toying with the idea of a touchsreen stereo for my vrs. i really like the columbus but it is exspensive, with the bluetooth box as well, im am looking at near on £800.... :no: i could go for a decent touchscreen pioneer, like the avh-3200bt, which has bluetooth built in, so im not messing around with boxes under the seat, etc etc, and it only costs £360 and keep my tom tom 940.

my question is are the factory fit sat nav maps as good as the tom toms ?

I was thinking about a Columbus system, however the steep cost of it put me off. I'd say keep the Tom Tom, it's smaller & easy to remove and update.

If you want to have BT fitted, then you can always ask Ben (shark_90), who's just up the road in Mansfield to fit a BT module for you. He installed one in mine for around £350, you could get a secondhand Bolero for around £300, that still leaves you at least £50 to the good, which is a ¾ tank of go go juice.

Well I have had Columbus, Chinese clone (still have it and it works OK), BMW 'Profi' Navigation, Vauxhalls sat-nav and of course TomTom.

My honest opinion is that Columbus and all the other built-in sat-navs are a waste of money. Overall I feel that TomTom has so many advantages:

1. Cheap

2. Frequent low-cost map updates and map-share etc.

3. Portable (so I can take it into the house to plan routes at leisure and also take it abroad with me to use in rental cars).

4. Easy to add extras such as speed cameras etc.

5. Can position it high up where I can easily see it without reflections.

6. Excellent routing algorithms and software

In contrast I find the built-in sat navs have no advantage other than a lack of cabling and neatness. They also perform better in tunnels and covered areas (due to input from wheels). In my Octavia I found the Columbus mounting location meant I often had problems with screen reflections and its quite distracting to look down at (whereas you can put the TomTom nearly in line of sight). The routing was not as good as TomTom and the software is a bit clunky to use.

My BMW's system is absolutely dire and I now never use it, I just use the TomTom.

I was thinking about a Columbus system, however the steep cost of it put me off. I'd say keep the Tom Tom, it's smaller & easy to remove and update.

If you want to have BT fitted, then you can always ask Ben (shark_90), who's just up the road in Mansfield to fit a BT module for you. He installed one in mine for around £350, you could get a secondhand Bolero for around £300, that still leaves you at least £50 to the good, which is a ¾ tank of go go juice.

was thinking about the bolero option, but again it is silly silly money, just to get the bluetooth to work, like i said before, the bluetooth module is the same price as a decent pioneer touchscreen stereo and that is without the seperate price of buying the bolero !! i just dont know how they can justify these silly prices when the aftermarket stuff, is normally far superior, for a lot lot less money.....

Well you asked for our opinions, at the end of the day when it comes to trading in, you'll probably get a better valuation with OEM kit, that one with non-standard kit such as the unit you've said about. Also the BT has to be wired in & activated via VCDS, so I don't know how easy that will be to do.

It's worth paying that little extra for the OEM stuff, knowing that it's fully compatible with the cars electronics & will work seamlessly than do it piecemeal. OK at the end of the day it's your money & your choice, but do think carefully about your choice.

Tom Tom all the way, thats what i say!

Tom Tom - 7 figure postcode.

OEM satnav - 4

nuff said

dill

(with a TT on a Brodit bracket on the dash)

columbus saves having a tomtom or similar stuck on the windscreen with a lead trailing accross the dash. i find my tom tom hard to use unless i take it off the windscreen and the new mounts tomtom use are a pain to get thw tomtom clipped back on.

as for the 4digit post code ive not really found it a problem i can always find the destination and it gets me there just fine. i can use my mfsw to adjust the navy whilst the difrections come up on the maxidot.

worth the 500 to retrofit in my opinion!

o not to mention my tomtom live requires me to pay monthly for the traffic updates at 7quid a month where as the columbus does it for free and so far has been as good if not better than my tom tom live xl iq routes.

TomTom or Garmin all the way.

For me, the only advantage to the Columbus is that you are getting an integrated solution but it has many more negatives. For me the main negative is that it's too far out of my line of sight to be looking down all the time - I much prefer my Garmin unit stuck up on the dash or windscreen closer to my line of sight. Then there's the better maps and routing software, plus add ons like speed camera's and other POIs.

If integration is the main reason for getting a Columbus then I'd consider on paying out for someone to professionally fit your TomTom - even Halfords will do this for you, and it's a lot cheaper that a Columbus. I managed to wire mine in in around 30mins. I'm more than happy with my Bolero and Garmin

Garmin or TomTom, easily. My previous car had an MFD2 and I don't miss it whatsoever.

Even better if you get some electrics installed into the dash storage live I've done, no more wires on show

columbus saves having a tomtom or similar stuck on the windscreen with a lead trailing accross the dash. i find my tom tom hard to use unless i take it off the windscreen and the new mounts tomtom use are a pain to get thw tomtom clipped back on.

