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Satellite Navigation Buyers Guide

There are so many SatNavs to choose from on the market now, so I thought you might be interested in these notes to help you choose the right SatNav for you!

1. Buy a SatNav with full UK and full European mapping, buying a SatNav with these maps pre-installed saves a fortune, as adding them later is very costly. Even if you think you will never go abroad with your car, you may well change your mind in the future!

2. If you want to use your Bluetooth enabled mobile in the car think seriously about buying a SatNav with intergrated Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls. Hands-free calling lets you keep both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road, while your mobile phone uses your GPS to let you dial, answer and talk.

3. Make sure the SatNav has the latest up to date maps pre-installed, as upgrading the maps is not always free!

4. Make sure the SatNav has full 7/8 digit UK postcode search facility, for really accurate address location.

5. Think about the size of your windscreen in your car before you buy a massive 5" widescreen model, it may well impede your view of the road! (in a Mini or Fiat 500!) A 3.5" screen on a SatNav is more than adequate for navigation and remember too much information onscreen may well stop you looking at the road ahead. You still have to drive safely, the SatNav does not do this for you!

6. Well known brands are best. You get what you pay for, unknown makes of SatNav may not perform as you would like, and the manufacturer may not offer full product support.

7. Think seriously about buying a SatNav with generous onboard storage(memory), for saving POIs, lots of addresses and updating maps. A card slot for SD cards is a must, especially as upgrading this type of extra memory is incredibly cheap now. A 2GB SD card costs under Ł15!

8. Think about the power supply. Sounds silly but you need to check that the power lead will work in your car (do you even have a cigarette/power socket?) and that it will reach, some system have a very short power lead. Then there are the battery powered units, these may be useful if you swap the unit between cars for short journeys and can't be bothered to de rig the power lead each time. You should expect a battery that will run for at least 4 hours.

9. Touch screen enabled SatNavs are the easiest to use, and avoid having lots of buttons.

10. Think about buying a SatNav with built in Traffic updates, especially if it is offered free via RDS!

11. Speed camera warning integration is a nice feature but you may well not feel you need it!

12. A SatNav with nicely designed clear, onscreen graphics, that you can quickly read and understand is very important, if it looks right to you it is right!

Lastly, never, ever leave your car with your SatNav stuck on full view on the windscreen or dashboard, it may well not be there on your return!