Is the Nokia G42 good for calls and maps?

Yes — the Nokia G42 should be good enough for someone who mainly needs calls and maps.

For that use case, it has a few practical strengths:

• Its battery should be sufficient for a day of light use, including navigation.
• It has basic but capable performance for calling, texting, and map apps.
• It supports 5G, which can help with faster data where coverage is available.
• Its repair-friendly QuickFix design may help if you want a phone that is easier to maintain over time.

A few things to keep in mind:

• It is still a budget phone, so it is not ideal if you want a very fast or premium experience.
• Screen brightness and size can matter in a car mount, especially in direct sunlight.
• Using GPS navigation and charging at the same time can make any phone warm up, so ventilation helps.

Bottom line: if the goal is mainly calls and maps, the G42 is a sensible, affordable choice. If you want, I can also compare it with a couple of similarly priced alternatives.