Traffic on The NAV system

C

Coasterdon

Member
:
2016 Mazda CX-5 GS
I sent an e-mail to Mazda connect and got this.

Thank you for contacting the Mazda Hands Free Support.

The system was originally designed with Connected Services capabilities. However, it will not be available for purchase on this vehicle but may be provided in the future on select vehicles. We apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any other questions or need further information, feel free to contact the Mazda Hands Free Support Line at 1-800-430-0153 Monday-Friday 7am-8pm CT.


In my opinion this is fraud and I should get my money back. It says in the manual there is traffic and it's in the system just doesn't work.

No one tells you that. I would not have bought it. Maybe even not the car.
 
The HD traffic thing is a joke too. It shows me a red dot for my location on a map and nothing else. (The area I drive in is eastern Washington/Spokane, so traffic data is always available on my google map).
 
No only there are missing features like Live Traffic alerts which is basically false advertising, but there are also many features poorly designed in the CX-5 NAV system. It's really clumsy. For example, this weekend, I couldn't get rid of all the interstate exit information that takes almost 1/2 of the screen. Who needs to see all the gas stations and restaurants off of 400 miles of Interstate? Wouldn't it make more sense to display this info only on request? <sigh>
Bottom line, I've decided to not use it anymore and I use my cell phone with Google Maps instead.
 
Right there with you. It's ridiculous. That's why we need Android Auto so bad. It's a shame mazda is just sitting on their ass with these updates. It would allow them to devote their time to other important areas, while allowing google to handle the infotainment system. And it's not like AA isn't proven. Many, many manufactures are beginning to include AA in their cars and the platform is only growing. I agree there should be some compensation of some sort. My question is, why did they opt out of the connected services?? What reason could there of been? Even if it was added at a later time but Mazda Connect has been around for several years now and I guess it's not happening.
 
I agree, mine always shows traffic accidents or construction and when I get there, nothing. It almost seems random, don't know why they're appearing and where the data comes from as its not accurate at all.

I've tried using my phone too, but it is so laggy, often telling me to turn after I've passed the street I need to turn on. It's an iPhone 6, but that may be the fault of the carrier (TELUS) and not the app per se (who knows) Luckily I don't often need navigation, but I've come to the conclusion that I will never pay for built in nav system again unless its included in the base price of whatever vehicle.
 
frenchbiker said:
No only there are missing features like Live Traffic alerts which is basically false advertising, but there are also many features poorly designed in the CX-5 NAV system. It's really clumsy. For example, this weekend, I couldn't get rid of all the interstate exit information that takes almost 1/2 of the screen. Who needs to see all the gas stations and restaurants off of 400 miles of Interstate? Wouldn't it make more sense to display this info only on request? <sigh>
Bottom line, I've decided to not use it anymore and I use my cell phone with Google Maps instead.
Click to expand...

If you want to use the Nav and get rid of the exit info, try this:

From Main Nav screen:
- Navigation Settings
---Guidance Settings
-----Highway Exits (Select to open)
-------Only When Menu is Open (Select this one)
-------Always Show on Highways

When you're back on the main Nav screen, hide the bottom buttons and no more exit info.
 
Traffic on The NAV system bbbbb b

frenchbiker said:
No only there are missing features like Live Traffic alerts which is basically false advertising, but there are also many features poorly designed in the CX-5 NAV system.
Click to expand...
Although Mazda sales brochure clearly stated Live Traffic feature included in Navigation system, but it's not there. Mazda seems don't care for its false advertising and has decided do nothing as we can see from the email reply posted by OP. BMW was giving inferior Harman Kardon audio system than sales brochure specified in 2 Series and BMW responded with $300+ cash compensation to owners.
 
Yep The HD traffic thing is pitiful. Its still not showing the northern leg of the I485 belt loop which opened a year ago.
 
brillo54 said:
If you want to use the Nav and get rid of the exit info, try this:

From Main Nav screen:
- Navigation Settings
---Guidance Settings
-----Highway Exits (Select to open)
-------Only When Menu is Open (Select this one)
-------Always Show on Highways

When you're back on the main Nav screen, hide the bottom buttons and no more exit info.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know I can do that but it looks like the "only when menu is open" option is reset each time you start the car. Am I correct?
 
Last edited:
frenchbiker said:
Yes, I know I can do that but it looks like the "only when menu is open" option is reset each time you start the car. Am I correct?
Click to expand...

As long as you "hide" the buttons on the Nav screen those extra icons on the right will be gone for good. At least that's how it's been on my 2016.5 when I changed the setting.
 
