Hi everyone,
I am looking at buying at GPS Navigation for my car. I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions from experience. I'm not looking at spending too much.
Thanks.
Which GPS for car?
LBestie on 28/07/2014 - 09:07
Comments
I bought an older TomTom for $99 from DSE a year or so back. It's like the little girl in the old nursery rhyme - when it's good, it's very very good and when it's bad it's horrid!
The good:
* If I divert from the calculated route (say I spot a potential traffic snarl/roadblock or think I know a shortcut), it instantly and automagically recalculates a route from wherever I happen to be.The bad:
* Sometimes the calculated route is a round-about way when a shorter, more direct route is possible.
* No matter how many times I try to select an alternative voice, the default 'well-spoken British woman" is always my guide.
* The touchscreen is relatively insensitive, which can be a hazard at times.
Do not, under any circumstances, buy any GPS unit that does not have free lifetime map updates!
My family have three Garmin Nuvi units between us, and we're all happy with them. I've also owned a Navman before, and it was okay, but the Garmin units are better, in my opinion.
I have a "T" model Garmin, which includes traffic updates. It's not worth paying extra for this function.
One of our Garmin units was on sale at JB HiFi for just $79, with lifetime maps, so bargains are available.
TomTom units seem to have the most "novelty" voices (like Homer Simpson and so on), but that's all I know about them. Anyway, I prefer Garmin's Karen voice the best :-)
http://www.fieldtechnologies.com/garmin-gps-systems-the-woma…
By the way, "lifetime maps" doesn't mean forever - the lifetime of a unit ends when the manufacturer says it ends, or when the unit stops working. I wouldn't expect any more than three or four years max.
i kinda disagree with that
its $100-$200 device, i dont expect lifetime support… hell you dont get lifetime support with other cheap electronics so why expect it from a gps
use it for 2-3yrs, get another one, if you get updates fine, no? whatever, buy another one, claim it on tax, hell you can claim one every year if you want
learn to use gpsunderground if you can
i have gravitated to one software supplier and thats Igo… I just like their software so I will try to seek out GPS with that
or use gpsunderground
or use a nexus 7
Got a Tom Tom for $59 worth lifetime free maps. Have always had TomTom, but the others are similar.
Got a smartphone? Install Sygic… off line satnav program .. works just like a good dedicated satnav (voice guidance etc) Not free but good value for money.
The bonus is that you have it with you everywhere you go… :-)If it weren't for probationary license conditions where I can't use a smartphone in the car even for a GPS, I would just get a generic phone holder and use Google Maps. It's free and is actually very, very good!
You need a data connection, though, don't you? And it uses up your data allocation.
Have always used Tomtom due to complains from friends using Navman and Garmin (I think there was another brand to avoid but I can't remember that name).
Used TomTom for about a year now, no complains about it. Only annoying sometimes when it responds a little slower in the city or under shelter (I think most do). Occasionally it shows me travelling 50-100m out of but parallel to the road.
Have used personally used it in Tasmania, Melbourne and Newzealand. No problems
I actually use Nokia Lumia 520 for my GPS. It can be used offline, and a handy second phone. I think there's one with Telstra prepaid on sale right now at $99 (but locked to Telstra).
When I purchased my vehicle then I had used TomTom GPS system and I found it amazing. Now I am using Garmin. It is also good. You can try any of them. Both are good options.
So far this (Garmin Nuvi 2597LMT 5" GPS Unit) has been the recommended one. I just got 2 myself. Was $134 yesterday from JB Hifi but today it is $168. Maybe try haggle with them.