Roadtrip report

[Bruce Nunnally]

Had a lovely trip Sunday in my 2005 CTS over to Texarkana for a reunion of my Mom's maternal family line. Should have taken my Brother and his Wife with me, but I did enjoy the solo drive down, and they managed to make their own way. Great weather, great vehicle to have on the road. I had set my navigation unit over into my Son's SUV, so when my notes on how to get to the venue turned out to not match the actual intersections, I connected to mapquest on my cell phone, studied the map, and found the place. Nice visit with family, good eats, and then back on the road. 3 hours down, 4 hours visiting, 3 hours back.

I think I will definitely look for the nav system in my next Cadillac. Otherwise it was a terrific drive. Just under 26mpg each way at 70mph highway with some rural 4-lanes.

[JohnnyG]

I wonder how the new OnStar "turn by turn" compares to a new nav system. In other words, would talking to an OnStar operator take more or less time than, say connecting to Mapquest on your cell phone? (which not all of us can do yet btw) I know for a fact that Mapquest is far from correct in all cases. People looking for my work location are routinely directed to the wrong road by Mapquest (or any other web service - map site)

Does GM try to ensure that OnStar gets it right, or even slightly more right than these online services? And exactly how do they do that, if at all?

And if they do, why don't they market it?

[Bruce Nunnally]

I guess it depends on the map data the nav system uses vs the map data OnStar uses. I would guess OnStar uses the same data that is put in the cars. It gets updated periodically, but is only as good as the map data the city/county/state submit. I find it very reliable in established areas although less so in areas still developing.

All modern Cadillacs have GPS equipment built into the OnStar. I think the turn by turn works by reading the GPS data and so works just like a screenless nav unit, more or less, with the added benefit of being able to talk to an operator and describe where you are and where you want to go. Some might describe that as an added complexity, but I recognize that people who don't like gadgets may prefer to talk to humans instead. I think it also helps to sell OnStar subscriptions.

I would prefer to see navigation units with touch screens built in as standard equipment to all Cadillacs now, along with bluetooth connectivity, and a hybrid powertrain.

[Texas Jim]

I know for a fact that Mapquest is far from correct in all cases. People looking for my work location are routinely directed to the wrong road by Mapquest (or any other web service - map site)

Just for a test.... push your OnStar button and get directions to your work location. Just to see if it is better than the online services.