Because built-in GPS is terrible. I recently bought a 2016 Mercedes-AMG vehicle that has sat nav as standard(on non-AMG models it's a $1000 (!!!!!!) option). The satnav is made by Garmin, and it's just awful. Truly horrible in terms of speed, usability, and it only gets updates once a year(you get a new SD card when you go for the annual service).
In the meantime, my TomTom 5000 satnav is still unbeaten - free lifetime upgrades, clear, fast interface, free and constant internet connection in every country of the world, with accurate traffic and speed camera updates. And it only cost me ~$250 new.
I just don't understand why anyone would get a built-in satnav over a dedicated device.
- The car model probably had the first iteration of Garmin satnav solution for in-dash car infotainment systems. Garmin's architecture was basically built for PNDs(dedicated device) based of their own internal custom OS. This was quickly ported to support in dash infotainment market. I am sure consequent releases got better in performance and usage.
- Garmin solution is optimized to perform well based on available resources. SD card read writes, low memory requirements, and other resource restrictions are accountable for the slow performance as well.
I am not trying to defend but just want to share the challenges that Garmin faced while they tried to gain market share. I am confident that their solutions will get better with time and deliver better user experience and innovation in the car.
In the meantime, my TomTom 5000 satnav is still unbeaten - free lifetime upgrades, clear, fast interface, free and constant internet connection in every country of the world, with accurate traffic and speed camera updates. And it only cost me ~$250 new.
I just don't understand why anyone would get a built-in satnav over a dedicated device.