[Motorhead]

As I plan to do plenty of fun driving in the 5 this year I need to get a sat nav for getting out and about to plenty of new places. I used to think that the tomtoms were the only way to go, but in some recent reviews I've seen the Garmins getting good write-ups.

I'm not too sure of what the really useful features are to have so I'm looking for some advice please. As I plan on going on plenty of runs this year whatever I buy needs to be able to program routes into it as easily as possible (if this is a feature that can be got - I think tomtoms used to do this!?). Budget is for a good value unit with useful features (including programmed routes). I don't need any of the features that people feel are not essential or decently useful. Not sure what that will cost so please fire away with your suggestions.

 

[Road&ster]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 200 (i think it's the 200 ???) and imo for UK driving it's very good, all the features you'd expect, plus some I never use (like being able to put photo's and mp3's on there).
dead easy to put in an address or browse the map and find where you want to go, add a "via" waypoint, has lists of petrol stations, hotels, airports, attractions etc etc and is easily updated over the web.

As a basic sat-nav to get you around the UK I recommend it.

I've used a friends tom-tom and that was also pretty good, I guess it's a bit like the PC/Mac debate really.

 

[AdamL]

Garmin here, 265W and I think it's great. My uncle has a top of the range Tomtom and it's no better.

 

[Motorhead]

I have a Garmin Nuvi 200 (i think it's the 200 ???) and imo for UK driving it's very good, all the features you'd expect, plus some I never use (like being able to put photo's and mp3's on there).
dead easy to put in an address or browse the map and find where you want to go, add a "via" waypoint, has lists of petrol stations, hotels, airports, attractions etc etc and is easily updated over the web.

As a basic sat-nav to get you around the UK I recommend it.

I've used a friends tom-tom and that was also pretty good, I guess it's a bit like the PC/Mac debate really.

Can you load runs into it? i.e nutz and OC type runs.

 

[friendly1_uk]

tom tom is the leading software, but why not run it on a palm sized windows machine? Then you get wifi and a brouser. Games. free software. Good resale. Its perfect if a map alone is not enough.

 

[Miataduke]

I have this one, think it is the best i got for the money,does the job for me and a good price!

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_753705_langId_-1_categoryId_165685?source=aw&cm_mmc=AffiliateWindow-_-50127-_-n/a-_-n/a&awc=1672_1270667935_f53fc44863664237e6167998005d53e8#dtab

 

[Motorhead]

The ability to program runs in to the sat nav is the feature I'm most interested in (along with the more normal stuff). Does anyone know of a unit that can do this?

 

[guitarjon]

I have always rated tom toms but I feel the latest ones they have brought out seem to be a little slow. In terms of when your actually moving, they dont seem to update as quick as my older tom tom went A bit like old internet gaming you would press a button and nothing happened there is like a delay. This doesn't seem to work too well in very built up/busy areas when you may be asked to turn lots of corners.

I have heard a lot of good things about the garmins but would like to try one before I bought one, I would definatly try another tom tom before I bought it, having said that its still very easy to use and is still better than a lot of sat navs I have used.

 

[Motorhead]

I think a year or 2 back the tomtoms were unbeatable from everything I read and heard, but perhaps the competition is catching up a bit.

 

[Andy449]

Ive got a Tomtom and wouldn't fault it, its menus are very easy to use its all seems to have been thought out very well.

just used the tomtom to get me and my dad around france for a few track days with his elise and we never had a problem.

Only thing you have to remember is to update it regularly or it doesn't pick up the satellite signals very quick

 

[Yetidragon]

My plan is to get an android based phone and use that for music source and gps etc, the one i'm really thinking of using is the forth coming Dell mini5 / streak, lots of tech fun.

If i was going to get a dedicated device i'd go for one of the TomToms as they do seem to route quite well, and there are of course ways to get Tom Tom software to run on a windows based mobile phone for less.

