> Get the Android Auto app and patch away the notification. It's just an app, after all. Running on your own hardware.

So we're in agreement that the official app sucks, right? If the solution is "Well you can just patch it," then there is a problem.

And BTW, how do I patch it and run it on an unrooted phone? Is there a community version I can install and use that sucks less?

> So your default car navigator can do everything in your list, including launching a non-default app from your phone? That's some mighty car navigation system.

Why is the alternative my default car navigation system? [1]

What did people do before they had Android Auto? Not use the phone at all?

One alternative is what I had in my old car: An aftermarket Bluetooth receiver, and a phone holder to hold the phone. The Bluetooth receiver was better for all things audio, and the phone on a phone holder didn't consume so much battery even when not plugged in. And the Waze experience was better. I would have thought a larger screen would make for easier navigation, but I now know it doesn't - the phone screen was large enough. I'll grant that stuff like Pocketcasts on AA is a bit more ergonomic than the bare phone, but when AA comes with so much painful baggage, it's not worth it.

And that's why some people I know actually go this route - disable AA, and use a vanilla phone holder with the in-built car's Bluetooth. Sadly, they cannot (easily) install that Bluetooth receiver - that's an indictment of the car manufacturer.

This isn't a great solution, but it's saying much when it's superior to AA.

[1] Incidentally, the car navigation system is actually quite good!