New Apple Maps Cars Spotted in Los Angeles

[macduke]

Subaru for life is what I thought when I saw this, too! I have the 2014 Impreza and it's crazy how slick these newer ones look.

Yeah I caught the bug a few years ago when we bought an Outback. A few months later a surprise ice storm happened during the day when I was at work. People were crashing everywhere. It was like black ice all over. I got my grandpa on speakerphone because they're long-time Subaru owners and he walked me through how to best operate it, such as what modes to activate and how to use the paddle shifters which I hadn't messed with. We have an in-home daycare and we had parents who had to stay at our house because they crashed their cars, including a Jeep, just trying to get to our house. Most slid past our house and down the street. The Outback turned into our driveway like a champ. It was definitely slipping but manageable. That really sold me on their system. I gave it another test a while later. We have this back road in town that is so steep that they put up road closed signs when it snows because it's that crazy. I decided to drive around the signs and power up it in the Outback. It didn't even flinch. Now, it is a pretty dangerous road, so I wouldn't dare go down it coming back because I could just crash into big trees at the bottom if it's not able to slow down. But going up was a piece of cake.

My wife and I really want to get an Ascent to haul our family around in. We only have two kids but my wife likes being able to drive around our relatives, some of them older, as well as friends and do things with them and we can't fit many people in our Outback. I don't see why we can't drive separate, but also like the idea of having something a little bigger. I like to do road trips and now that my kids are getting a little bigger I think we'll be able to do more without so many problems. The problem now is that I don't like to get car loans and there aren't any used ones out there yet. I always buy used with cash, usually five years old, which I've found to be the sweet spot for reliability and price if you do enough looking around and find a car in good condition. Someday I'd also like to get a WRX that's just my car, although that may end up being a Tesla instead depending how things shake out. Also I was kinda frustrated with some of the options on the Ascent, like cooled seats only being available on the top of the line Touring model. We have a Limited which I think is fancy enough, and I might even go down to the Premium. I just wish I could pay extra for the cooled seats only since I live in the Midwest where the temperature swings from -20F to 110F. But like I said, I ultimately decided not to get a car loan or new car for the first time in my life.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

My daughter and I are on the videos they took in Clermont FL, by Wawa - and then the next day on another road. I was all geeking out, and my daughter is like What Mother? Then I explained to her and she is like, so I can be in Maps one day???? Cool! LOL

We almost made it on a Google one in Santa Barbara a couple of years ago.

 

[dreyp82]

I wish Apple would improve their maps in Caribbean countries like Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad, St. Lucia etc. I prefer using Apple Maps over google when Im travelling to the USA but it would be nice to use it at home.

 

[BuddyTronic]

Street view. Sooner the better!

I truly agree. But was just thinking about it all - Apple should copy Google Maps nearly completely, and add a few extras. They should even copy the green android robot logo, but change the color and shape slightly and claim the whole thing is their innovation.

Then Apple should add a motto to their company policy saying "Don't Be Evil" - This would be good payback for the ludicrous "notch" copying that Google did on their latest phones, and it would be a bit funny too! Give them back their own medicine.

 

[nostresshere]

Louisiana is not even on the list....

READ the list information. It shows where they will be on certain dates. Maybe they already did LA...
[doublepost=1539291320][/doublepost]Now, if Apple would fine tune their feedback process. For almost three years near my house, it sent me 2 miles for what should have been across the street. I could probably push my car from point A to point B in less time. And these roads are at least 8 years old - maybe more. And, the roads were clearly visible on their map... but they wanted me to go the other way.

I sent them notifications and they apparently ignored them.

 

[crazyninja]

I had seen one of these a few weeks ago in Cincinnati. I didn’t see any markings on the driver side and was wondering what company it was for.

 

[djcerla]

Good.

Just this morning, in my car, I googled the name of a shop near my city to get directions quickly. So I obviously used G Maps as it is the default option in Google search. It couldn’t really find that place. Tried three times, thinking it was poor GPS, then switched to Apple Maps. Sure enough, it took me to destination in three turns.

 

[truthertech]

Like every stock app that comes pre-installed on the iPhone, the only way to upgrade it is upgrade the whole OS. That means a new iPhone every few years if you get addicted to Apple Maps. Google Maps on the other hand can be downloaded from the App Store anytime.

LOL. Your post Makes no sense. That's not how things work. Apple Maps is regularly updated in the iOS version updates, not several years apart.
[doublepost=1539302159][/doublepost]

READ the list information. It shows where they will be on certain dates. Maybe they already did LA...
[doublepost=1539291320][/doublepost]Now, if Apple would fine tune their feedback process. For almost three years near my house, it sent me 2 miles for what should have been across the street. I could probably push my car from point A to point B in less time. And these roads are at least 8 years old - maybe more. And, the roads were clearly visible on their map... but they wanted me to go the other way.

I sent them notifications and they apparently ignored them.

