Recommend a Satnav for me please

agrinnall

AdrianC wrote: »

...since I have no data package on my phone (no point - no signal where I live).

Taking the thread off on a tangent, isn't the point of a data package to use it when you're away from home, because when you're at home you'd use wifi? At least, that's what I do.

hollie.weimeraner

Tom Tom or Garmin but Tom Tom give free map updates so that would be my choice.
Google maps uses your data so unless you have a decent data package (which you say you don't) I'd go with the Tom Tom

daveyjp

Garmin also give free updates.

Richmc

+2 for the Tom Tom, cheap to buy, free map updates for life, free traffic and cameras. Also as they supply in built devices for many cars the company should be around for ages. Nick_C obviously has a very old unit from when you had to pay for maps.

I haven't found a smart phone to be anywhere as good as a dedicated unit.

The Tom Tom can be set up to use your wi-fi when you park up at home to update itself.

FreddieFrugal

I bought a Tom Tom when we were going on holiday to Slovenia, intending to drive a lot with a hire car. Didn't trust phone to work properly in another country (was correct!) it's brilliant.

Much better than the apps that were available at the time as you could set waypoints on your route etc. So had far more control over the journey.

Still great. Only use it occasionally, when driving on holiday, but the cost was worth it for that one holiday abroad!

Went for Tom Tom over Garmin because the maps and user interface were just much smarter and modern looking. The Garmin ones were clunky and awkward and looked like they were 20 years out of date.

mgfvvc

I use an ancient Garmin and supplement it with various smart phone apps. I have had Google Maps lock up on me at least twice, so I missed turnings. The HereWeGo app downloads maps to the phone, but when I was in NZ, it often wouldn't work offline.

I would trust the Garmin a lot more than the smartphone apps, but it didn't come with free map updates so it's maps are out of date. I can't easily add US/NZ maps and, even if I could, it would cost more than just buying a cheap satnav locally.

AnotherJoe

I found Tom Tom more intuituve to use than garmin but if I am not in my car (which has built in sat nav) then I’d use Waze on a smartphone.

However if you don’t have a smartphone, instead of spending £100 or so ona Tom Tom or garmin, why not spend the same on a smartphone and install waze or similar and then you can use the phone for all sorts of other stuff whereas a sat nav is just a sat nav

Terry98

Doesn't using GPS on a smartphone drain the battery quicker?

I suppose you have it charging constantly when you are using it as a satnav in the car.

The £20 Vodafone option in post 9 looks like a good satnav replacement and back up smartphone for use in the car only but has it got a good battery?

AdrianC

Terry98 wrote: »

Doesn't using GPS on a smartphone drain the battery quicker?

I suppose you have it charging constantly when you are using it as a satnav in the car.

The £20 Vodafone option in post 9 looks like a good satnav replacement and back up smartphone for use in the car only but has it got a good battery?

I've been very pleasantly surprised, yep. But - as you say - if it's in the car, it can be on charge.

I find nav most useful for detours and last-few-mile - there's absolutely no need for the bulk of a journey.

Nick_C

AdrianC wrote: »

I find nav most useful for detours and last-few-mile - there's absolutely no need for the bulk of a journey.

Depends on the journey. I find the signage joining a Freeway in the US can often be confusing and a SatNav helps there. And if you are in a car pool lane and have to cross six lanes of traffic to leave the Freeway, then it's handy to know how far it is to the next exit.

Google Maps is brilliant in the UK in showing congestion in real time, allowing you to plan alternative routes (if you use data)