google maps or waze?

[futureman 22324]

I have always used google maps but I know some people prefer waze.  I tried it briefly but didn’t care for the interface and deleted it.  just curious if anyone has strong opinions either way.  can waze do anything that google can’t?

[Zepol87 9015]

The only time I use waze is for road trips really. Always had good luck with people pointing out the cops on the road 

[South Austin 51409]

I use Waze to get to your mom’s house.

[TwiceHorn 30715]

Waze has always used the google maps engine and is now actually owned by google.  So, from a map data and directions standpoint, I think they're identical.

Waze has more "social features," which includes traffic cop information.  And some other social media type stuff that is probably sort of millenial oriented.  And the cartoonish interface, at least last time I used it.

Edited November 25, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[52-80 18962]

tried it multiple times but dont understand the appeal.  it has cartoonish graphics that may be better for hard of seeing, but the features and total web integration is so much poorer than google. 

 

the speed camera mapping is mildly useful, but i think the social aspect of marking other wazers on the road is fake.  the only possible reason to want to use it, is if you use an iphone and dont want google to track your every location

[Jerry Callo 8626]

I like Waze and use it almost every time I go somewhere.  Google may have the same features, but I like the speed limit/MPH window, the ease of choosing different routes, and police reports.  UK Kate has a sexy voice, too.

[cactusflinthead 26791]

Waze was cool when it had Elvis giving directions. It might do a better job of giving out speed trap info. Maybe. Google has speed trap heads up too. I definitely prefer the maps interface.

[UnivTex34 1762]

For mapping and planning, I use the Googs.

 

but the amount of money Waze has saved me on highways with police warnings is substantial. As stated, their UI is not my favorite, but couple Waze with a good radar detector and you will only be stopped in areas with zero cell coverage or because you were being very reckless. I’m also in their beta program, so I’m a very long time user.

[RDCanecutter 25767]

I use the sun and stars.

[elfenix 34000]

iirc google maps pulls in the speedtrap data from waze.  or, at least, they were about to.  cops were bitching about it pretty hard. 

[4th&Five 41055]

 

[hornian 5153]

I pretty much only use Waze on road trips. I turned on the Cookie Monster voice for a road trip with the kids last year on Waze. I forgot about it until the next time I used Waze, and it made me laugh. Now I just permanently have the Cookie Monster give me directions. 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4956]

My google maps app has speed limits and speed traps listed. The only real advantage to Waze I can see is changing the voice.

[NWBuck 8511]

Big Mandalorian fan.

Consequently, it is the Waze.

[Buzzrock 14775]

12 hours ago, UnivTex34 said:

For mapping and planning, I use the Googs.

 

but the amount of money Waze has saved me on highways with police warnings is substantial. As stated, their UI is not my favorite, but couple Waze with a good radar detector and you will only be stopped in areas with zero cell coverage or because you were being very reckless. I’m also in their beta program, so I’m a very long time user.

Or rural areas where there aren’t enough people reporting the speed traps. 

[CooterBrown 17695]

For a short time a few years ago, Google Maps was using Waze in the background. It would constantly piss me off by trying to route a complicated path on minor streets to save 2 minutes over an hour drive. I guess enough people complained that they stopped that shit after a few months. I’d never used Waze before and never will after experience.

[UnivTex34 1762]

2 hours ago, Buzzrock said:

Or rural areas where there aren’t enough people reporting the speed traps. 

I drive quite a bit in rural west Texas, and this is seldom an issue. Although, in rural places like that, the police are typically moving and using radar, and not stationary using laser. 

[Buzzrock 14775]

31 minutes ago, UnivTex34 said:

I drive quite a bit in rural west Texas, and this is seldom an issue. Although, in rural places like that, the police are typically moving and using radar, and not stationary using laser. 

Must be a North Georgia thing. 

[elfenix 34000]

290, houston to austin, waze alerted me to every railroad crossing next to the highway today.  didn't alert me to the one i actually drove over in giddings.  wtf.  

[Jerry Callo 8626]

Yeah.  I don't get the RR crossing alert.  I've made it 50 years without getting run over by a train, I think I got this.

[TonyTexas 10378]

On 11/26/2020 at 6:49 AM, CooterBrown said:

For a short time a few years ago, Google Maps was using Waze in the background. It would constantly piss me off by trying to route a complicated path on minor streets to save 2 minutes over an hour drive. I guess enough people complained that they stopped that shit after a few months. I’d never used Waze before and never will after experience.

