David Jenkins
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| posted on 21/10/16 at 11:06 AM |
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Satnavs?
I'm just about to change my car, and the new one doesn't have a built-in satnav - which doesn't bother me in the slightest, as
built-in models are often based on old-fashioned firmware and interfaces. So now I'm looking for a 'normal' satnav with the usual
sucker-cup mounting.
Before anyone says it - I haven't been very successful using my phone as a satnav - it gets very hot when it's on all the time (too hot to
put back in my pocket without a cooling down period), I've had trouble getting a good-enough signal to fetch map data on the move, and it has
led me astray more than a few times. I know that I can download maps in advance, but that doesn't overcome the overheating problem, and often
on holiday I might go "off map" on a whim.
I tend to prefer TomTom over Garmin (I couldn't even get the Garmin Express software to run on my Windows 10 PC). Also, when I was in
Australia, I bought a cheap Navman satnav and was quite impressed - and I see that they have new UK models coming out next week (I'm still
unsure on that one though). I'm prepared to pay a decent amount of money rather than going for the cheapest, so I'm looking for features
like free map updates, traffic info, easy route modification (e.g. to take in different waypoints), etc.
So - any recommendations? I am fairly open minded about which brand, although I would prefer a major player with some hope of customer support.
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Nickp
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| posted on 21/10/16 at 11:50 AM |
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I use a Tom Tom at work on a daily basis and it is very user friendly. However, unless you're prepared to pay extra most of the Tom Toms
don't seem to allow you to plan routes in advance and store them. I had Tom Tom software on my phone in the early days and that was one of the
features way back then (10yrs+) and it worked really well. So for European trips I have an old(ish 3yrs) Garmin Nuvi which came with free Euro map
updates for life. It's a bit less user friendly until you get used to it and I had to upgrade the SD card for the latest map updates, but it
does allow great route planning which can then be transferred onto other peoples if you're travelling in a group.
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russbost
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| posted on 21/10/16 at 12:05 PM |
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Get something that uses a smartphone interface or has 3g built in. I have a Tom Tom 500 which uses a smartphone to get live traffic updates, it has
saved me hours of delays on a number of occasions, would never want to be without live traffic again.
I completely agree with you about using a dedicated device rather than a smartphone for navigation, the phone is always a compromise & £125 or so
is not a massive outlay for something which can save hours of frustration!
I would happily recommend the Tom Tom 500, comes with free updates for life, just costs £20 a year to keep cameras up to date, which I bthink is well
worth it
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 21/10/16 at 12:23 PM |
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Thanks Russ - I've been looking at the TomTom Go 500 and similar models like the 510, and I think they're likely candidates. Another
factor is that the Yaris I'm about to replace has a built-in TomTom satnav, and we're used to it.
The other reason I don't want to use my phone is that I want something that my wife can use when I'm not in the car; she only has a very
basic Nokia phone, totally an un-smartphone! (but it always works, and the battery lasts for many days).
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swanny
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| posted on 21/10/16 at 12:55 PM |
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i have one of these:
linky
easy to use, lane guidance, free maps for life, and live traffic. it also seems to have a good POI database, so whilst in france its was often better
to search for the actual place we were going to a(restaurant for example) rather than rely on addresses which meant we got right to the door even in
out of town shopping centres etc.
we only went garmin because garmin wanted nearly as much as the price of a new unit to update the maps on the old one.
it performs much better than any of the installed ones i've had in our cars or hire cars.
[Edited on 21/10/16 by swanny]
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geoff shep
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| posted on 21/10/16 at 06:08 PM |
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I disagree about not using a smartphone - although if yours gets hot that may not be an option.
I have TomTom on an iPhone and it is excellent. It is always with me, so is available in any car or even on foot, the map is all stored on the device
so does not require a signal, and if required integrates easily with traffic (which does need a signal). The audio plays seamlessly through the
car's bluetooth connection. As with most apps, there are free updates forever. I also have USA mapping and have used it now on two states
holidays, cheaper than hiring a satnav with the hirer. i uninstalled it between trips, to save space and unnecessary updating, and reinstalled it
recently for my our recent trip. Overall, it has been cheaper, and more usable, than a standalone device - and thats for both maps. The latest
TomTom Go app however is not so good - although you can still use the older app, and it will continue to be updated, if you had previously bought it.
Not sure how it works if you buy it now from new.
If you go for a TomTom you can free yourself of the data connection issue for traffic by getting hold of one of these power leads:
https://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/sat-nav/accessories/chargers-cables/drive-easy-traffic-receiver/
They are available cheaply from eBay.
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mac1ZR
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| posted on 22/10/16 at 09:33 AM |
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Tom Tom everytime for me. Got a Tom Tom Europe with free life time updates for about £70 from Halfords, cant beat it!
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serieslandy
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| posted on 22/10/16 at 09:59 AM |
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Ive got a tomtom start 50. I can't fault it at all and the live updates have saved me hours. We paid £59 last Black Friday but doubled up Tesco
clubcard vouchers so it didn't cost us a penny.
Hth
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907
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| posted on 22/10/16 at 11:54 AM |
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TomTom from Tesco for me too. Lifetime backup, and I think with a voucher or two I payed £30.
I'm not keen on rubber suckers so I have a thin sheet bracket that slides in the heater louvers.
I can't reach the windscreen from the drivers seat.
( You may have noticed on the Cambridge trip David )
Paul G
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 26/10/16 at 01:25 PM |
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Well, in the end I got a TomTom Go 510 and it seems to be working very well. Not cheap, but buying "last year's model" meant that it
was £100 cheaper than the current one.
Still learning the options - in typical TomTom manner they give a brief introductory leaflet in the box, and don't tell you that there's a
124-page user manual on-line! I only found it by accident...
I am impressed with its 5" screen - easy to read, even when the sun's shining on it. It's also capacitive touch instead of
resistive, and so much easier to use. The biggest bonus comes with the lifetime worldwide maps - we go to Australia to see our daughter every so
often, hiring a car when we get there, so it will be great to use a proper sat-nav instead of the cheapo Navman we bought there last time (it was
OK-ish, but limited). Can't wait to try out one of the Australian voices the next time we get there - the test voice says "You have
reached your destination. Windows up, grab those sunnies, and don't let the seagulls steal your chips." 
Now I need to get it hard-wired, but I'll deal with that in a different thread.
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