Help me decide on a sat nav.

Buster_Danog

I have found most of these units through the MSE forums, and can't really decide which one to go for. Also, I am not sure about the retailers that sell the Tom Tom and cheaper Garmin i3 unit so do your own research on the retailer and whether these items are refurbished if you think of buying one.

1.Garmin StreetPilot C510 - BT Shop http://www.shop.bt.com/ProductView.aspx?Quicklinx=4TK0&CategorySelectedId=11035&InMerch=1 - £99.99 + free delivery. Free GTM 21 Traffic Message Channel. Anti glare screen.
I like the idea of the traffic updates, but I don't know if the unit automatically uses these to update the route. It mentions FM reception for traffic updates.

2. Garmin Nuvi 300 £99.97 + free delivery http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/800719 2.8inch touch screen. MP3 Player.
I like the slimline look. I have no stereo in my old banger so that could be useful although the speakers aren't going to be have much of asound I'd imagine.

3. Tom Tom One. £97.04 including the postage. www.Pentagongps.co.uk
Lots of people say TomTom is the best and has the has been said in one review to have the "best interface" I don't know how reputable this website is (research before buying).

4. Garmin i3 £75.31 including postage http://www.satnaveasy.co.uk/garmin-i3-i165.html
This one has good reviews on Amazon, but the interface doesn't look too nice from the photo.

So these are the ones I have narrowed down to and I am swayed by the first one, but have no idea. The only other unit I would mention is the RAC 200 unit, which was on one of the shopping TV channels. £98 on amazon, but has some bad reviews. It had a night mode, which darkens the screen and apparently has an improved GPS reception according to the salesman.

goldspanners

i just bought the garmin street pilot i3 from ebay,it is used but very good condition.
really happy with it,used it for over 400 miles across 2 days,fast at recalculating a route if you make a wrong turn,screen is very clear considering the size of it.
no touch screen but very easy to use scroll wheel desing with another 2 buttons.
great item for the price,for a basic sat nav i would recommend this.

Conor_3

Tomtom ONE. I do an average of 80,000 miles per year as a commercial driver and it's a godsend although not without some routing issues as all are.. My mate bought a Garmin after having Tomtom on his PDA and he wished he'd got a Tomtom ONE instead. Tomtom has the best interface and ability to add points of interest etc.

Giblets

I have a tomtom, they are pretty good, the only downsides are that map updates are very expensive, and they have been known to be a little behind, though they do now operate ( an excellent part my opinion), a means by which you, and other users can edit maps if it points you in the wrong direction etc.

Discount-Diva_3

I love my TOM TOM!!

movilogo

Tom Tom one doesn't have a memory card slot!
I'm also in the market looking for a Sat Nav in that price range and confused as you!

Some people say that Garmin Sat Nav's can't sometime say "right" properly. Did you ever faced this problem??

I'm targetting the Nuvi 300 which has lots of other features over Tom Tom One.

vikingaero

I have a Garmin i3 but it's very good but limited without a touchscreen. I would err towards the Tom Tom One.

chris147_2

Bought a Tom Tom One XL the other day and am very happy with it. Cost £153 from Halfrauds . . . oops, I mean Halfords

Includes all UK and European mapping and has an SD memory card slot for any expansions.

Biggles

I think it's only the basic TomTom One that doesn't have a memory card, it has internal memory instead, either ½Gb or 1Gb.

TomTom's failing is in the map downloads, that's something that should be foolproof but it usually needs to involve tech support, who take three messages to understand the question. :-(

The interface is good but I wouldn't have another TomTom if I found another make with as good an interface.

Buster_Danog

I don't know what the disadvantage is of having no memory card slot. I'm not likely to drive to Europe or even Ireland so I wouldn't think I need extra maps.

Also, for those of you who use these, does the GPS lose its fix on the satellite if you go under a deep tunnel??

One thing I have realised is I want a Sat Nav where you can enter more than one destination. So I would like to be able to go from point A to point D via points B and C.

goldspanners

Franco78 wrote: »

Also, for those of you who use these, does the GPS lose its fix on the satellite if you go under a deep tunnel??

One thing I have realised is I want a Sat Nav where you can enter more than one destination. So I would like to be able to go from point A to point D via points B and C.

not tried it yet but im sure if it does loose the satelite it will pick it up at the other end of the tunnel.

my garmin i3 will let you choose the address at point D then you can add all your via destinations in there and it will route you accordingly.