image below. It never saved anytime, added a lot of stress and I am sure quite a few scratches, but I think because they are roads officially with "national speed limit", the sat nav doesn't know any better. In the end I learned to ignore the stupid sat nav suggestions and use some common sense!

This!

In the end, just giving her a hard no and sticking to a B road seemed to work out….

[paulockenden]

To be fair, that’s a main road in Cornwall!

[Ross_]

Originally Posted by Charlie (Wessex)

Waze works in HUD as well, though not as detailed as the OEM one.

You sure? It doesn’t for me just Apple Maps does.

[paulockenden]

It does for me, albeit temperamentally.

[Charlie (Wessex)]

Maybe it's an Android Auto thing.

[b19rak]

I’ve ditched BMW and use Waze in CarPlay. Best routes with info every time. Apple maps will also give you HUD directions. Google maps isn’t bad either. I got fed up with the donkey routes BMW Satnav would always take me.

[Charlie (Wessex)]

Maybe I view BMW Connected Pro with rose tinted glasses. Was coming from Alton to Christchurch, a route I know well so no need for satnav, but had it on as the M3 was awful. Took me a really rather good and sensible route.

I have to say that the traffic jams showing on BM's satnav seems to be far more reactive/up to date, than Waze, but that might just be my immagination.

[Jim_330e]

I use it so I know what time I'm arriving somewhere and only really take notice once I'm on the route I want to go. Leaving my house on a run-up to Barnsley (from Sheffield), it will try and take me a crap route that is slow, loads of lights, ave cameras etc and bring me out at J36. I go straight to J34 and the nav realises and says I'll get there 5 mins sooner.