I'm more annoyed by the fact that you can't do much with the nav once you're in motion. I get they consider it a safety concern, but often my wife and I will be trying to find a stop while traveling, and she would enter the info into the navigation of my old car. Unless I am missing a setting, the CX-5 will not let you enter a destination when you're in motion. We went out of town a few weeks ago, and had to actually pull into a parking lot to enter the address of a restaurant we decided to go to during our drive (rolleyes)
 
I believe the brochure also states that not all features are available in all markets. It's a blanket statement to protect them as they can add and remove features at will and not be held accountable for the changes. I know people have found hints of carplay and android auto hiding in the system so hopefully they will be able to roll those out to exsisting customers when it becomes available.
 
moJoe said:
As long as you "hide" the buttons on the Nav screen those extra icons on the right will be gone for good. At least that's how it's been on my 2016.5 when I changed the setting.
Click to expand...

You're right, my bad. I just checked again and the setting "only when menu is open" is not reset when I start the car. I just have to hide the menu bar on the NAV screen and I'm good.
 
jrstinkfish said:
I'm more annoyed by the fact that you can't do much with the nav once you're in motion. I get they consider it a safety concern, but often my wife and I will be trying to find a stop while traveling, and she would enter the info into the navigation of my old car. Unless I am missing a setting, the CX-5 will not let you enter a destination when you're in motion. We went out of town a few weeks ago, and had to actually pull into a parking lot to enter the address of a restaurant we decided to go to during our drive (rolleyes)
Click to expand...

Yes, this is another very good reason why I decided to stop using it. When my wife feels like getting a coffee at Starbucks, I'm not going to stop to enter this info in the NAV. She takes her phone, asks Google Maps, "take me to the closest Starbucks" and we're good to go.
 
It is one of the weakest built-in NAV systems that I have used (and I have had several). The accuracy is horrid sometimes. I've posted elsewhere here that as I pass freeway exits, even in the left-most lane, it shows me exiting, then it isn't until I completely pass the exit that it jumps me back to the freeway. Secondly, it announces red light cameras to me on the freeway! It knows that I am on the freeway as indicated by the arrow, yet it reads surface street red light warnings. Thirdly, yesterday, I told it to navigate me home from work (which I did just because), and anyway, it wanted me to go north two blocks just to come back south and get on the freeway. The route looked, appropriately, like a giant question mark on my screen.
I believe these things are fixable but Mazda has to be willing to put more time into their software development. These are humorous and frustrating examples, but in an unknown area one could be mislead and get lost. (Some might even drive into a lake! LOL There are those and there are those...)
 
When I bought my 2016 CX5 GT, I really didn't pay much attention to the Navigation Feature. I saw the icon on the screen, and the button on the console, but figured I rarely ever need it so it went into the "I'll get around to playing with it at some point" category of my brain. I have always used MapQuest via my iPhone in the past, so I was comfortable using that when I really needed directions in a foreign area.

Fast forward 13 months, and I was travelling back from Boston and decided what the hell, what's see what this looks like. Low and behold I finally realized my CX5 didn't have active Navigation. The screen was telling me I needed to purchase it as an accessory (although an active compass was showing on the screen above that comment). So I checked the card slot and yup... empty. It gave me a good chuckle as I wasn't overly invested in the feature from the beginning. After reading some of the threads on this forum, it seems like I'm not missing much, and will probably forego purchasing the card. If I need directions, I'll continue to use MapQuest via my iPhone with the directions coming thru the speakers via Bluetooth.

However, what I was able to find was a traffic map under the car accessories. Surprisingly it was actually quite accurate, and despite the graphics being relatively small (I don't know if you can zoom in/out on the map as I was already in motion), it showed where the highway traffic was crawling along, and even stopped in a few areas. Sure enough as I approached those colored areas on the screen, traffic was grinding to a halt. Having said that, as I slowly drove north back to Maine, I noticed I was actually driving off the map (meaning the map's geography wasn't updating anymore along with my movement). I guess it was only picking up a signal to report the traffic in Massachusetts. I checked it again about 60 minutes northeast of the Boston metro area and the screen was blank.

Anywho... just my experience. Good for a laugh, and glad its not something I need but overlooked when buying it.
 
As owners we need to contact Mazda to question/complain. Not bitterly, but to let them know this is something important to us. I think (hope) they will respond if customers take time to bring it to their attention. Just pop over to MazdaHandsFree, and drill down to your model and hit the Contact Us at the bottom. It is a simple effort that may pay off...
 
Mr.Gadget said:
As owners we need to contact Mazda to question/complain. Not bitterly, but to let them know this is something important to us. I think (hope) they will respond if customers take time to bring it to their attention. Just pop over to MazdaHandsFree, and drill down to your model and hit the Contact Us at the bottom. It is a simple effort that may pay off...
Click to expand...

Send them a note today. Let's see whether they respond with the same canned response.
 
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