They've explained that some of those failures to update were the result of Apple being dependent on the underlying company's data. Now that they are finishing their own base map, they will have control over those updates.

 

[OliverTwisted]

I really like Apple Maps and I think it's improved a lot. I deleted spyware Google Maps.

It's all fun and games until you end up off-grid and wonder why Apple Maps doesn't let you download offline maps in advance -- like spyware Google Maps has been able to do for years. Let's not pretend Apple Maps is a serious GPS solution at this point.

The ability to not have to rely on a wireless signal at all times is pretty elementary stuff for the space Apple is trying to compete in here.

 

[Ghost31]

I dig Apple maps, but ever since I started really using google maps recently I realized it’s just no contest. When I search a place in Apple maps, it just shows where it is. When I search it in google maps, I get a plethora of information about the best times to go, if it’s busy right now, the hours, reviews that aren’t on freaking yelp. It’s just so much better

But kudos to Apple for upping their maps game. I still use it on my watch sometimes

 

[Feenician]

LOL. Your post Makes no sense. That's not how things work. Apple Maps is regularly updated in the iOS version updates, not several years apart.

And even more than that, maps is a network service. 99% of the value of the application comes from server side, which can be iterated on at any time.

 

[ryanwarsaw]

The whole apple maps thing is such a sad joke. They will never catch up or compete with google maps. Why not put that energy and money somewhere else?

Your comment is sad and misguided. Thankfully Apple can and will play catch up.They will have to have great maps when they move into the car market place in 2022.

 

[DJ-R]

Why does nobody else think that the lidar could be for their autonomous vehicle like what Cadillac’s engineers used for their supercruise? It makes perfect sense and Macrumors has ignored this possibility completely.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/360595/how-cadillac-super-cruise-stays-ahead-of-the-competition

They need a car that can run on all terrain AWD + LIDAR Safety first for such long journey, reliable car (usually Japanese, Korean, German cars). Sorry about the American cars quality.

 

[jonnysods]

I'm really hoping AM can get as good as GM. I'm getting a car with carplay later this month, I've used one before and I had to ditch the built in AM as it was making too many errors (around Melbourne Australia)

 

[ryanwarsaw]

They need a car that can run on all terrain AWD + LIDAR Safety first for such long journey, reliable car (usually Japanese, Korean, German cars). Sorry about the American cars quality.

Also they want their cars to have some prestige or be higher end just for the brand appeal. All US cars can do what their teams need to do. I think it is more of an image thing or possibly using companies like Subaru and Lexus who they may wish to forge a strategic partnership with later.

 

[robrat13]

I saw one last week in Pico Rivera (a suburb in Los Angeles county). I tend to use Apple Maps for most navigation, but have to resort to Google Maps for street views (I'm a realtor and many times it's a lifesaver!).

 

[halfapie]

Saw one a few weeks ago in Colorado.

 

[StyxMaker]

The new Apple maps are the most accurate as to the placement of my car, of any of the other maps I have used. A few days ago it correctly put me in the drive through lane at a fast food restaurant that was separated from the six lane thoroughfare by a sidewalk. And showed the route through the parking lot to get to the best exit back onto the street.

In a similar situation Navagon always put me on the street.

 

[StyxMaker]

Agreed. The other day, I got an alert about a lane closure ahead. Don’t think I’ve ever seen that on Apple Maps before.

Twice in the last couple of months, when I was driving north from Stockton to Sacramento, I’ve ignored Apple map’s determined efforts to switch me from I5 to 99. Both times I regretted my decision when traffic came to a complete stop and only inched forward for 20 to 30 minutes.

 

[StyxMaker]

The whole apple maps thing is such a sad joke. They will never catch up or compete with google maps. Why not put that energy and money somewhere else?

Because Apple has enough money to do this and everything else they decide to do.

 

[MrJeffreyGee]

Having been in bed with one of these drivers... Does that count as seeing the vehicle?

 

[400]

Think there is a market for an app, Apple Map car spotters guide?

 

[Noblesongster]

Why don't any mapping apps/platforms include traffic lights or stop signs? You've got to know that all of the images that they are taking include these but directions never include them. It would be helpful to have directions like "Turn left at the next traffic light which is Main Street."

Also, does anyone know how to give feedback to Apple on the pronunciation of street names? They definitely need some help there.

 

[kylelucas]

I use Apple Maps for both transit and driving directions in Chicago. Far superior to the directions I get from Google Maps. However, I still have to use Google Maps for cycling directions. I'm (impatiently) waiting for Apple to support cyclists so I can finally delete Google Maps.

 

[Neepman]

The new Apple maps are the most accurate as to the placement of my car, of any of the other maps I have used. A few days ago it correctly put me in the drive through lane at a fast food restaurant that was separated from the six lane thoroughfare by a sidewalk. And showed the route through the parking lot to get to the best exit back onto the street.

In a similar situation Navagon always put me on the street.

Respectfully you should not use a map function for driving that close-in, you should be watching the road and pedestrians.