Recommend a Satnav for me please

swingaloo

Ive spent ages telling everyone who gets in my car that I have no need for a satnav, there is nothing wrong with route planner/map books.

But in the coming months I have a couple of trips to do and Ive finally become resigned to getting one.

Can anyone recommend a reasonably priced one which is easy to use. I know nothing about them and I'm not very 'techi'. Ive looked at them online but there seems to be such a wide variety of choice and price range. I cant see the point in paying a lot for something I may rarely use but then again I cant see the point in buying one which is rubbish.

Don't really know what I'm looking for, any recommendations please?

BeenThroughItAll

Google Maps. Job done.

AdrianC

Do you need one?
Do you have a smartphone?

On the vanishingly rare occasions I need nav, Sygic works beautifully - fully off-line, since I have no data package on my phone (no point - no signal where I live).

swingaloo

Don't have a smart phone, hubby is convinced we need a satnav. Ive always resisted but we have a trip coming up which involves going to various parts of Bristol and as neither of us has been to the area before I thought I would give in and get one.

I do all the driving and hubby is useless reading a map, he cant even follow written instructions!

Aylesbury_Duck

I bought a basic Tomtom last year for £70. Great piece of kit. Came with Europe maps, lifetime map updates and three months’ free speed camera warnings. Served us very well driving around Europe and the UK, never glitches, always sensible with its directions and a nice simple, clear display. It also has a decent windscreen mount, which our first Sony satnav didn’t have.
I know you can buy cheaper but at that price and with lifetime map updates, it should last many years which I think is good value. At this time of year you should be able to pick up a bargain.

iolanthe07

I read today that smart phones have replaced satnavs, which are now apparently obsolete (and John Lewis have stopped stocking them), but I am sure they must be still widely available. I had a very reliable Garmin for some years, a make which you might want to look at.

I have some sympathy, because I don't have a smart phone and wouldn't have a clue how to use one if I did. Of course many cars have built in satnav these days.

Nick_C

+1 for a smart phone plus Google maps

You can get a decent smart phone for £100

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7361917

You can download the maps you need from Google so you don't need to use data when using your phone as a SatNav

DigForVictory

+1 for a tomtom - saves a lot of fuss about signal coverage, power & use of phone while driving.
Currently using a garmin, but prefer the tomtom. Get even a basic UK model & you'll be good for ages!

AdrianC

Nick_C wrote: »

You can get a decent smart phone for £100

http://www.argos.co.uk/product/7361917

A lot less than that.

I have a Vodafone Smart Turbo 7 (now replaced by the Smart E8) - instead of the book £49, it cost me £19 on PAYG last year with some points from topping up. All the networks have similar offers.

You don't even need points to be able to get change from £20 for a new perfectly decent-spec smartphone...
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/pay-as-you-go/vodafone-smart-first-7-PAYG/sku97788 and a myriad of similar kit. Something like that will run Sygic (free of charge unless you want premium features - and they're on semi-permanent offer) just fine. No data or signal needed - it stores the maps on the handset. All it needs is GPS.

daveyjp

Over the years I’ve had various Garmins, wife’s current car has built in Tom Tom. I have also used various smart phone systems.

In terms of useability, entering addressess etc, giving good instructions in plenty of time, zooming the map appropriately at the right time the Garmin has always edged it for me.

Nick_C

DigForVictory wrote: »

+1 for a tomtom - saves a lot of fuss about signal coverage, power & use of phone while driving.
Currently using a garmin, but prefer the tomtom. Get even a basic UK model & you'll be good for ages!

A smart phone will get the same signal as a TomTom. It is using GPS and the same satellites.

I have an old TomTom, 9 years old now. The battery failed quite early on, can't easily be replaced, and only works when plugged in.

You need to download a bit of software called a GPS fix every few months for it to work at its best.

Map updates are expensive.

I took my TomTom as a backup for a long road trip in the US this year, but didn't use it. Google Maps was much better. It was only because I used Google Maps that I became aware of road closures affecting my trip.

The only thing I miss about TomTom is the scaling. It is very good at displaying the shape of the road ahead which is very useful in an unfamiliar road at night. Google Maps does not zoom in as much as TomTom. Google Maps also lags a bit at roundabouts.