Sat Nav help

[jen_uk]

I'm going to be driving for the first time this year and I definetely want a sat nav, I'm not sure whether to hire one or buy one though? I think it would work out about £140 to hire one so I can't help thinking I may as well buy one. WHat do you think? If I buy am I better buying one here or buying over there? Can I buy a cheap one and then download the USA map onto it?

Answers greatly appreciated!!

 

[wayneg]

If you buy here you can enter all your faves before leaving but buy there its cheaper, Walmart have the Tom Tom one at $99 about £75 last time I checked.
I bought an almost new PDA of ebay with US/Canada maps, bluetooth gps for under £30 last year, the write up was very vague but I knew exacly what it was and what I wanted, a better desciption it would have sold for £150+

 

[stoneyloon]

Get a second hand one off ebay and sell it on there when you get back - you won't lose more than a tenner that way......

 

[jen_uk]

If I buy one here will it work there as well as an American one?

 

[wayneg]

I have never used one specifically made for US market, but my PDA with TomTom maps has been faultless in Florida, Vegas, SanDiego & Los Angeles.

 

[jen_uk]

I have never used one specifically made for US market, but my PDA with TomTom maps has been faultless in Florida, Vegas, SanDiego & Los Angeles.

Thanks Wayne

 

[Shazzie B]

We bought a Tom Tom 1 in Jan for about £80.00 (Argos or Halfords did them at this price) with UK maps. South USA maps (Florida etc) cost £40.00 from Tom Tom when I last looked. That's what we plan to do. Cheaper than renting and got it to use here too.

It will probably be cheaper to buy in America but if you buy it here you can get 'used to it' and use for your journey from the airport.

When do you go-we don't go until August-but I can let you know how we get on if it's any use.

 

[Shazzie B]

Ah, just seen your 'Ticker' we go after you!

 

[Danauk]

We take our TomTom with us when we go to the USA. We make sure we have the latest maps downloaded onto it and it has always served us very well and never got us lost (including last summer when we drove around lots of back streets in Hollywood to get to the various studios). I wouldn't drive in the USA without it now.

 

[stoneyloon]

That's definitely an advantage of getting a new machine - in date maps!
I forgot to update last time in Florida and had to get an "escape pass" because it took me through Universal!!!!!

We take our TomTom with us when we go to the USA. We make sure we have the latest maps downloaded onto it and it has always served us very well and never got us lost (including last summer when we drove around lots of back streets in Hollywood to get to the various studios). I wouldn't drive in the USA without it now.

 

[jen_uk]

That's definitely an advantage of getting a new machine - in date maps!
I forgot to update last time in Florida and had to get an "escape pass" because it took me through Universal!!!!!

 

[wicket2005]

It makes more sense to buy one and use it on future trips or just in this country. I have the Tom Tom One and bought the USA maps, works fine in both countries.

 

[jns]

if you buy one in the US can you not get the maps for europe as well added

 

[wicket2005]

On my version of the Tom Tom One, don't know what the new versions are like, but the map info is stored on SD cards, so you just pop the card in that has the map you want.

 

[rotothread]

Can anyone recommend which tomtom to get?

 

[wicket2005]

A few years ago I just went for the basic Tom Tom One with Uk maps, I then bought the USA maps to add to it. It has been fine. Nowadays the Tom Toms have a lot more features like traffic alert, safety cameras and the like so I would check to see if any of them are important to you. Otherwise price up the basic Tom Tom with an additional USA map and the Tom Tom that comes with UK and USA maps to see what the difference is.

 

[jen_uk]

A few years ago I just went for the basic Tom Tom One with Uk maps, I then bought the USA maps to add to it. It has been fine. Nowadays the Tom Toms have a lot more features like traffic alert, safety cameras and the like so I would check to see if any of them are important to you. Otherwise price up the basic Tom Tom with an additional USA map and the Tom Tom that comes with UK and USA maps to see what the difference is.

A basic Tom Tom is around £130ish, their website says the USA maps are about £45 so thats alot cheaper than buying the expensive Tom Tom which has the maps included as its about £375 for that one

Thanks for the advice

 

[21stcenturygal]

Don't know if it helps and I haven't used them yet but I have hired a Tomtom 910 USA & Canada from www.cheapsatnavhire.co.uk for when we go for 3 weeks in July. We will be paying £55.99 for 24 days and they also do a Tomtom One which came out at £45.77 for the same period.

 

[Red-Snapper]

Dont hire one from the rental car agency.

We made this mikstake a few years ago (Dollar) and found out in the small print that they make you fully responsible for loss or damage and the satnav is specifically excluded from the insurance on the car.

Spent the two weeks with it either locked in the hotel safe or guarded it with our lives whenever we took it out - not fun.