The 3D rendering comes across as gimmicky to say the least. Streetview will certainly go amiss with this replacement..
Street View is a fun gimmick and I'll miss that. It was only really useful for rare situations when I arrived somewhere and couldn't quite tell where I was. Sometimes scrubbing through Street View would save me some walking around.
The 3D maps are more useful for navigation than Street View. They give you a better feel for your environment.