Yes, the standard TomTom mount is rubbish, but you can get an excellent aftermarket mount for about £10 on ebay.

o not to mention my tomtom live requires me to pay monthly for the traffic updates at 7quid a month where as the columbus does it for free and so far has been as good if not better than my tom tom live xl iq routes.

I got a TomTom TMC receiver for £9.99 (again, off ebay) and the data is free, as with Columbus.

TomTom LIVE is a subscription service which provides loads of additional data (e.g. weather, petrol prices) - that comes in at a subscription of £47.50 a year.

You ought to try a Tom Tom 750 mount! Apply it, turn it until it clicks & it's on there, it will not budge an inch. Even when you turn it to release it you have a fight!

Garmin or TomTom, easily. My previous car had an MFD2 and I don't miss it whatsoever.

Even better if you get some electrics installed into the dash storage live I've done, no more wires on show

Hey Dodgy, where do you live? I just want to know so I can avoid it as you've got a frosted windscreen!

what are your opinons on this ? would i need a bluetooth module for this ?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SKODA-DVD-GPS-PLAYER-OCTAVIA-FABIA-PRAKTIK-ROOMSTER-/360287616547?pt=UK_Audio_TV_Electronics_In_Car_Entertainment_GPS_In_Car_Audio_Players_PP

My Tom tom 720 T even reads out or displays your Text messages on screen a built in sat nav is obsolete immediately :no:

Edited 15 August, 201015 yr by bluvrs2

You ought to try a Tom Tom 750 mount! Apply it, turn it until it clicks & it's on there, it will not budge an inch. Even when you turn it to release it you have a fight!

thats the one im on about but to clip the tom tom to it rubbish, sure its stuck to the windscreen like nothing else.

Or just get both i've got the columbus as it doesnt clutter up my window and leave round rings everywhere. The Tomtom for the slk for emergencies.

tom tom and parrot forme, works well

Tom Tom every time, Ive had a Superb with built in sat nav & I have it in the Zed, complete waste of money IMO.

Tom tom you can always update & there are so many things youi can add from "safety cameras" to Shell Garage locations.

Just an example of what fixed sat nav cant do.

We broke down in France, dropped the car off with a dealer in Avignon, stored the dealer as a favourite & set off across france in the renter , a week later car ready, picked out the location & drove back & we still had sat nav in the renter.

Ive got stuck trying to find somewhere in a city & just taken the sat nav out of the car & walked through the pedestrian precincts with it, probably looked a bit odd but I got to the meeting on time.

Edited 16 August, 201015 yr by Stuart_J

Hey Dodgy, where do you live? I just want to know so I can avoid it as you've got a frosted windscreen!

Ah, the power of the GIMP

Edited 16 August, 201015 yr by Dodgy

toying with the idea of a touchsreen stereo for my vrs. i really like the columbus but it is exspensive, with the bluetooth box as well, im am looking at near on £800.... :no: i could go for a decent touchscreen pioneer, like the avh-3200bt, which has bluetooth built in, so im not messing around with boxes under the seat, etc etc, and it only costs £360 and keep my tom tom 940.

my question is are the factory fit sat nav maps as good as the tom toms ?

Ive had both a TOM TOm ONE and now a Columbus,and I love the Columbus its more than a Sat Nav , A very versitile unit and competant in all asspects Sdcard Cd and Radio ,one slight problem is the female voice we feel has a slight speech impediment , it bothers my wife more than me but it makes a journey quite intreresting.

one slight problem is the female voice we feel has a slight speech impediment , it bothers my wife more than me but it makes a journey quite intreresting.

My first Navman used to say 'perform a U-turn as thoon as pothible'

If you use your MFD3/Columbus with the SD destinations function you don't need to worry about the lack of 7-digit postcode functions

Use this website

http://www.vw.com/vwhype/navcompanion/en/us/

Put your destination postcode in, and then save the result onto an SD card. When you open up the navigation function on the Columbus click on the SD destinations option, and it will come up with a list of the destinations you've saved - much easier than a TomTom

If you use your MFD3/Columbus with the SD destinations function you don't need to worry about the lack of 7-digit postcode functions

Use this website

http://www.vw.com/vwhype/navcompanion/en/us/

Put your destination postcode in, and then save the result onto an SD card. When you open up the navigation function on the Columbus click on the SD destinations option, and it will come up with a list of the destinations you've saved - much easier than a TomTom

That's all very cool and that, but not exactly 'easier than TomTom'! Unless you're carrying a laptop with you and a 3g card

I'd say Bolero, with TomTom mounted via a proper Brodit mount and bracket, plus a USB charge cable hardwired in.

That's why I'll be doing again anyway :yes:

I don't see why manufacturers keep trying to re-invent the wheel with in-car solutions. Why not just make use of TomTom/Garmin internals for the nav? Like Renault are starting to do. At least then you're not paying more for the in-car solution, but actually getting less in the way of features