What Happened To 3 Year Map And Connected Services Updates?

[Bumblebee]

As the title says. I have a 2016 Gen 4 Prius Excel, which features the Touch 2 With Go. I used to be able to get map and connected services (traffic via internet etc) for thee years, but now I only see 1 year updates on the My Toyota E-Store. Have they stopped offering 3 year updates and services, or am I missing something. Thanks.

[HughL]

No longer offered: I contacted Toyota about this and was told not enough demand....

[Bumblebee]

Thanks Hugh. At least now I know. At about £199 (if memory serves) it was never good value for money, but £119 for only one year is even less value.

[BhxTrev]

11 hours ago, Bumblebee said:

Thanks Hugh. At least now I know. At about £199 (if memory serves) it was never good value for money, but £119 for only one year is even less value.

I also have a 2016 Prius with out of date maps but at £119 per year to update them, I have no intention of doing so. Toyota seem to be doing their level best to encourage people like me to look at other marques that seem to be more UK friendly than Toyota is now proving to be! 

[HughL]

Personally, I'm frustrated to have just missed the opportunity to buy a 3-year update. So not happy but I can live (reluctantly) with the annual charge. It's not enough to make me switch brands and it doesn't change that (for me) this is overall still the cheapest car to run I've ever owned, by a big margin. Hoping that when I come to swap the car I'll be able to afford one recent enough to have Android Auto and bypass the whole issue. 

[Bumblebee]

I decided to take the hit for a one rear subscription. Sticking my phone on the windscreen, or anywhere near my eyeline, doesn't appeal to me. Whichever car I buy next has to have carplay or android too.

[HughL]

Same here. The cradle always seems to come unstuck when I need it most. And you get the online services included: the traffic info and delay rerouting work well enough in my experience. It's a minor nuisance that the tethering is through bluetooth and not WiFi. And the update can take a while if you are loading lots of countries.

I get to drive a 2022 Prius in the US and a 2022 Yaris Cross here sometimes. Both have Android Auto and it is very neat once you get the hang of it.

[Guest]

I have no idea how a virtual product, sold online can be removed due to 'low demand'. Surely after the 15 minutes of adding it to the site, it can be left there year on year as long as the updates exist and even if one person buys it and most opt for the 1 year package it won't cost them anything extra. Sounds like an excuse.

As mentioned 3 years = £199 , 1 year = £119 ... sounds like more profit. 

[Yugguy1970]

Yeah it's all money.

I've bought one year.  I don't need the added extras so I will likely not do this again for a few years.

I don't like google so don't use Android Auto.

[Roy124]

It is entirely a cost/benefit equation.  If you rarely leave your local area the benefit is low.  If you are making just one long out of area a new road map may do the trick.

Remember though, the most recent Toyota map update is likely to be 6 months out of date.

Even without the update,  you should still get traffic alerts. 

If you do want up to date mapping Google or Waze are the way to go.  Our home was on the maps but the post code was not associated.   Within a week Wazz had updated the map.

The next Toyota update had our road.   It was only after the following update that Toyota caught up.

Toyota was not alone.   Most delivery vehicles did not recognise our post code either.

[HughL]

I'm not sure if you can get the live traffic info any longer without a subscription. You used to be able to, via the TMC option: this delivered traffic info over independent local radio RDS. However, the traffic data supplier, TrafficMaster, has stopped providing the service to local radio stations and there are reports from drivers of other makers (VAG, Mazda, Honda) as well as Toyota that it's no longer available. The alternative is using the internet traffic info in the connected services and I think that is part of the subscription. Don't know how this affects newer cars which have built-in data and their own SIM card.

Or just use your phone. 

[HughL]

Quote

2 hours ago, Yugguy1970 said:

[...]

I don't like google so don't use Android Auto.

 

Friend with a Yaris Cross has the Apple Car Play equivalent on hers. Seems pretty similar to me as a causal user but she uses Google Maps rather than Apple Maps.

[Joseph D]

20 hours ago, HughL said:

Friend with a Yaris Cross has the Apple Car Play equivalent on hers. Seems pretty similar to me as a causal user but she uses Google Maps rather than Apple Maps.

Your friend might want to look at Apple maps again.  The latest release in really quite usable now.  I use it almost exclusively now, because like Guy (Yugguy1970), I avoid google products.

[Harters]

20 hours ago, HughL said:

I'm not sure if you can get the live traffic info any longer without a subscription. You used to be able to, via the TMC option: this delivered traffic info over independent local radio RDS. However, the traffic data supplier, TrafficMaster, has stopped providing the service to local radio stations and there are reports from drivers of other makers (VAG, Mazda, Honda) as well as Toyota that it's no longer available. The alternative is using the internet traffic info in the connected services and I think that is part of the subscription. Don't know how this affects newer cars which have built-in data and their own SIM card.

Or just use your phone. 

I have not updated my maps since the last free one which I think was when the car was 3 years old.  The car is now over six years old and I still get notifications of traffic jams and delay times when I have the route guidance on.  I guess that must just come via the radio signals?

[HughL]

 

On 8/10/2023 at 1:26 PM, HughL said:

You used to be able to, via the TMC option: this delivered traffic info over independent local radio RDS. However, the traffic data supplier, TrafficMaster, has stopped providing the service to local radio stations and there are reports from drivers of other makers (VAG, Mazda, Honda) as well as Toyota that it's no longer available.

 

4 hours ago, Harters said:

...  I guess that must just come via the radio signals?

Apologies: I'm only partly right about this; it's a bit more complicated than I first thought, but the situation is better than I thought.

As well as the discontinued Traffic Master service, traffic data is also provided to radio stations by ITIS (formerly Inrix) and that data is still being provided over Classic FM (it works in the background; you don't have to be tuned to Classic). So the TMC service seems still to work, at least in some cars. It looks like the manufacturer licenses the data and Toyota has had licenses with Inrix in the past. So non-internet traffic info may still available and free to use: some Toyota owners have nevertheless reported problems though. It does seem still to be working in my 2016 Prius BusEd+ as of this morning. So yes, we could still be getting info from the classic FM RDS.

Sorry if I've caused any confusion.

[TonyHSD]

Best way to navigate is to use Google maps on a smartphone you have probably already own., or any other app that you like and prefer.
Built in cars sat navs are not as good or as easy to operate as those in a smartphone. Plus the smartphone can have better traffic updates over mobile data etc.  The smartphones has faster processing speeds and can faster and effortlessly find a new route if you miss your turn or take the wrong exit. If the screen is too small upgrade of the car system or screen to accommodate Apple car play and android auto is the only worth doing it. 
Another reason not to upgrade a factory navs on older cars is network compatibility, from 2024 some networks in UK will stop supporting it.
Here 

3G

Yes – You currently have service

We're phasing out our 3G network and will switch it off completely by the end of 2024. So, while you can use 3G for calls, texts, and mobile internet at the moment, in the future, there will be no 3G coverage available. This will affect your service if 4G and 5G aren’t available in your area.

 

Some older cars can not support 4G or 5G standards and their navs or any connected services will be no longer available. 
Your phone, your way, either on its own or via car screen. 👍

[HughL]

 Fortunately on my Prius, and I believe on some others, the internet connectivity is through a bluetooth connection to a phone and not built-in to the car, so the 3G switch-off isn't going to affect it.