That TomTom (the Subaru system) is not one of the better navigation system has been an observation since 2020. There are 477 posts containing the word 'Tomtom'.

 

EVERY American car/truck has a better map software than Subaru. EVERY Toyota, Honda, etc. has a better map...geez Subaru - your maps are gonna get people LOST and maybe even killed by trying to read a undistinguishable map while driving!! Is there any way I can UNLOAD TomTom and UPLOAD the mapping software from Ford???

 

I lose the controls on the car's map system.

What controls would those be?

 

This is what I wrote to Subaru's Customer Service:
After paying close to $50K for a new Outback Touring XT with about every option Subaru offers, the salesman and I looked at the map installed to see if we could change the contrast.
What a COMPLETE disappointment - this map company has provided Subaru with a completely POOR quality map - the roads are light lines on the map (almost impossible to see, no names on the roads, and the background of the map is whitish-pinkish - meaning VERY LITTLE, if any, contrasting background to distinguish the roads from the background washed-out colors.
Further, within the vehicle, one cannot change the composition/contrast of the map but only make it lighter or darker - both of which were USELESS in creating a contrast so the roads can even be seen!! REALLY DUMB Subaru - really LOW-quality TomTom.
IF I try to use my 10-year-old phone's GoogleMap, I lose control on the car's map system. There needs to be a COMPLETE upgrade or give us a totally NEW map software in my car!!
EVERY American car/truck has a better map software than Subaru. EVERY Toyota, Honda, etc. has a better map...geez Subaru - your maps are going to get people LOST and maybe even killed by trying to read an undistinguishable map while driving!!
Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze and HP Tuners are often considered better alternatives and superior to TomTom due to their accuracy, real-time data, and user-friendliness. There are several others as well.
Can you walk me through UN-loading TomTom, and UP-loading one of the software's above as my car's intuitive map software system?? ANTTHING but TomTom!!

 

Can you walk me through UN-loading TomTom, and UP-loading one of the software's above as my car's intuitive map software system?? ANTTHING but TomTom!!

Sorry, the TomTom nav software is a non-removable part of the CP 1.5 Infotainment software. It cannot be removed/replaced with anything else.

The other thing I would add is that, whenever this topic comes up, the OP typically says all other manufacturers have better nav software. Then there is almost always others posting that "oh don't get me started about <manufacturer x's> nav software, it even worse than Subaru". Could be TomTom, could be Garmin, etc., but it seems that many have a bad experience with the vehicle's built-in nav software. My conclusion is that the nav software companies are providing "crippleware" to the car companies, in the vain hope that they can continue to sell a significant number of their stand-alone nav units.

 

I am sure Subaru will be properly chagrined and begin the TomTom replacement effort immediately. It will take a while to develop and update the nav system in place for at least 6 years. Finally CarPlay and Android Auto are solutions that are much more realistic and better alternatives.

Some like to light a candle while others curse the darkness.

 

Exactly - connect your phone via bluetooth and use whatever program you wish.

I do agree that TomTom is so 2005.

 

I just run Waze. Way better. Plus Subaru maps down here in Australia are a few years old.

 

That's why I (and many others) don't pay for navigation anymore, given the choice, since CarPlay is WAY better, and we have the choice of many different nav programs (Apple, Google, Waze, etc). And the Outback gives you the same instructions (dash and radio) as factory nav, which is great, so you don't lose any functionality at all with CP. Basically all factory nav systems are crap, and many years behind, even if 'up to date'.

 

Apple CarPlay or Android Auto is the way to go here.. You even have the option of offline maps with either Google Maps or Apple Maps for the times where you may be out of cellular range. There are other nav programs to choose from -- but Waze, Google Maps, and Apple Maps are probably the most used.

 

The Tom Tom navigation maps resident in the later model Outbacks DO show the roadways better when the system is actually being used for navigation. Otherwise, yes, it is impossible to tell which roadways cross the roadway you're using. Waze, Apple Maps, and Google Maps are the way to go for actual up-to-date navigation sources.

 

Wish there was a way to download the entire US on the phone, but at least with Apple maps, it has to be done by area, which is not very wide. So you might have to download several areas. But that worked great for me.
Will try for the 3rd time to download the newest map version shortly, and see if the stupid car finally doesn't throw an error. I'm using the same USB stick I used the first time, but this time the car asked for a code. Did everything text book, so we'll see. Plus will reboot the infotainment first, just in case. Will report back.

 

I have a wife and she can read a map. She can't fold one but she can read one.

Android Auto works great as well.

 

funny when i used to study maps before a trip I would rarely get lost or miss an exit..now Im like what do you mean stay in second left lane google maps..and why didnt you tell me to stay in the right when the hwy split..you get so focused on that stupid screen instead of actually reading the signs..I do anyways..what annoys me is there is no ability to adjust fonts in google maps..I have reading glasses, but im not blind..why is everything else so big yet my next move like the exit# on the screen is tiny!

 

It could be worse. It could use PA Dutch country logic:

"If ya go down this road a ways ya come to a fork and if ya stay to the right and go about two miles ya see the old grist mill. Ya don't want to do that though, ya want to keep left and then go a ways and take a right where Elam Stoltzfus' farm stand used to be and then you'll be pretty close dar oncest."

