Whats the best sat nav for ú250

[MarcR]

Evenin all,

I am thinking of treating myself to a sat nav for the forthcoming trips to the lakes and Cornwall. I want to spend about £250 and I don't need the european maps. I am thinking of the tomtom one but my mind isn't made up yet.

Any ideas

Marc

 

[popupJohn]

I used Garmin Street pilot for several years and was happy with it.

Last year I decided a change of make would be good so moved over to a Tomtom.

Both makes do good jobs but beware they can send you down narrow country lanes so we always cross ref. with a 'proper map' as we go and check sign posts closely

 

[RichardS1]

Used a tomtom one on a recent trip to the south west and was quite impressed with it. Far easier to use than the Navman I had previously used with the 3D map being easy to follow. As with any of the satnav's though if you intend using it while towing check with a map that its not going to send you down any roads unsuitable for towing, however the tomtom programed to send you the fastest route tends to keep you on the A roads.

 

[Mikey1]

Hi Marc

Ive got a Navman 520 which i got when Halfords had it on offer.Really good very pleased great around London,only does 5 figure postcodes,but have software now to resolve that.You need to set them up properly ie type of routes you prefer etc but good value as at the moment Halfords have them for

 

[AndyT1]

Go for the Tom Tom one - I was looking for a while and then channel 4 or is it 5! 'The Gadget Show' did the tests for me.

It's the best all rounder for what you need.

 

[Steve L]

I have a Garmin i3 which is very good. Extremely accurate being from US military back ground.

Does have the occassional "dickie fit" when there are no trunk roads within five miles of it's position. But it does what it's told (as computers do!!) and will still take you the most direct route even if that is down a single track road with the caravan on the back.

Program it to use all avaiable roads and you can go "green lane" driving.

I also liked it's portability as you can set your home point when you get out of the car and go rambling . Even get lost in fog and stillget back to the car. Battery backup lasts 7 hours on 2 AA batteries.

All in all for under

 

[MarcR]

Well i have gone for the tomtom one, 220 quid from halfords, helpfull and had a demo before I bought it.

marc

 

[TripHazard]

I've got Tom-Tom 700 its well worth the extra money and very easy to use would recomend it to everyone

 

[Nidge1]

Question for TripHazard.

Hi. I noticed on a previous thread that you recommend to set the tom-tom on limited speed to stop it sending you down unsuitable roads with the caravan in tow.

What speed do you set it at? and does it really do the trick?

Many thanks Nidge

 

[jacky3]

for all you sat nav freaks out there,the garmin nuvi 300 is unbeatable for the price.reall good system with add ons,have seen one work and was impressed.got a first rate write up too.

http://www.globalpositioningsystems.co.uk/garmin-nuvi-300-description.html?PHPSESSID=db87da980ea7efede16a2f8ec2b81ee0

 

[Damian]

Just a note which relates to all Sat Nav systems.

They are an AID to driving, nothing more. regardless of type, they WILL send you down unsuitable roads at times, that is why they should not be used as a complete solution, they rely on YOUR input too, and using them with a degree of sense.

Most have the option to take you on either the fastest, or shortest route. The fastest "usually" means they will take you on main roads, but even then, may take you on an unsuitable towing road.

Shortest means justthat, and road type dosent matter, to the Sat Nav, anyway.

You can browse the route, on most systems, and it is worth checking against a paper map if its to a place you are unsure of, and any parts you dont like the look of, put in an "avoid" prompt.

Whilst I find my TomTom excellent, it is no good blaming the unit for ending up on roads you would rather not be on.

 

[Lol1]

Just a note which relates to all Sat Nav systems.

They are an AID to driving, nothing more. regardless of type, they WILL send you down unsuitable roads at times, that is why they should not be used as a complete solution, they rely on YOUR input too, and using them with a degree of sense.

Most have the option to take you on either the fastest, or shortest route. The fastest "usually" means they will take you on main roads, but even then, may take you on an unsuitable towing road.

Shortest means justthat, and road type dosent matter, to the Sat Nav, anyway.

You can browse the route, on most systems, and it is worth checking against a paper map if its to a place you are unsure of, and any parts you dont like the look of, put in an "avoid" prompt.

Whilst I find my TomTom excellent, it is no good blaming the unit for ending up on roads you would rather not be on.

That's good advice while towing, Damian. Less of a problem while running solo though, and even if you use the good old fashioned map, they may not be able to tell you if the road is suitable or not. Certainly with caravan sites it makes sense to adhere to any instructions that come with the brochure or in the sites directory.

 

[jacky3]

wouold never buy one damian, for that reason,they are at times unreliable.a good map can do the same,only advantage it has is at street level.if you are a rep or need street level mapping they are a excellent

 

[NorfolkMike]

I aggree with Klarky. Would not buy one. Were is the fun in shouting at a computer. At least I get an interesting responce when I shout at my navigater and it keeps the adrenalin going on a long drive.

ttfn

 

[pennypup]

Question for TripHazard.

Hi. I noticed on a previous thread that you recommend to set the tom-tom on limited speed to stop it sending you down unsuitable roads with the caravan in tow.

What speed do you set it at? and does it really do the trick?

Many thanks Nidge

I set my tom tom at 55mph.