Out of interest, what happens if you lose your cellular signal while using Apple Maps on CarPlay? If I'm right in thinking it would stop working then that's surely a significant benefit of using the car's regular in-built satnav?
The other advantage of the satnav on my Mazda is that it shows directions on the HUD, which I doubt you would get with Apple Maps.
I like the Satnav on my Mazda over Apple Maps too... the HUD directions / lane assist is fundamentally better than anything a pretty looking system can give me. HOWEVER, if I need to know congestion I'll still use Google Maps, so I'm not 100% locked into Mazda's version.
However I do like Carplay and that Mazda's implementation doesn't use the touch screen...
Never used Android auto, but Carplay is certainly miles ahead of a phone on the dash!
Not sure why people are mentioning $1000's to get it installed. I bought a Sony CarPlay head unit from Repco for sub-$400 and installed it myself.
The $1000 Is the unit. Reversing camera The steering wheel adapter kit (so I can keep my steering wheel controls. The new faceplate And the USB/aux mount to make it all neat. And the 3-4 hours of labour
Not sure why people are mentioning $1000's to get it installed. I bought a Sony CarPlay head unit from Repco for sub-$400 and installed it myself.
Because the existing one is usually molded into the dash to look minimal, and shares space with aircon controls and heated seat buttons etc so the kit has to allow for control of those things via canbus etc as well as hold a standard sized stereo, and they are not high production items.
Also, having used android auto recently I found it aweful. Couldnt inititate a messenger call thru it, spotify was virtually useless on it.
I was recently driving a rental car (Hyundai i30) for a couple of weeks with Android Auto, everything *almost* worked very well indeed including playing music from the phone or Play Music streamed.
A major annoyance was that the screen wouldn't activate the keyboard when the car was in motion as a "safety feature" - and would default to voice recognition. There was no way to turn that "feature" off. This a real PITA when driving with a passenger who couldn't enter addresses when on the move - especially on a freeway where pulling over wasn't possible. The voice recognition didn't work very well at all, I suspect that it was using the phone microphone - not the microphone on the entertainment system, the phone was on the console, and I'd need to yell - and even then it was very dodgy. This was in Sydney where there are a hell of a lot of duplicate street names and streets that cross suburb boundaries. Had to completely give up at times, IIRC one was Kulnura street, there's assorted Culburra Colnurra and lord knows how many variations that sound more or less the same to Google. Had to give up and turn it off, my SO finding address/directions using her phone instead.
A minor annoyance was that every time my phone connected or disconnected, it would beep like crazy with about 1/2 dozen rapid fire notifications - my fault because I'm sure I could have switched notifications for the AA app off on my phone.
Our Outback has Android Auto and this is a significant improvement over on-dash phone mount which I used to use.
Only problem is that Android Auto occasionally kills the front speakers and locks the volume as well. It's only rarely, but it's a real PITA when it occurs. I've looked online and its a known issue with Subaru (plus some other car brands as well).
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