 

Well, tried to download the maps for the 4th time, and no dice. Everything done by the book, and same freaking error message. And yes, even rebooted the infotainment, and no difference. Used the same USB stick I used last time, but since it's metal, and gets HOT, maybe it got bad? So threw it away. Can one of you, who successfully downloaded the maps, post a link to the exact USB stick you used? To order it from Amazon, knowing it'll work. I think it has to be a USB3 64Gb, no? But looking forward to using one that for sure works. I remember having to buy 2 for a Hyundai too. Both were the same, but only one worked. Weird, but guess it happens. Thanks guys.

 

Can one of you, who successfully downloaded the maps, post a link to the exact USB stick you used? To order it from Amazon, knowing it'll work

This is the one I used with my 21. Amazon.com: SanDisk 64GB Ultra Flair USB 3.0 Flash Drive - SDCZ73-064G-G46, Black
You mentioned before that it was asking for a code. Did you try doing the challenge/response with the code on the screen? I had done it during the first map update, during the last one I did (in May last year) it asked again. The update worked after doing it. For what it's worth, I DID start having some trouble with the flash drive, I got it replaced by SanDisk/WD, but they did it without much fuss.

 

I would only use the factory navigation system as a backup in the event that I do not have enough cellular signal to run Google maps, waze, etc.

I don't understand why people are complaining about this because the overwhelming super majority of people use a smartphone based navigation system through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay which oh by the way is wireless now.

Are we just finding things to complain about for the sake of finding things to complain about at this point?

 

With my 2019 Legacy, Android Auto was very flaky and would crap out at the absolute worst times - eg: driving into St. Louis from East St. Louis and driving into the Chicago area! Very irritating BUT I always had my Legacy mapping set to my destination so I could quickly jump to that when Android Auto crapped out.
And that's why I feel naked without a backup nav.
FWIW

 

Living in the greater Portland region of Oregon, I find the built-in navigation system to certainly be adequate, if not good. That's not saying Google Maps and Apple Maps aren't better; they are simply because of their better and up-to-date databases. I tend to use the OEM Nav most of the time, because it just works well for my purposes.

 

Onboard built-in navigation maps are a legacy design in most industries, so I would not expect a big future investment from Subaru. The aviation industry learned this lesson ten years ago, so the auto industry can’t be far behind. American Airlines uses iPads for maps on all their airplanes, so it’s safe for us to use smart phones in our Outbacks.

 

Totally agree. Extremely disappointed.

 

Life is short.

Sell the car.

 

Learn to read a paper MAP!!! LOL!!!

 

And I do love that "Ignore" button.

 

Are you sure that the system is actually functioning as intended? Your description sounds nothing like the visuals on my 2018 3.5R Touring and I'm pretty certain that it is TomTom-based. Mine is quite easily read and followed although my map data is now non-current it still manages quite well. The voice prompts can be something of a PITA but it only gets really annoying when it is telling me to turn onto a road which bears four or five different route numbers/names and it just has to read every one of the out to me in full.

 

I have a 2024 outback limited and my previous was a 2018. And the 2024 is definitely much worse than the 2018. I used the old one frequently but have switched over to Google Maps with my new one. The thing that makes it unusable for me is the fact that hardly any roads have labels; and worse, many roads aren't shown at all, except at the highest magnification. When I'm driving around a neighborhood, I want to see all the roads and road names! Useless.

 

I have gone back to a 3rd party gps. No cell coverage where I work in forestry. Even localy near my house the have put phones in for calling 911. Lot of campgrounds near me so people get lost on the dirt roads all the time depending on live cell data.

 

I have a 14 year old Tom Tom in the trunk that I used back when I worked in Homeland Security - still works very well, though the maps are obviously ancient. That's my backup to my backup (Apple Carplay) that backs up the car's Tom Tom system.

Dunno how Tom Tom made a nav system for Subaru that's so flaky when they made numerous portable GPS units that were great. Methinks that the Subaru headunit/OS had a major impact on how the Tom Tom system was designed and would/could perform.

For some reason, my Outback's nav system reminds me of an Atari 5200. Jus' sayin'.....

 

After paying close to $50K for a new Outback Touring XT with about every option Subaru offers, we looked at the installed map. What a COMPLETE disappointment - this map company has provided Subaru with a completely POOR quality map - the roads are light lines on the map (almost impossible to see, no names on the roads, and the background of the map is whitish-pinkish - meaning VERY LITTLE, if any, background...Further, one cannot change the composition of the map but only make it lighter or darker - both of which were USELESS in creating a contrast so the roads can be seen!! REALLY DUMB Subaru. IF I try to use my phone GoogleMap, I lose the controls on the car's map system. There needs to be a COMPLETE upgrade, or give us a totally NEW map software!!!!!!
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Did they change from the older cars? I like the nav on my 2008 H6. Only thing I would improve on mine would be a larger screen.

 

Luckily, mine stopped working shortly after I bought it (2021 OB Onyx turbo). Waze, Apple Maps, and Google Maps do me just fine via Car Play.

 

Tom Tom's Amigo (free) navigation app for Android & Android Auto is really rather good.

 

Can’t get there from here.