During the Harvey aftermath, traffic on Houston's west side was a nightmare due to road closures and traffic light outages. Waze would take me on these complicated routes through residential neighborhoods that worked great for a few days. But Waze would direct so many drivers on these routes that they  became extremely congested as well. 

[markstanco 12424]

  the only possible reason to want to use it, is if you use an iphone and dont want google to track your every location

.

[George 487]

You can turn off the stupid pot hole and rr alerts. 

[jimmyjazz 45055]

On 11/25/2020 at 4:50 PM, Jerry Callo said:

I like Waze and use it almost every time I go somewhere.  Google may have the same features, but I like the speed limit/MPH window, the ease of choosing different routes, and police reports.  UK Kate has a sexy voice, too.

Google shows MPH limit almost 100% of the time.  Sometimes it seems to disappear, but I don't know if it would do the same on Waze.

Neither seems to reliably capture reduced speed limit for road work, etc., which isn't surprising.

[Hate 20037]

290, houston to austin, waze alerted me to every railroad crossing next to the highway today.  didn't alert me to the one i actually drove over in giddings.  wtf.  

I sincerely hope you weren’t that fucker camped in the left lane in between Giddings and Brenham.

[elfenix 34000]

3 hours ago, Hate said:

I sincerely hope you weren’t that fucker camped in the left lane in between Giddings and Brenham.

fuck no.  that was a cr-v.  

[Armybrat 40464]

We just use Waze to see how bad/long the traffic backup is on the highway.

[Scraps 13461]

waze all day long

[gyroprotagonist 2591]

i use waze when i absolutely positively want to make a left-hand turn across a 6 lane busy road and sit at the intersection for a while

[horn4life 3748]

Waze simply for the police reports.  I usually use an earbud in my ear for the Waze, simply as I do not need the music to cutoff for every "object in the road ahead."  But I am very interested in not getting a ticket if I can avoid it.  I like to drive fast, and a little heads up with Waze and alert eyes help a lot.

Waze does sometimes do some weird fucking rerouting.  It's because if traffic starts to screw up and a couple locals make it across the back way, it may reroute you.  I fucking hate Apple maps as it seems to always do something dumb about every third trip. I tend to always want to look at the actual location and the streets around it to sort of know where the destination is when I am getting close.  When the Apple map screws up it's usually in the last half mile.  Appleplay, the blessing and the curse.

Edited November 30, 2020 by horn4life

[MagicSoccerSpray 1725]

Waze, not close.

[tx 3 putt 74768]

Is there a way to only turn on audio for police reports ?

[HiggyBaby 2489]

I tried Waze a few times and use Google Maps exclusively now. My primary gripe with Waze was it got too short cut happy in traffic. Exit here, don’t exit here, turn left, no go straight. I remember one time working across three lanes of traffic to make an exit only to be told to stay on the main road once I had already gotten in the exit lane. And the social aspect was neat in concept but it required too much of my attention.

[markstanco 12424]

My primary love for Waze iscthat it gives short cuts in traffic. I have never heard it say go left, no go straight and i drive 50k a year and havr used it for 4ish years. Just last week i was heading east from Dallas to txk on 30 and it instructed me to get off on caddo mills, go under the interstate and take a right on the feeder. The feeder on the other side was JAMMED and the side they suggested was rolling 55. Saved about 15 minutes.

Google maps is good for business searches. Waze is good for traffic and travel and its not even close.

[Lat22 3941]

Waze.  I'm not a big speeder so the police reports don't really save me.  What has absolutely saved me a few times are "object in the road" alerts.  I'm not talking about little pieces of tire.  I'm talking ladders and weed eaters.  Big stuff that would have fucked me up.

[NoName 16196]

On 11/27/2020 at 8:06 PM, jimmyjazz said:

Google shows MPH limit almost 100% of the time.  Sometimes it seems to disappear, but I don't know if it would do the same on Waze.

Neither seems to reliably capture reduced speed limit for road work, etc., which isn't surprising.

IIRC Waze has some customization around what it shows on the speed limit screen area and it always shows your speed when looking at it in addition to being better in my experience for that reduce speed limit because users can submit speed changes.

i assume that filters over to Google Maps but not sure how long it takes between Waze "approving" the change and Google Maps showing it