What sat nav system??

[ArcticFox77]

Hi, i'm thinking of buying one and i want to know what price they start from and if the cheap ones are any good. Also what price are mid range ones?? I don't want to pay too much for one and i don't know the kind of prices for sat nav. A system with a voice would be good and detailed street maps would be handy, doesn't have to have touch screen. Just one that's capable of getting me from A-B, but could be handy to get me from Scotland down to England in the odd occasion.

Thanks.

Depends how much you want to spend, I really like Garmin devices over TomTom.

Garmin StreetPilot i3 is loaded with uK & Ireland and does voice guidance and full postcode address search. It does not have a touch screen and because of this is really cheap. You operate it with a scroll wheel that goes up and down. If you are looking for one for £150 to £200 then this has to be the one.

On the other hand there is a Garmin Nuvi, this is touch screen and has a larger screen but is really pocketable still. The mount is really neat and not bulky like a crappy TomTom one. You can get a 300 with UK and Ireland pre-loaded or a 350 with all of Europe, £300 and £400 respectively. The Nuvi also gives you an MP3 player, audio book player and a couple of other accessories. Check out Garmin.com for more info on it's extras. (this does full postcode, speedcameras etc)

Hope this helps.

don't get a tomtom, they are dutch rubbish

[woody67]

Any current sat nav will be good and will do the job. Its just down to detail and additional or luxury features in deciding which one to buy.

I've used and tried a few various ones, and for just getting from a to b any will do. After the initial play with features, then I dont use any.

Most if not all have voice, and a touch screen is recommended for easy tapping while driving. I would look for one that can have additional points of interest (POIs) such as speed cameras, petrol stations landmarks etc, loaded in to it.

I use TomTom and Route66 on a PDA and phone, and either is more than adequate.

Some units with built in antenna don't work well in certain vehicles due to heated or reflective windscreens.

[Fat Tony]

Originally Posted by Digsy

Garmin StreetPilot i3 is loaded with uK & Ireland and does voice guidance and full postcode address search. It does not have a touch screen and because of this is really cheap. You operate it with a scroll wheel that goes up and down. If you are looking for one for £150 to £200 then this has to be the one.

I've got one it works pretty well. I have not compared it to anything else other than Navman gps attached to HP iPaq, which a couple of my friends have. The i3 beats these hands down ... works much better, faster, full postcode search, tidier, etc, etc.

By the way, I got mine for £99 a month ago (they were around £199 before xmas, and £299 around 6 months ago!).

[bibamus]

Somerfield are having a clear out of the Garmin i3, they are selling them at £99.99. a real bargain. I just bought 2 yesterday so there are still some about. Phone the stores and see what they have left.
I think they are excellent units, but no touch screen.
If you want a good one with a touch screen, then the Garmin C310 is probably the best in its class. I dont like TomTom from past experiences with them ( all bad)
allan

Originally Posted by woody67

Some units with built in antenna don't work well in certain vehicles due to heated or reflective windscreens.

I think thats the most important thing really, if possible a few different makes and see what the reception is like. It varies hugely depending on car manufacturer.

Originally Posted by Digsy

Depends how much you want to spend, I really like Garmin devices over TomTom.

Garmin StreetPilot i3 is loaded with uK & Ireland and does voice guidance and full postcode address search. It does not have a touch screen and because of this is really cheap. You operate it with a scroll wheel that goes up and down. If you are looking for one for £150 to £200 then this has to be the one.

On the other hand there is a Garmin Nuvi, this is touch screen and has a larger screen but is really pocketable still. The mount is really neat and not bulky like a crappy TomTom one. You can get a 300 with UK and Ireland pre-loaded or a 350 with all of Europe, £300 and £400 respectively. The Nuvi also gives you an MP3 player, audio book player and a couple of other accessories. Check out Garmin.com for more info on it's extras. (this does full postcode, speedcameras etc)

Hope this helps.

don't get a tomtom, they are dutch rubbish

Why are Tom Tom dutch rubbish?

[spud1962]

Tom Tom One Units are very popular

buy from www.satnav2u.com

TomTom are very good, I found them easier to use than the garmin systems mentioned above (certainly easier to assign areas to navigate to and from).

[ArcticFox77]

Great advice guys. Just another little thing, how do you update it?? Do you plug it in to a PC?? Or does it update automatically somehow?? Does the TT One work on foot?? As in if you're walking around a strange town and you need to find a street does it work like that?? Sorry if i sound really new to this but i am