Anybody any thoughts about which is the best SATNAV? I'm talking dash mounted here, not factory fitted. I can't make my mind up between Garmin & TomTom (only serious contenders)?.

It must have:-

Large screen -min 5inches

Updatable speed camera locations

Full European mapping

Preferably live Traffic reports.

 

Googling only confounds the issue with equal numbers supporting both major players.

What do you think Garmin or TomTom & which model?

 

Also any horror stories or humorous situations using a SATNAV?

 

TOM TOM with Live, traffic info is great.

 

 No experience with anything else though.

I've had a Garmin for six years now, it's been utterly reliable and is very well built.  I'd have another one without question.

 

Don't think that you'll go far wrong with a Tom Tom either though.  Tom Tom and Garmin seem to be joint market leaders.

Halfords have an offer on a Garmin at the moment, 50% off with free for life map updates

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_944609_langId_-1_categoryId_165685#tab2

 

or for another 30 there's this

 

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_875509_langId_-1_categoryId_165685

Oh, and live traffic is absolutely essential in my mind.  My Garmin has this (it one was of the first to have it) and it's been brilliant, rerouting me several times meaning that I've avoided serious traffic congestion.  Check that the traffic facility is free for life; it is on the Garmin, not sure whether it is or not on the Tom Tom.

Another great thing about the Garmin is that you can get this dashboard mount which just sits on the dashboard:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Universal-Friction-Mount-700/dp/B000LRMS66/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1386502799&sr=8-2&keywords=garmin+mount

 

You can get mounts to fix your sat nav to bikes as well:  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Garmin-Out-front-Bike-Mount-Edge/dp/B0096855IO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386502799&sr=8-1&keywords=garmin+mount

tomtom is more expensive overall as you pay a yearly subscription for map updates (about £30). I use a tomtom and compared to garmin's I find it less fiddly and more simple to use. 

 

I'd go for tomtom my self everytime 

Personally, I'd go for something like the TomTom Go 6000 or GO 5000, which include life time traffic and maps updates. They are not cheap, but my recent experiences with the previous model Go Live 1005 are fantastic.

 

It guided me and SWMBO around Belgium, Germany and Austria for a couple of weeks, never missed a beat or a traffic hold up. The European maps are spot on and the POI database and searches never let us down whether searching for petrol stations, hotels and even supermarkets.

 

We even got a good laugh at the efforts of the computer generated speech to pronounce some of the foreign place names.

If you have a smartphone, you could look to see what Sat Nav options exist for it. Combine it with a decent dash or windscreen mount that can charge your phone and you'll have a great combined solution. Mounts are quite cheap and generally speaking the Sat Nav App itself is cheaper than a dedicated standalone unit.

 

I've used Navigon (now owned by Garmin) on Android and iPhones and find it excellent, with speed camera and live traffic alerting added in, as well as parking, weather and fuel prices displayed for the destination of each journey. You can then purchase 'Fresh Maps' to keep the maps up-to-date.

 

The maps are all downloaded and stored on your phone offline, so it's not reliant on any sort of Internet connection to work.

 

With a charging mount, you'll have a really good Sat Nav solution, your phone will be charging as you go and if needed you can switch to a 'walking mode' to continue your journey on foot. It also integrates with your phones contact list, so any addresses saved are a couple of clicks away, rather than having to type the address in from scratch.

 

But... this does depend on you having a modern smartphone, so may not be a viable option.

^^^^ Damn good idea!

I've used Navigon (now owned by Garmin) on Android and iPhones and find it excellent

 

Do you still use Navigon? I have looked online in the Android Store and it doesn't seem to get the best of reviews?

 

I have got a Samsung Galaxy S3.

Yeah I do, I've only recently stopped using it as much as I now have Sat Nav built into my headunit. I still find it great, but how it stacks up to others I don't know, I bought it a long time ago and have used it solely since.

 

TomTom and Garmin have Sat Nav Apps as well, so if the reviews or price are favourable I'd go with the one that feels right to you. But Navigon still seems great to me - it's routing is good, it updates based on traffic before and during a journey, the maps look good and are clear and concise, it has Google Street View built in so it shows a 'real' photo when you get to your destination, speed camera and speed alerts are useful (it can prompt you when you go over the speed limit by a user-selected amount, which is handy)... it's all good stuff.

 

You also have a number of in-App purchases to extend it's functionality. 'Camper and Caravan' routing, for instance, to avoid roads not suitable for such vehicles. 'Urban Guidance' which integrates public transport into the pedestrian navigation. Even enhanced petrol station guidance, which shows LPG, Biogas etc filling stations as well.

 

It may well be the case that all Navigons competitors do the same or more, but I'd certainly find it hard to criticise Navigon or give it a bad review. I've used it extensively in the UK and once on a holiday in Spain and it has never let me down.

The Tom-Tom app is highly recommended... http://www.tomtom.com/en_gb/products/your-drive/smartphone-navigation/android/tomtom-navigation-for-android/index.jsp