Navigating with Android Auto - 2015 Hyundai Sonata Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Navigating with Android Auto - 2015 Hyundai Sonata Long-Term Road Test

Last month we realized that a navigation system update our long-term 2015 Hyundai Sonata enabled Android Auto. This week the only Edmunds.com editor with an Android phone takes Android Auto navigation for a test drive in our 2015 Sonata.

Read the full story here

handbrake

Can you use Waze instead of Google Maps? I'd actually make an auto purchase decision based on Waze availability in this context.

kirkhilles1

Very, very cool. I didn't know Android Auto was available in Production models yet. I forsee the future being where you choose whether to use Android Auto or Apple Car (or whatever) and be able to use full apps and not just some crappy half-done app that won't be supported in 5 years. You'll have to show us installation of other apps. It will be interesting to see. Does it use your phone's internet through Bluetooth?

ebeaudoin

Very slick. I'm an iOS user myself, but this is a very cool development. Two of my siblings work at different Tender Greens locations. Never been, but I'll go sometime!

yellowbal

Google owns Waze so if Google Maps can tell me where the cops are, that'd be great.

misterfusion

Really nice walkthrough, thanks Erin. Given that I'm driving a 2014 car, it'll be a few years until I get a new one; so it's almost a certainty that my next car will have Android Auto, which I think is fantastic for consumers.

Hard to believe that iPhone is that prevalent in your office. Maybe Android phones are more popular in my office because we're underpaid? :P

miata52

That is really slick...better than any car-based GPS I've yet to come across.

clownstrike

An important note that I don't think the editor realized. From the blog post: "But if not, it's easy to key in your destination when the car is stopped." Correction, no need to stop. Just long press the voice prompt button on the steering wheel and you can say anything that you can normally say to Google Now. "Find the nearest Starbucks" or "What was the score of the Dodgers game last night?" or "Navigate to my home". The voice functionality is far easier than using the screen.

I have Android Auto in my Sonata, so I can answer some of the questions posted:

"Can you use Waze instead of Google Maps?"
Waze is not Android Auto compatible yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. By the way, as mentioned in the article, Google navigation also does some routing based on traffic. Since Google now owns Waze, I suspect they may be integrating some of the Waze technology. I would expect at some point Google will dump the Waze brand and fully integrate all Waze functionality into Google maps/nav.

"Does it use your phone's internet through Bluetooth?"
It does use the phone's data connection, but for now Android Auto requires a direct USB connection. Apparently Apple CarPlay (when it is put in production) will operate over bluetooth. I'm sure that future versions of AA will work over bluetooth, but for now it's plugin.

AA and CarPlay are definitely the way of the future. There is no way the automakers can keep up. And I'm sure the automakers will be more than happy to leave the tech cost to Google & Apple!

hank39

Great and informative post!

dfriss

Been using AA on my 2015 since the download was published on my.Hyundai.. I am not sure, but you might be able to update older nav heads as well.

re waze: I have seen popups on the nav map that waze user reports accident at such and such. So some level of integration is already there. I think alternative route planning is aware of the reports.

Also cool while navigation is that as you come up on intersections leading to alternative routes it will have a box over the other route with its estimated time variance in minutes faster or slower (or similar eta).

I think phone calls are still handled with bluetooth but integrated with AA which needs the USB connection.

Cautionary tale - When you lose data signal you may need to restart your phone to get AA nav to work properly. For me anyway, once you get an 'unable to contact google server' message, it's toast.

Nice things: You can connect AA en-route (do not have to be parked to start it). Voice SMS functionality is great I am sure the reviewer will get to it sooner or later.

eriches

clownstrike said:

An important note that I don't think the editor realized. From the blog post: "But if not, it's easy to key in your destination when the car is stopped." Correction, no need to stop. Just long press the voice prompt button on the steering wheel and you can say anything that you can normally say to Google Now. "Find the nearest Starbucks" or "What was the score of the Dodgers game last night?" or "Navigate to my home". The voice functionality is far easier than using the screen.

I have Android Auto in my Sonata, so I can answer some of the questions posted:

"Can you use Waze instead of Google Maps?"
Waze is not Android Auto compatible yet, but I'm sure it will be soon. By the way, as mentioned in the article, Google navigation also does some routing based on traffic. Since Google now owns Waze, I suspect they may be integrating some of the Waze technology. I would expect at some point Google will dump the Waze brand and fully integrate all Waze functionality into Google maps/nav.

"Does it use your phone's internet through Bluetooth?"
It does use the phone's data connection, but for now Android Auto requires a direct USB connection. Apparently Apple CarPlay (when it is put in production) will operate over bluetooth. I'm sure that future versions of AA will work over bluetooth, but for now it's plugin.

AA and CarPlay are definitely the way of the future. There is no way the automakers can keep up. And I'm sure the automakers will be more than happy to leave the tech cost to Google & Apple!

You're right, I didn't think of using voice control to do all that. I've only had my Android phone since February after 5 years with iPhones, so I'm pretty inexperienced with Google Now and its features. Thanks.

eriches

dfriss said:

Been using AA on my 2015 since the download was published on my.Hyundai.. I am not sure, but you might be able to update older nav heads as well.

re waze: I have seen popups on the nav map that waze user reports accident at such and such. So some level of integration is already there. I think alternative route planning is aware of the reports.

Also cool while navigation is that as you come up on intersections leading to alternative routes it will have a box over the other route with its estimated time variance in minutes faster or slower (or similar eta).

I think phone calls are still handled with bluetooth but integrated with AA which needs the USB connection.

Cautionary tale - When you lose data signal you may need to restart your phone to get AA nav to work properly. For me anyway, once you get an 'unable to contact google server' message, it's toast.

Nice things: You can connect AA en-route (do not have to be parked to start it). Voice SMS functionality is great I am sure the reviewer will get to it sooner or later.

Regarding your cautionary note, I did indeed have to reboot my phone on one occasion after pulling out of our parking garage.

clownstrike

eriches said:

You're right, I didn't think of using voice control to do all that. I've only had my Android phone since February after 5 years with iPhones, so I'm pretty inexperienced with Google Now and its features. Thanks.

It's great that you're trying it out! If Google is hoping for this to become a widely desirable system, you're a much better tester than someone like me who has been using Android for many years. The non-intuitive interface items will stand out. In this case for example, it would make a lot of sense for the interface to show something at startup, like "To speak your requests, hold down the steering wheel voice button until you hear the prompt tone."