Head unit with built-in nav still practical?

Hello all,

Going to update my head unit with a Kenwood or Pioneer head unit. I see both offer models with built in navigation. Question is, with Google maps and Waze via android auto, why would one want a unit with built in nav? Insight would be much apreciated? Looking at two Kenwood excelon models: Excelon DNX997XR or
Excelon DDX9907XR, or

$1,500 pioneer dmh-wt8600nex 10.1" digital multimedia receiver - wireless apple carplay, android auto, built-in bluetooth, wifi and amazon alexa, floating capacitive touchscreen, single-din

pioneer dmh-wt8600nex. Just need to decide if built in navigation is necessary.

 

With CarPlay or AA these days, I only see it as a backup inferior to a phone's GPS+live data plus augmented by reported P2P info, unless you depend on GPS for a living.

 

The only time I have used the built in nav is when I've been in extremely remote areas with no cell service. Google and Waze download their maps via data. No data = no map. You can download offline maps in Google maps and as long as you always remember to do that beforehand, you'll be fine.

 

I went down this road recently. I opted for a Kenwood with built in navigation even though I have Carplay.

First- I very often use the Navi to see where I am and look for back roads and going from job to job. This can be on my home screen at all times. I also have the turn by turn navigation on my center dash display. You don’t maintain that feature wirh carplay. And you can’t put google maps or Waze on your home screen. It’s only when you physically Go to Carplay.

Second- google and waze are only as good as your cell service. Spotty service will leave you with a very laggy navigation. The built in Garmin Navi is always there.

 

Same here I never want to be without Nav in strange lands and I even carry a backup Garmin dash unit in every car and for rentals.

If not tied to Cell Data Service or I could have all the maps with me all the time any other way then it might be different,but it also might not be?

If its not broken why fix it?!

 

You can download offline maps on google maps

 

Yeah if you think about it ahead of time thats the whole point of having a database onboard not dependent of a data connection

 

I like how they changed from 30d to 1y expiry last year. Area allowed is quite large too.

 

paying for built in nav is a waste of money IMO, even on aftermarket head units.

I purposely picked a kenwood with no nav, aa is more than fine using waze and google maps.

 

I have a Pioneer with built in nav. I also have a Garmin mounted in front of the shifter. The Garmin has so many advanced features in it compared to models from just a year or 2 ago. That thing loads fast too. The Pioneer isn't the fastest loader but still a descent system. I need to figure out how to update maps on it. The Garmin does it through wifi.

 

I was just thinking, doesn’t it sorta make more sense to buy a head unit without navigation and then just snag a Garmin unit which is cheaper and probably has more options?