Thread: OSM maps for South America and other places (with DEM)

My impression (based in years of use, in many states) of the maps for Brazil is:

The Tracksource is the best, specialty in roads but in cities too. By far is the more precise and the best coverage! Many places, streets, unpaved roads,… you will only find in it.

The CN has many errors in a lot of places if you not in the southeast Brazilian coast, and even in these areas it may take years before update any change in streets… The advantage of it, if you like, is many features (if you install properly the additional files and if you were in a major city); some may prefer it in cities only for these features… Other advantage, if you using the City Navigator South America is routing an international trip (if the coverage in these areas is good enough to allow it).

The Autoguia is the more professional map, maybe the best in covered areas; however, I don’t like the appearance. The Autoguia is all or nothing, in some cities is almost perfect, and in others only a major road with so large errors that it and nothing is the same! Is very usefull to have in SD Card because is the unique that really allow to search by address and postal code, but only in a covered area…

The OSM is the worse, but is the first to be updated if there were a new street. If you are not in a major city, forget it!

Hope been helpful!


Update:

After this answer, I decided review my impressions. The impressions above were take for years, in many places and states; what I say now is only around my home, about this month and half.

The Tracksource remains the more precise and best coverage, the only that has mapped all places I passed, and none place that I found in the others is missed! And, by far, the best in roads, unpaved roads, and minor or unpaved streets; only the OSM and CN show a little bit of they.

The OSM shows what I not found in Autoguia, and vice-versa. Very good coverage and precision, a real surprise to me! If I not have the Tracksource, it will be my choice!

The last place regards to Autoguia and Garmin City Navigator together:

Autoguia has some roads missed but not much. In coverage is equal the third, except for entire cities that it and nothing is the same; but still allowing search by address and postal code. The best precision in cities! But I still disliking its appearance...

Garmin City Navigator, for the imprecision in one of the roads (some kilometers in many places). The coverage is better than the two above, and may show unpaved roads. Rarely allows a imperfect search by adress; however, for be imperfect, more disturbs than help because this result may be jumbled with the Autoguia`s result.

Observation: my opinion that the three last is very close each other, so, the best may be decided by user preferences (mine is coverage and precision), or the specific case.

Other observation: my opinion is not above yours, fell free to disagree! This is a forum, a place to confront different opinions... (with education and respect, of course)