 

[waveydavey]

I've got a Tom Tom One XL, which is bloody brilliant. Easy to use, nice big widescreen display, Austin Powers' voice (yeah, baby!), and a Billy Bonus is that you can change the pointer icon to.... your own car! I even took a photo standing on a ladder behind my car so the angle looked right on the screen:

 

[Yetidragon]

I've got a Tom Tom One XL, which is bloody brilliant. Easy to use, nice big widescreen display, Austin Powers' voice (yeah, baby!), and a Billy Bonus is that you can change the pointer icon to.... your own car! I even took a photo standing on a ladder behind my car so the angle looked right on the screen:

Nice touch there matey

shoulda had top down and you in it Tho

 

[waveydavey]

I've got a Tom Tom One XL, which is bloody brilliant. Easy to use, nice big widescreen display, Austin Powers' voice (yeah, baby!), and a Billy Bonus is that you can change the pointer icon to.... your own car! I even took a photo standing on a ladder behind my car so the angle looked right on the screen:

Nice touch there matey

shoulda had top down and you in it Tho

[/quote]

Yeah, I know, the only problem is.... I was up the ladder taking the photo!

 

[RA5CAL]

Did a Eurotrip - we had a selection of sat navs - i had a garmin. My mates tom tom was the best as you could set up an intinerary and move the waypoints up and down the order. With the garmin you needed to get it first time right. We ended up using the tom tom to plan and then just type the gps co-ordinates to the garmin. Not sure which tom tom he had but it was one of the top of range models with shiny black backing and xl screen.

i now use tom tom on the iphone which doesn't allow for route planning in any detail.

 

[Motorhead]

I think I may have found something useful for creating and using run maps on a sat nav. There is a program called 'tyre' which apparently does this and ties google maps into a tomtom unit. However does anyone know what models of tomtom could work with this, would it be any of them or just one of the more expensive models?

 

[Quinny]

Ive got a Tomtom and wouldn't fault it, its menus are very easy to use its all seems to have been thought out very well.

just used the tomtom to get me and my dad around france for a few track days with his elise and we never had a problem.

Only thing you have to remember is to update it regularly or it doesn't pick up the satellite signals very quick

Probably why my Tom Tom has been slowly deteriorating over time, not even a year old and the satelite signals can take an age to locate.

How do you update them?

 

[waveydavey]

Ive got a Tomtom and wouldn't fault it, its menus are very easy to use its all seems to have been thought out very well.

just used the tomtom to get me and my dad around france for a few track days with his elise and we never had a problem.

Only thing you have to remember is to update it regularly or it doesn't pick up the satellite signals very quick

Probably why my Tom Tom has been slowly deteriorating over time, not even a year old and the satelite signals can take an age to locate.

How do you update them?
[/quote]

On mine, you simply plug the sat nav into the PC using the USB cable, and it fires up the Tom Tom Home software automatically, which then loads the latest updates. I don't think that includes map updates though, I assume it's just bug fixes and the latest journey time updates etc which may or may not help in your case.

 

[bl4desman]

I have a Blaupunkt and I am very happy with it. Easy to work and a clear display and instructions. Easy to carry around and put in my pocket if need be. Could do with speed camera locations but I can add them if I want to

 

[Baby G]

I think I may have found something useful for creating and using run maps on a sat nav. There is a program called 'tyre' which apparently does this and ties google maps into a tomtom unit. However does anyone know what models of tomtom could work with this, would it be any of them or just one of the more expensive models?

I use a TomTom 720 with Tyre, and it's excellent. Tyre allows you to use a google maps interface to plan your route, and will then sync it straight to the TomTom where it loads as an itinerary (you can also build itineraries pretty easily on the unit). I've got nothing but good things to say about the TomTom, I now hate driving without it.

I can't see why updating the maps would help with the signal, although TT Home does occasionally download gps related patches which I guess optimise things. Mine is still going strong several years in. New TomToms will have IQ routes, which take into account the speed you're likely to be able to manage on a road, rather than just assuming you go at the speed limit. I've not got it, but have heard good things. Chuffed that on my existing unit I can get this just by buying a current map, I'd thought it would require a new unit to get the better functionality.

Another useful addition is the pocketgpsworld (google it) speed camera database - cheaper and more comprehensive than the TomTom speed cameras, although both are OK.