Sat Nav Portable and In Car Manufacturer Fitted

[Moosejaw]

Originally Posted by volvorocks

I mean what’s it all about eh?

Manufacturer integrated sat nav for Volvo is well over a grand when good portable units are circa £200. Integrated is not helpful if you have more than one car.

Agreed.
Also, in car tech dates so quickly.
The type of cars I tend to buy are big ol' barges, and the number of BMWs I looked at that still had the (now illegal) corded phone between the two front seat armrests and the (now useless) TV set on the dash is incredible. These toys must have cost the equivalent of a VW Polo back in the day yet my first thought is always, 'how can I rip these out and not leave a mess behind?'

Ditto sat navs. A good few of them are i the £1500-£2000 bracket and take up a sizeable chunk of dashboard real estate, yet are soundly thrashed for performance by a modern £150 Tom tom.

I do have a sat nav but nowadays I rarely go anywhere I haven't been before so I hardly ever need it, but I've been glad of it a few times. Don't ask me what brand it is though, I only bought it because they were doing a few dirt cheap in Morrisons a year or so ago.

[LJD]

I like the tomtom interface .But i also like the Navigon stuff.

But Tomtom take the total pee in regards to map updates etc

far too expensive .I use the "services" of a well know Chines guy in London who has his own little way of providing this service far far cheaper . People seem to hate tomtoms customer service and the way we get shafted by them

[Crockers]

I like the integrated feel and look of the sensus system and now it's also a camera locator it fulfills my needs.
I had comand in my Merc which isn't as good as the sensus IMHO.
As for portables. Yes they are very good but I really can't stand the look of one stuck on a windscreen.

I have driven at night and seen some right idiots with their Tom Toms fixed just under the rear view mirror on DAYLIGHT MODE. What idiots.

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by Crockers

I like the integrated feel and look of the sensus system and now it's also a camera locator it fulfills my needs.
I had comand in my Merc which isn't as good as the sensus IMHO.
As for portables. Yes they are very good but I really can't stand the look of one stuck on a windscreen.

I have driven at night and seen some right idiots with their Tom Toms fixed just under the rear view mirror on DAYLIGHT MODE. What idiots.

The cost was high though, and after reading about how long it takes to update the sat nav, a choice well made methinks to not tick the box on the options list!

[volvorocks]

Originally Posted by wooble

The first time I ever used a (borrowed) sat-nav, must be about 6 years ago, it took me to the centre of Bristol and then got itself stuck in some kind of loop and instructed me to keep going round a large roundabout ad infinitum.

Yes, have had that when the sat nav kept saying turn left, and just kept taking me round the block..lol!

Originally Posted by Moosejaw

Agreed.


I do have a sat nav but nowadays I rarely go anywhere I haven't been before so I hardly ever need it, but I've been glad of it a few times. Don't ask me what brand it is though, I only bought it because they were doing a few dirt cheap in Morrisons a year or so ago.

What brand is it?..lol

I travel to many places I do not know so sat nav is very handy, and TBH I sometimes struggle going to places that I do know!!!!!

I think a side effect of satnav use, is you tend to not notice places you pass through as much as you would withought sat nav.

[Rustee]

I use an old Tom Tom europe when in unfamiliar areas although I don't trust it after it tried to make me turn right the wrong way up a one way street in Wokingham.

It also seems slow to respond sometimes and confuses bends with corners so you need your wits when using it.

[mikealder]

As for telling you to turn in to a no entry road there are two things that spring to mind:

1/ You, as the driver have the responsibility to obay the road signs at all times, if the Nav unit gets it wrong and you follow it is your license that will collect points and your pocket that gets hit with fines.

2/ When did you last update your map, whilst new roads don't get built too often one way systems within towns and city get altered quite often.

You can't blame the nav unit if either of the above apply, this is applicable to any Nav unit, the major plus point to devices from Garmin or TomTom is that they still offer map updates for devices that are years old albeit at a cost, the charges they apply are still considerably less than you would pay to update a factory fitted Nav unit - Mike

[galloot633]

I have a tom tom 530 , and I just wouldnt go any where without it, The times in the past when weve almost got to our destination but found ourselves going round and round in some strange city ( with the accompanying argument ) the early versions did have a habit of freezing at the most inapropriate moment, but if you keep them regularly updated they seem ok, Ive not had one freeze for years, as for map updates, there is the odd new junction but realistically you dont need them,it is easy to get new maps for free, which is what I do, but I only do that because I like manipulating software, Id really love a permanent install , with no wires that could be hidden from view at the flck of a switch
dave

[Rustee]

Originally Posted by mikealder

As for telling you to turn in to a no entry road there are two things that spring to mind:

1/ You, as the driver have the responsibility to obay the road signs at all times, if the Nav unit gets it wrong and you follow it is your license that will collect points and your pocket that gets hit with fines.

2/ When did you last update your map, whilst new roads don't get built too often one way systems within towns and city get altered quite often.

You can't blame the nav unit if either of the above apply, this is applicable to any Nav unit, the major plus point to devices from Garmin or TomTom is that they still offer map updates for devices that are years old albeit at a cost, the charges they apply are still considerably less than you would pay to update a factory fitted Nav unit - Mike

I agree, the satnav should only be used as a pointer, the driver needs to make the decisions. I don't update the software as it's not used that often but the street in question has been one way for donkeys years.

There is a village in Suffolk with warning signs telling lorry drivers not to follow their sat navs as if they do they will have problems with a low bridge and sharp bend. You would think that the satnav companies might offer a lorry friendly version or alter the software.

[Rls1000]

I have just installed a 2012 map new disc in my 58 V70 and have lost the split screen map display. I found this very useful as it gave advance warnings of traffic probelms. Is there any way I can get it back