Road Tripping with OnStar's Turn-by-Turn Navigation
by Courtney Caldwell
ROAD & TRAVEL Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Courtney Caldwell, took her grandsons on an adventure — a good old-fashioned road trip where they explored a variety of locations without getting lost thanks to Onstar’s Turn by Turn Navigation.
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One of the first things we did as we set out on our journey was become familiar with our new onboard partner and adviser, OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn navigation system. We named our invisible friend Jack, after my father, who was known as the go-to guy in our family for great advice. By giving the OnStar voice a name, it also provided a fun way to easily talk to Johnathan and Jake’s about their great-grandfather; a wonderful man they never knew but surely would have loved for his unique character.
I also loved Jack because he made my grandsons laugh. When Jack speaks you must listen and let him finish before answering. Not being the most patient person, I often stepped on Jack’s questions with my too-soon answer. He would then start over because he couldn’t understand my response when I interrupted. The boys got a big kick out of Jack’s ability to shut me up. I learned quickly not to interrupt. It soon became very apparent that having Jack on board kept us safe, in sync and on schedule, not to mention entertained.
OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn navigation blew me away with such accuracy that I never once had to refer to my Mapquest directions, which had been so painstakingly plotted out before the trip. Unlike other navigation systems where you punch in the destination and then a map pops up on your dashboard, which requires you to take your eyes off the road, the OnStar system is far simpler. All that’s required is going to Mapquest.com on your computer, type in your first five destination addresses, click on the OnStar link, which is on the Mapquest page, and the five destinations are then plugged into your OnStar-equipped vehicle.
Before driving off you press a button on your rearview mirror that has a picture of a phone on it. An automated female voice comes on (which we named Rita) that says “Virtual Advisor.” You say which destination you want first, established from the list of five addresses that you placed in Mapquest, and then Turn-by-Turn creates your route from your current location. Jack then comes on to announce which way to go, how far, how long, which exit, everything you need to keep you pointed in the right direction. What was particularly impressive, especially with my bad memory, is that Jack lives in the moment by disbursing only ‘need-to-know’ as-you-go directions.
Should you go off route, Jack announces that you’re off the route and asks if you want to be rerouted. Let’s say you unexpectedly visit an attraction that’s off the beaten track, one that wasn’t on your itinerary. Turn-by-Turn recognizes immediately any deviations made from your current directions and comes back on to ask if you’d like new directions. If you say yes, it retrieves new directions from your new location so you never have to worry about getting lost or taking detours. Even if you miss one of the designated exits Turn-by-Turn will find the shortest and safest route to get you back on track. You never have to take your eyes off the road. All you have to do is listen! And men, hear this, you’ll never be forced to ask for directions again.
I’ve always been impressed with OnStar, which now comes standard on all new 2008 GM vehicles, because of its numerous capabilities such as accident notification to local authorities no matter where your accident happens and whether you’re conscious or not, unlocking doors if keys, kids or pets are locked inside, email notifications of when you need oil changes and other mechanical notices, hands-free phone service, and the ability to call and speak with a live OnStar advisor anywhere, any time, to ask for locations of things in cities in which you’re unfamiliar. Turn-by-Turn, however, really takes the driving experience to a whole new level. It is by far the most user-friendly in-vehicle navigation interface I’ve ever used or tested in a vehicle to date.
One of our stops included a visit to New England to visit family members that the boys had never met before. There, a 75-year old aunt asked how we mapped out the trip. I told her about OnStar and before I could finish, she snapped, “I don’t want to hear about all those new complicated electronic things in cars today. They’re just too confusing and I’m too old to learn.” So instead of trying to explain further, I walked her out to the Acadia, made her sit in the passenger seat, and pushed the little button on the rearview mirror. The voice said ‘Virtual Advisor.” I named one of our destinations and then Jack came back with the directions a minute later. My aunt just sat there with her mouth agape, “Well, I’ll be damned,” she said. “That easy?” Need I say more? Yes, that easy.
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Did You Know?
Learn more about OnStar's Turn-by-Turn Navigation. |
