I got into our long-term 2012 Toyota Camry SE yesterday for a drive to the San Diego area for a work event. I hadn't been in this car for a few weeks, so my phone had long since been deleted (the Camry only allows four paired Bluetooth devices at a time... which is a little low, as most cars give you five or six slots).
Of course, pairing my phone was the first order of business, and then I hit the Apps button to enter an address in the navigation system. I plugged in my phone via the USB port, but didn't think to boot up the Entune app on my phone because I wasn't planning to use Pandora.
Then, I realized the map wasn't showing any traffic data... that is, I was seeing the map above but without the green (and yellow and red) highlighting.
Then, I remembered something about the entry-level Camry navigation system using Entune/your smartphone for traffic updates. And sure enough when I started the app on my phone, toggled to the second page of the Apps menu, I found a Traffic button.
Upon clicking it, the car ask if I wanted to establish an internet connection. I clicked yes. That resulted in this traffic incident list, and when I went back to the map, it now had the telltale green, yellow and red highlighting along the freeways.
This is a slightly more involved process than usual for getting traffic updates, but it's not a big deal really if you have a decent data plan on your phone. Of course, there's always the Garmin portable argument -- certainly compelling given the $1,050 price of our car's nav/Entune option package. (You'll note that our Camry SE came with a 90-day XM subscription, but it's actually the "XM Select" package, which doesn't include traffic. As best as I can tell, only XLE V6 models are eligible for XM-based traffic updates.)
Erin Riches, Senior Editor @ 3,209 miles
jasond52 says:
05:07 AM, 01/31/12
The free Mapquest app on the iPhone provides great traffic info. The most accurate I have seen for DC-NYC travel at least. Oh, did I mention it's free AND portable?
throwback says:
07:03 AM, 01/31/12
So in order to use entune you need to have a large data plan? I guess my 200mb monthly plan wouldn't cut it.
ed124c says:
07:37 AM, 01/31/12
Thanks for the heads up, Erin. Now I know, if I buy a Camry, that I will not get Entune. Primarily beacause I will never own a smart phone that comes with at least an $80/month bill. My $130 Garmin works just fine.
But now that there is snow on the ground (we were wondering when that was going to happen), my dizzying brain is focusing more on AWD cars/CUVs. Even to the point of thinking about getting a new CR-V.
stovt001 says:
12:13 PM, 01/31/12
I've realized by now, if the traffic incident is old enough that the nav's traffic feature records it, then the incident has already been cleared, all the other motorists are avoiding it due to the advice from their nav units, and if I take that route I have a clear freeway.
agentorange says:
03:19 PM, 01/31/12
@stovt011
ROFLMAO!! Exactly!! It is much the same with the traffic "news" on the radio. The difference is I have not paid for some expensive data plan to bring me non-news.
kibachris says:
06:37 PM, 01/31/12
Hey! That's near UCSD! =D
esoterica says:
09:17 PM, 01/31/12
Really? I have to use an app on my phone every time I want to get traffic info?
Why wouldn't I in that case just run a navigation app on my phone?
This Camry nav system just keeps getting better.
anonms says:
09:22 PM, 02/ 1/12
@kibachris Looks like they were at the Gliderport!