I just got home from an overnight shopping route. I used Streets & Trips to plan the route and it calculated 379.7 miles. I reset the trip odometer when I left home and the actual mileage was 458.9. Granted there was a dinner shop and the hotel which I did not have on the route, but those only added 17.3 miles. That's still 62 miles unaccounted.

To double check, I entered a route that I knew driveway to driveway was exactly 120 miles. Streets and trips calculated it at 106.4. I made sure that the route was the exact route I follow.

It's a useful tool, but don't accept its mileage as absolute truth.

Never used it, and I guess I never will. for me it is mapquest and/or my garmin GPS.

I'm more comfortable with Streets and Trips as far as using it to plan a route. Maybe I ought to mapquest the same 120 mile route and see what the mileage turns out to be.

I just tried the same route with Mapquest. It gave the same mileage error as Streets and Trips.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/2013 08:23PM by James Bond 007.5.

Maybe it thinks you're a crow?

Do you have the right size tires on your car? If your tires are slightly smaller than the odometer is calibrated for it will read higher than it should. And you wouldn't be driving as fast as you think you are.

I've made this trip with three different vehicles since 1988. I haven't had more than a half mile variance between the three vehicles.

did you check with google maps? I've never had a problem with it.

Maybe you need to tell it you're driving, not flying? LOL

I am doing 3 shops on Friday. I will use the Mapquest route and compare the mileage. I use mapquest to determine my gas costs before I accept a shop and if the mileage is wrong I need to make adjustments for that.

Last time I used mapquest it put my house out in Lake Erie and I don't have a house boat. I pay no attention to that anymore.

I don't use mapquest. I prefer google maps and then bing maps

I use Mapquest to print back up directions in case my GPS dies but I set my trip meter at the start of each route and THAT is what goes on my spreadsheet. I have not found mapquest to be off more than a few miles.

The Mapquest app use to have an option to access maps created on the computer. They took that away, but I still make them on the computer first so I have a large map to look at and can make changes or revisions. I am very lucky to have a good sense of direction and after viewing a map can often remember details that save my arse down the line.

In addition to the total PITA of having to input the route directly on the phone, lately I have been frustrated because the route that comes up on the app is often different than the one on the computer and can be downright stupid. Today instead of going to a stoplight and turning left onto the same street as my target business it wanted me to turn left a block early with no light, go down two blocks to make a right and then make a second left. WTF?

As to which is better, Google maps or Mapquest, I will say they both take me out of my subdivision the same route and both could not be more wrong. The most direct route is three right turns which puts me on the outer road of the interstate and allows a simple merge to the left. Both want me to make two rights and a left onto a street where the cross traffic does not stop. That takes me to the outer road where I would then need to cut straight across two lanes of traffic going 45 plus mph to get to the on ramp of the interstate

I mapped out my route for Fridays shops using both mapquest and google maps. once I got them to agree on the same route there was only a 1.3% difference in the mileage - 37.48 miles with Mapquest and 38.0 miles with Google maps. On friday i will follow this route and report on my odometer reading.

It seems mileage between the two is comparable, but travel time can vary widely. About 18 months ago Google said it would take me around 8 1/2 hours from Fargo, ND to Omaha, NE and Mapquest had it at 6 1/2 hours. Mapquest was closest.

you can set the speed you are going to drive out on there as well. They use different methods.

Regardless of all these mapping systems...the best app to use when you are actually driving is Waze, available on all smartphone platforms. It is the most comprehensive cloud based traffic data that routes you instantly and in real time based on real time reports from drivers on the road.

Take a look at it online...

By far the best gps routing app out there and it's free...

I did try it and a year ago did not like it at all. There was too much on it and I found it distracting. At that time there was no option to create a map on the PC and access it from the app either.

They redesigned the app since then.....and I guess one may argue that it may be geared toward the tech crowd but it is the #1 routing app now on both platforms outside of google nav.

Being the #1 app and geared toward the tech crowd are not selling points for me. I appreciate technology, but have no love affair with it or a need for the latest and greatest. It has to suit my needs and be easy enough to use without a huge learning curve. I am certainly smart enough for most of it so it is my complete lack of patience that becomes the deciding factor

My use of Mapquest is primarily to get the mileage info so I can estimate my gas costs before applying for a shop. I was concerned when the OP mentioned that the mapping software he uses and his cars odometer was so far off. I at least now know that mapquest and Google maps provide similar results in that regard. Friday I will know how they compare to my odometer.

I just plotted my usual route when I go to visit family in CT. Streets & Trips is within 10 miles on a 775 mile route. I don't understand what's happening.

I have a route to do today and I just whipped out my PAPER map on the dining room table and got a good visualization of where each place was. I went to my list of places to go to and then numbered them as to which I would do first, second, third etc. If I have a choice I go to the farthest place first whenever possible and work my way back so when I'm done it's the shortest distance home. I can also take that nice trusty paper map with me and consult it if there's an accident or other obstruction.

Sometimes old school works best. On a route last Friday there were internet issues. Neither mapping app would load or the e-mail that a scheduler sent which included a link to directions. Apparently he didn't understand when I explained internet was the problem.

I stopped at a gas station and got directions.

I sometimes printout the Streets and Trips route for a trip. I then enter each stop, including motels, into my old Garmon GPS and set my trip odometer to zero. At the end of a 600+ mile trip the divergence between the Streets and Trip estimate and actual mileage was small enough to be entirely accounted for by 4 short detours to find fuel and lunch. Have been doing this for year.

@cettie: the waze app will route you around the accident, traffic, construction, tire in the road, hitchiker and any other obstruction preventing you from getting there fastest.

@Lisastl: google allows you to download your maps offline onto your phone in case that happens.

I agree with walesmaven that I've never seen a significant different between routed mileage and actual mileage driven for the route. If there was and you were using the app to navigate at some point it would have to be off since the miles wouldnt add up.

So I did my short route today and followed the exact route that Mapquest and Google Maps showed me. My odometer read 37.7 miles while Mapquest had it at 37.48 miles and with Google maps had it at 38.0 miles. my conclusion from this experiment is that
mapquest or Google maps can be used to calculate mileage and is fairly accurate. As for the OP I can only conclude that he did not follow the exact same route as his mapping software used or that his odometer reading is faulty.