Sat Nav in C180

[Pontyprop]

Hi Guys,
I took delivery of my nearly new W203 Estate Auto about 6 weeks ago, and am very pleased with it as you will imagine.
It isn't fitted with a Command system, so I'm thinking of getting a free-standing sat nav unit.
My target price is about £150, so anyone got any advice, - Tom Tom/Garmin/whatever, and best mounting arrangement?
Is a windscreen sucker the only, or best way or are there are other recommendations?
Appreciate any tips

 

[jberks]

For value for money and general useability the tomtom isn't the market leader for nothing. If like most of us, you need a satnav one journey in 50, just clip it to the screen, pop the lead in the power socket and you're away.
I prefer mine on the rhs of the dash in line with the cluster but so long as it isn't in the direct line of sight it should be fine. Not sure about the 203 but the fire extinguisher housing in the driver's seat is perfect for storing a tomtom mount and cable on the 211.

 

[Dinnie]

The Gadget show recently did a piece on this, they also recommended Tom Toms. Although I have a Navman F20 and does the job perfectly. I think you need to look at the specs a bit closer to suit your needs, no point spending £150 if you don't know what you are getting.

As with all gadgets, I think most people will find the basic range will be suffice. Some satnavs can be had online for about £85 delivered and they have colour touch screens with windscreen suckers so that does it for most people. You could get one with maps of europe (can be useful if you go there) or bluetooth (why? - probably not that effective as a headset) and camera (allows you to take pics of where you have been so that you can log the pic as a destination - again why?)

Hope this helps.

 

[jpbp200]

best feature I have heard of on a satnav is real time updating of safety cameras via bluetooth phone connection. ie, if your satnav detects a radar operated camera or if you hit the 'camera' button it posts an update to a server which in turn updates all the other devices logged on.... how cool is that! Never mind if you drive fast or not, the application of tecnology is brilliant. Not available on a £150 device.....yet. so unless you want to spend £300, buy a tom tom or a navman.

 

[Ashley H]

If safety camera stuff is important and you don't already have a warning system - Road Angel have a unit that's combined with satnav.

Reviews of the satnav aspect have only been so-so but I understand Road Angel are the best for camera info - the unit has its' own SIM allowing it be permanently up to date. Expensive, of course, I think about £300...

 

[jpbp200]

road angel 7000 about £150 from argos i believe. cameras excellent, guidance so so. you get what you pay for basically. of course units that have their own sim require a subscription to a service provider in order to receive updates. I'm sure that you will be able to find a forum that is dedicated to the finer details should you so wish. Suffice to say, as far as mapping is concerned, navman, believe it or not, has the best maps based on OS datum i believe. Personally I have much experience of marine GPS systems with charts in built and some are so far from the truth it's unreal! sat nav is the same, it's all about the quality of the map data and therfore some are better than others. accuracy is a given, subject to reception so data is the key.....

 

[Pontyprop]

For value for money and general useability the tomtom isn't the market leader for nothing. If like most of us, you need a satnav one journey in 50, just clip it to the screen, pop the lead in the power socket and you're away.
I prefer mine on the rhs of the dash in line with the cluster but so long as it isn't in the direct line of sight it should be fine. Not sure about the 203 but the fire extinguisher housing in the driver's seat is perfect for storing a tomtom mount and cable on the 211.

Anyone have any comments about the Medion unit advertised by Aldi last week?
For £ 150 you get 4.3 inch touch screen, European maps, free lifetime access to traffic updates/rerouting feature etc.
I had a Medion PDA/Satnav in my last car, but the GPRS gizmo/PDA connector was hardwired so couldn't be used out of car nor transferred to my Merc.