New revelation.

It has taken me 18 months but after a 2000 mile trip I finally found something I do not like in my 2020 4Runner SR5. The GPS stinks.

 

Why not use google maps on your smartphone? If you have an iphone it will mirror your phone on the screen.

 

I use Waze on pavement and Gaia off.(through carplay) Work great!

 

I just had my grandson help me out with that and am now using WAZE. Not very tech savvy,

 

Awesome. you're going to love the carplay feature.

 

I thought it was only me. I hate mine too. My older 4Runner gps was far easier to use. I feel confident having everything on the sd card. If needs an update just a matter of removing the sd card and installing the new one.

My next biggest complain is with newer headunit you can't scroll forward on your music file. Only option is to go to next or previous track. With older headunit not only you can scroll on a track you can control everything with audio right from the steering without touching the headunit.

 

Now have him show you Gaia gps, it works well with carplay and will give you really good off road maps.

 

1 Have any one tried using a USB hub to connect phone and local music storage (like iPod classic) at the same time?

2 Can you use google maps and listen to music that is not on your phone?

3 Does the phone charge quick enough using carplay? (Don't want to have a low battery phone after a long drive.)
Don't want trouble of having a wireless charger to charge.

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Currently I use flush type fast charger to keep the phone at full charge on our trips and use regular headunit gps for navigation and local storage for music.
I used to have Garmin unit on my TRD ORP which was excellent for navigation & showing traffic. My kiddo and wife can continue to fight over music each want on the main head unit. (Sadly the dealer crashed it so no more have that luxury). Thinking to get Garmin outlander and fixit on a A-piller just like I had before.

 

1. No, I haven't
2. Yes, as long as its am/fm/sxm or your phone....if your ph is plugged into carplay those are your options. If its not, you can use Bluetooth.
3. Yes, no problem

 

CarPlay works great, assuming you have a cell service.

There are a lot of areas around me (Blue Ridge Parkway) that have no cell service, so the GPS is your only map option, other than staring at a blue dot on your cell phone.

 

Here in CO I will be out of cell service in no time. I think Google offline maps might help.(Haven't used phone maps on trips though)

 

If you use Gaia and download the maps(offline) for your area this is faaaar from true


on a side note itd be nice if OnX would make theirs compatible w/ carplay as well

 

Ok, I am trying to follow, what is CarPlay?

 

Using your phone charger cable plug in your phone to the USB under your headunit. The menus will guide you to setup for the first time. When completed your headunit will show the supported apps installed on your phone on your headunit. Works for both Apple phones and Android phones.

(This is a pic from Android auto using an Android phone. Apple carplay would be similar. Poor image quality I will blame on the iPhone 12..LoL)

 

As @Big B recommends, try the Gaia app on your iPhone. It’s got a free mode that works when you have a cellular network connection, but in order to download maps and run without a cellular connection you need to pay for a subscription.

I tried it and liked it so much I got a 5 year membership.

 

Google Maps lets you download the areas you want for offline viewing. Works great when you go through areas without cell service.

 

You download offlines maps for google maps as well. I have done this multiple times and have not had any issues.

 

Where do you get the updated SD cards for the maps? I've inquired about this at the dealer before, but never to any resolution.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Navigation-Latest-Update-86271-0E072/dp/B08QCYXYMB

 

This is true. But google won’t record your position as you drive, just shows your instantaneous position.
The beauty of Gaia is that it will record your track. So if you’re driving, or hiking or biking, you can set it to record a trace on the map so you have a record of it. And you can follow your track back to your origin, for example if you’re hiking off trail.

 

@kmeeg Thanks! Guess where my next $40 will be spent?

 

Where does the SD card go, not that I am getting one, just curious.

 

This is for pre-2020 option. Atleast I don't see that option.

 

Thanks.

 

Yep, I pretty much use it for all my outdoor pursuits now

 

I live in an area (Pisgah National Forest) with very limited or no cell service (you just get used to it), so no Apple Car Play, no Google Maps, no Apple Maps. An offline map app would be ideal.

The built in GPS in the 4Runner works pretty good, not super detailed top maps, but we rarely get lost and always know about where we are.

We see lots of tourists pulled over probably looking at a blue dot on their cell phones.