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Porsche Navigation versus CarPlay Navigation: Is there a clear winner?

RunningOnSolar

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Recently, I chose the Porsche navigation app to navigate to a friend’s house instead of using CarPlay. After reading reviews about the augmented reality features maybe AR would demonstrate some advantages over the Apple Maps and CarPlay. Also, it was interesting to see how well CarPlay and Porsche Navigation coexist and maybe decide if Porsche navigation should be the tool of choice going forward. This post hopefully clarifies the strengths and weaknesses of each app.

select Porsche navigation by tapping the Navigation icon in the center display of the PCM or passenger display if you have one. I recommend Porsche voice commands such as “Take me to (address).” Don’t worry about exact wording as natural language is supported. If you type, there is some help given by the nav trying to guess your destination (or waypoint). In some cases the guess may significantly reduce the work, but always confirms your pick by naming the associated city.

Once your destination is successfully input, the fun begins. A map appears in your center display and if you have the HUD, it will start giving you hints and eventually directional arrows. Arrows appear when you are close enough to a turn (or possible lane change). The absolute magic here is in not guessing distance to a turn. Instead the arrow (or arrows) in the HUD grow and animate to signal the immediacy of your upcoming turn. This works for intersections, roundabouts and when you have to switch lanes to avoid an exit lane (etc). The experience is fun and engaging. It makes sure you get your turns right first time and every time. If you choose, you can display the Porsche navigation maps instead of gauges and switch to CarPlay in the center and/or passenger display. This balances out your display use well if you don’t want to look far ahead in the map for your next turn.

I had read reviews and seen pictures of the turn by turn guidance in the HUD, but the shear WOW factor took me by surprise. Static pictures of the HUD arrows simply don’t do this feature justice.

While the turn by turn arrows are an impressive and useful feature, the most compelling Porsche navigation feature is charge planning and battery conditioning. For that reason alone, I expect the Porsche navigation to be my tool of choice on long road trips.

On the other hand, CarPlay takes advantage of all your stored contact information so it may require less work before you start driving. CarPlay is not as lively or helpful in the HUD, but still provides a high percentage of the same functionality. HUD info includes guidance about which lane to choose. If you just want to use the nav as a copilot and avoid traffic congestion, CarPlay functionality is plenty adequate and may even be preferred as it is somewhat more seamless and familiar.

Bottom line: I prefer Porsche navigation on long trips and for less familiar roads because of the charging planner and extraordinary augmented reality features it provides if you have a HUD. However, I will stick to CarPlay around town because of the familiarity and integration with my contacts list.
 
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Wawando

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As we are in an Electric car, for long trips we must (should) use the car navigation to:
- optimize and precondition batteries for charging
- dynamically choose charging spots according to consumption and charge network availability

From CarPlay all I use for navigation is Waze and eventually Google Maps to locate restaurants, etc. Definitely never Apple Maps that is useless because it has no updated traffic/accident/speed camera information like waze nor business information like google maps.

Waze has these fundamental pieces of information:
- The best traffic routing
- The most accurate radar location

These are due to the huge user database and focus on realtime information.

I do not know if it is Waze that is not using the extended Carplay displays or if Apple does not allow them to do it. Either of the reasons it will change soon (I hope) for the sake of us users.

Porsche navigation is getting better allowing google search so Apple Maps is getting more and more obsolete and it is a pity it is the only navigation of CArplay that integrates into HUD and extended displays...
 

daveo4EV

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I prefer using the Porsche in car navigation for the following advantages:
  • in Prosche's EV's the in car navigation will show the estimated battery percentage @ destination - it's pretty accurate a fabulous trip planning tool
    • it also updates/adjusts while you're driving - so you have constant feedback as to if you're going to make your destination based on current estimate battery % at destination
  • integration with the HUD showing driving directions
    • I understand the new Macan has some carplay integration - but it's not as complete as the PCM native navigation
  • battery preconditioning for fast charging
the items listed above make the PCM navigation my preferred choice for actual road trips - if I'm just bopping around town and using navigation purely for duration/distance/arrival time I use carplay - if I'm "traveling" and need to know consumption and likely arrival battery capacity and also need the actual driving directions PCM navigation.
 

Awaz

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That's it, I'm sold on the Porsche navigation and its augmented reality features.
Mind you, the high cost of this is because of the new augmented reality feature, so I was hoping it's worth it.
Many times I've ended up taking wrong turns following BMW i4's maps/voice instructions.
Thanks for this review.
 
