According to the nav screen's traffic report, this strip of eastbound I-10 is suffering from "yellow" traffic conditions. However, according to me, it was suffering from "red" traffic conditions. At least that's what stop-and-go traffic seems like to me. There was also no mention of the eight-car fender bender old enough that all the cars had been moved off to the side, or the stalled Toyota Celica a mile back further mucking up traffic.
Later in the week, I was sitting in stop-and-go "red" traffic south of Palm Springs, yet the nav traffic screen was still showing green lines. Later still, a portion of the westbound Highway 60 was showing green, but it was yellow at best. Laterer still, the 60 was showing yellow, yet I decided to take my chances that the system was full of crap. Sure enough, I cruised through yellow at 75 mph. A call to a friend confirmed there was nothing reported on Google Maps or SigAlert.
In the above paragraph's cases, Sirius' LA traffic station wasn't reporting any issues in the described areas, which leads me to believe this unreliability is caused by the source rather than Dodge's navigation system. However, past cars' systems seemed reliable enough and I have to wonder how long before an OEM utilizes Google for real-time traffic rather than satellite radio given its superior perceived reliability (according to me) and its coverage of surface streets.
Whatever the reason, though, there was absolutely nothing real about the Challenger's real-time traffic.
James Riswick, Automotive Editor @ 15,562 miles
thegraduate says:
06:29 AM, 12/ 2/09
Looks like its as behind the times as a standard 4-speed automatic.
D'oh!
rsholland says:
07:35 AM, 12/ 2/09
I have the same problem with my Garmin Nuvi 1490T. The standard traffic warning is really hit-or-miss, with "miss" being the operative word most of the time.
chuckg says:
07:41 AM, 12/ 2/09
Yeah, I find the traffic reports on my Challenger's nav to be inaccurate as well. I've stopped paying attention to them. Sometimes my nav will recalculate my route when it sees construction info, even when I know it's OK to proceed on my present course. It does seen to be accurate with construction sites. But real time traffic is a different matter.
Also, my nav came with a free year of Sirius and traffic/construction. When you go to renew, if you want to keep it going, you have to pay separately for both. Sirius will negotiate though.
hybris says:
07:45 AM, 12/ 2/09
I can't see how anyone can trust any in car traffic monitoring system.
leftnose says:
07:55 AM, 12/ 2/09
Here in Chicago, Google is quite inaccurate for traffic and seems to go to yellow very quickly. Often, I can look out my window in my office and see traffic moving at or near the limit on the Kennedy Expy, yet Google shows it as yellow. It's that way right now, even.
In fact, Google Maps has some of the major surface streets and right now, the two that I can see from my window are solid red, yet traffic is flowing very nicely for a city surface street, I don't see more than two or three cars deep in each lane waiting for lights; they should be marked as green.
kingkhalas says:
09:03 AM, 12/ 2/09
that's really disappointing.
I would have bought that Nav just for the traffic updates.
nealibob says:
09:27 AM, 12/ 2/09
I have been fairly impressed with the traffic data in my 2007 335i's nav system. I have never put much faith in it, but every time that it has suggested a detour when I actually had a destination entered, I have hit major traffic. Of course the detours are not necessarily better or even wise, but it does try at least.
I am frankly surprised that there is still no standard car computer platform commonly available. I would think that Google or Apple would be trying very hard to extend their phone OS's to cars, and I think it would be a great fit. I agree that Google Maps has questionable traffic data in Chicago, especially when it says that nearly every major street is locked up in at least one direction at this hour (~11:30am). I can only see this getting better, however, and I would love to have an internet-connected car system. There are challenges to this, I know, with safety being high on the list, but it would be great to see some better usability in car electronics.
jasond52 says:
11:41 AM, 12/ 2/09
Google Maps is also pretty much "miss" here in the DC metro area. I've found the Bing traffic maps to be the most accurate.