Ash83

thx !!!!

snagitseven

If you're referring to the Google Earth overlay, it is not a separate map, it's a visual photographic image showing on top of the nav's map. It shows routes and traffic, navigates, moves the screen and scales much like the standard map. It's always caching about a 20 mile radius of your location and will not update unless you change to an uncached scale or move outside of the radius. The Google Earth cache memory is a predetermined amount - you can check the overall Audi Connect data usage in the MMI, most of which will usually be from Google Earth if you drive outside of your area much. (Also, the in car wifi hotspot can be a data hog).

The MMI Nav Plus internal map and POIs are static and can only be updated to a later version by the dealer. The Google Earth overlay and Online Destination POIs, are however, dynamic and will reflect any changes made by Google as it loads to the car from the internet.

Note that if a Google online destination is located on a new street that is not in the car's internal database, although you can see the location and the new street in the Google Earth overlay, the nav will not be able to create a route to that destination as it won't know the street exists in the static on-board map database.

Also, when in Google Earth, the 3-D city building graphics of the standard map (at map scale100 yds. or closer) will not show. Instead you get a 2D "squashed" photographic overhead view, even if the 3D map setting is chosen. So, I'd call the Audi Google Earth overlay "Google Earth Lite" or Google Satellite" - more like a computer's Google Map Satellite overhead view with the option of a "3D" map tilt.

drvai

Awesome explanation! Much more clear. So to be honest, the internet connection in the car doesn't give you much. Just the "coolness" of having google maps and a slow wifi hotspot.

I understand that the weather reports, gas prices, traffic, etc.. comes from Sirius.

superswiss

weather reports, gas prices etc. come all from the Internet. Only Traffic comes from SiriusXM. In addition to what you listed above, you get Google Local searches and the ability to send destinations from Google Maps on your computer directly to the car, so you don't have to enter them by hand. The latter is what I use it for the most. I have Google Earth overlays turned off. I prefer the standard maps. The standard map gives more details like POIs on the map etc.

snagitseven

I think you may have missed some of my post. As Superswiss noted, everything, except the internal limited POIs and standard map, comes from Audi Connect and the internet. Traffic is the only data service that arrives via Sirius satellite with a 4 year free subscription on a new Nav Plus Audi (Sirius radio is a separate subscription after the 3 month trial). The Google online destinations alone, which are far more numerous and up to date than the internal database, are to me, worth the price of the Audi Connect admission. Street view, Send to Car, gas prices, events, news, weather, parking lot availability, Google Earth, hot spot, etc. are the gravy.

Tman007

Thanks (belated), snagitseven & superswiss, for these thorough explanations - very helpful!