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RunningOnSolar

RunningOnSolar

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That's it, I'm sold on the Porsche navigation and its augmented reality features.
Mind you, the high cost of this is because of the new augmented reality feature, so I was hoping it's worth it.
Many times I've ended up taking wrong turns following BMW i4's maps/voice instructions.
Thanks for this review.
Glad to help.

Porsche Navigation is standard but integration with the Heads Up Display option makes the HUD a compelling value proposition even with it’s hefty price tag.

I opted in for the HUD early and stuck to it. Other features were more difficult decisions for me.
 

LivingTheDream

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As we are in an Electric car, for long trips we must (should) use the car navigation to:
- optimize and precondition batteries for charging
- dynamically choose charging spots according to consumption and charge network availability

From CarPlay all I use for navigation is Waze and eventually Google Maps to locate restaurants, etc. Definitely never Apple Maps that is useless because it has no updated traffic/accident/speed camera information like waze nor business information like google maps.

Waze has these fundamental pieces of information:
- The best traffic routing
- The most accurate radar location

These are due to the huge user database and focus on realtime information.

I do not know if it is Waze that is not using the extended Carplay displays or if Apple does not allow them to do it. Either of the reasons it will change soon (I hope) for the sake of us users.

Porsche navigation is getting better allowing google search so Apple Maps is getting more and more obsolete and it is a pity it is the only navigation of CArplay that integrates into HUD and extended displays...
Filipe, one thing to be aware of is the variability of all of these services based on where you are using them. While Apple Maps may not work well in Portugal, it works very well (including traffic reporting/rerouting, speed/accident alerts, etc.) in the United States. If you're in a place where it does work well, it has some nice advantages (e.g., assigning destination based on contact name). If you're in a place it does not, we can be grateful that there are alternatives.
 

bbmertz

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The HUD navigation looked great when in saw it at the Atlanta Porsche Experience Center and your review confirms it.

Unfortunately I didn’t configure it on my 4S due to the high cost since I rarely take long driving trips.
 

Diego

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+1 for the Porsche navigation (with Google integration). I was used Google Maps sine it's the standard on Tesla (and you can't have CarPlay) but I have to say it works great (and shows map in the main screen while I can get any other navigation system on it - I don't have HUD).
 

nulled

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I only use CarPlay as last resort. Before Tesla introduced cameras/radar notifications, I would just open Waze on my phone to give me alerts about speed cameras but use the native navigation. Planning to do the same with the Macan.
 

DHS

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My experience, and therefore preferences, differs.

In a week of driving, I've used the AR HUD display with Porsche navigation, and both Apple Maps navigation and Google Maps navigation in CarPlay. Here's what I found:

Head Up Display
This is an excellent display. Well worth optioning.

Porsche Navigation
1. Works beautifully with the AR HUD display,
2. Driving familiar routes in Maryland and Washington, D.C., Porsche navigation twice directed me to make illegal turns.
3. Those flashing arrows are not all that useful. They're good in traffic circles with multiple exits, but for normal turning directions voice prompts in Google and Apple work better for me.
4. Porsche Navigation voice prompts leave much to be desired. They don't tell you to turn in enough time to change lanes, and they don't have useful prompts such as "go through the next light, then turn right at the following light" as Apple Navigation does.

Google Maps Navigation
Generally my preferred navigation system, but doesn't work with HUD display. Hope that get's remedied in a future software update.

Apple Maps Navigation
Works well with the HUD and can be shown in the front display. Except for long trips where I am concerned about how much charge I have left, this is my preferred navigation.
 

nulled

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I’ve been using the Porsche navigation system for a few days, and to be honest, it has some flaws when it comes to providing accurate directions in my city. While I really appreciate the sleek design of the map, the helpful information about charging stations, and the reminders for service points along the route, there are some frustrating issues. It does a great job showing detailed illustrations for complicated exits, but on two occasions, it directed me to turn onto one-way streets, which is a bit concerning... I'll be sticking with it because I like unified systems.
 

LJKelley

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Does anyone know if CarPlay Apple Maps EV routing works in the Macan? I know its a feature in the Taycan but haven't seen it confirmed for the Macan.
 

TomO

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I find myself preferring Apple Maps for day-to-day stuff, but agreed on all the points that the Porsche Nav is preferable on long trips. One point I don't think I read yet is that don't forget when you use Apple maps, you're using your phone's data connection and holy crap it uses a ton of data. If you use the Porsche nav, you're using the car's data connection.
 
 



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