Thetownend.com

Just changing my car and will no longer have built in Sat Nav so gotta buy one.

Any recommendations would be greatfully received.

I have only used a hand held Magellan Sportrak and a TomTom 720. The later is newer and a lot better. Haven't used anything else comparable to say whether it is better than anything else. From what I remember reading, the TomTom is simple to use, but the support software with it isnt great and the customer support is dreadful. However, I haven't had any problem - other than when initially updating it I found has a severe lag, which means that you have to keep it connected for 30 secs or so after it says to disconnect.

Garmin.  Top notch.

I've just bought a Garmin 255. Used it for the first time today, going to a village in Wales, and it was perfect. Easy to use, clear screen and directions, even the arrival time was only 1 minute out; which is no mean feat over a distance of 100 miles. Well impressed.

It's got no frills, like a Bluetooth connection or lane assistance but you don't really need that. For £80 you can't go wrong.

I have a Garmin 265WT, the one with the traffic info receiver which routes you around traffic if it saves you time which is probably not as good as it sounds. Finds satellites fast, nice clear display.

The speaker on it isn't good enough to have a decent phone conversation but it is able to do that via bluetooth. I use my car stereo for that function however.

Overall I'm really happy with it, I'm glad I got the widescreen one.

buy a map

It's hard enough reading the road signs in Wales, let alone a map. Plus a map doesn't tell you where speed cameras are, accurately tell you your speed, the speed limit, tell you where the nearest petrol station or atm is, or store locations such as your home so you can guide yourself back without having to flick through several pages of maps.

Sat navs are great for unfamiliar town and city centres. This is where they beat a map or a routeplanner hands down.

Yeah but you can buy a map for £2 :)

or print directions off from google maps for free!

I used to think like that until I actually had to use maps/google to get around Wales. It was a fucking nightmare. Particularly if you have to go somewhere last minute and all you have is a postcode.

Honestly they make life so much easier and it'll keep itself up to date unlike a map. They're an expensive assistant to lazy people, but definitely now more commonplace than maps. Bit like mobile phones really. I don't remember the last time I used a payphone, probably in the police station.

If you have a new smart phone then you could always put it on there, I have the HD2.  Massive screen and I have just put Tom Tom on there.

Got a Garmin, highly recommended.

I'll have to stick up for TomTom then, I've got the XL V2 and it's the bollocks.

I will mainly use it in Wales so that's good advice, cheers. I quite like the idea of a widescreen one as my eyes aren't quite what they used to be.

About the map, good idea. Do they do them in colour now? I heard a rumour but can't be sure.

I sit between the two camps on sat nav.

When I had a sales job a while back, my company car was fitted with one and combined with Traffic Master it was brilliant. As Si says, when you have a lot of travelling to do in unfamiliar places it really is a boon. Yes to 'just the postcode'.

However, when I got a fixed term IT contract I used to buzz up and down the M4 every day and see the same people doing the same thing as me with their sat navs on. Duh. Like you don't know the way to your regular place of employment and back?

So I don't have a sat nav now, I don't need one. If I'm driving somewhere new I go the Yeo route, print off AA directions and Streetmap maps of the destination and listen to Five Live travel news.

You pay for what you get. Spend a bit more and get a Tom Tom or Garmin as mentioned, stay clear of the £60 units made by the likes of Binatone or Goodmans. They are utter gash.

Mums got an old garmin, does the job fine now I have 'aquired' updated maps, but is far more basic than my tom tom. It's probably just her model.

They remind me of someone scratching their finger nails down a blackboard.

Yes they are useful but they are also fucking annoying.  It's been a while since I used one but it always stopped working in the centre of which ever city or big town i was in at the time.

i use a truckers map.

My sat nav's traffic function worked a treat yesterday when the m4 got closed. First time its needed to do that and it worked perfectly. As long as you have the right unit it requires no subscription :-)