Help on sat nav choice please

[rovermorris999]

I've just changed cars and had a built-in dvd sat nav (kenwood I believe) in the old car. It was great, seemed much nicer to use than any portable unit I've seen, helped no doubt by the large 6 or 7'' screen.
My new car has an Alpine touch screen head unit (IVAW200R) which can be fitted with an Alpine dvd satnav, which would be great. But it runs at about £1k fitted, although it looks like a superb bit of kit.
So my question is, is there a large screen portable out there that will have similar functionality? I can't be doing with piddly 3 or 4'' screens so it's got to be bigger than that. The main drawbacks I can see with a portable are no auto muting of the music system when it gives directions and the attractiveness to thieves. And they look naff. But still, £1k for an Alpine system is a fair bit so maybe I can live with it. (But I know what I really want!)
I've spent a while trawling through specifications on various models and they all sound wonderful, but they would, wouldn't they?
Should I cough up £1k for the elegant solution or keep the wife happier? Any ideas folks?

[rovermorris999]

I forgot to add, the Alpine satnav is a model 099.

[gmarks1]

Hi - Have you considered the Pioneer AVIC F500BT. It's available on the internet for around £440, and provides a more integrated approach to portable navigation.



AVIC-F500BT - Portable Complete Multimedia System.

The AVIC-F500BT lets you add fast, accurate and reliable navigation features and extended entertainment options to your car without having to change your existing audio system.

Designed to integrate with virtually any factory audio system, the AVIC-F500BT "sits" on your dashboard, relaying route guidance, phone conversations and audio through your car speakers, acting as a gateway to bring you:

Reliable, accurate navigation with traffic alerts (TMC)
Bluetooth compatibility, to give you wireless, safe phone use whilst driving
A complete entertainment hub with iPod, USB and SD-card compastibility
Increased safety with voice guidance and Text-To-Speech support
AVIC-F500BT will get you to your destination safely. The 5.8inch touch screen with large, intuitive menu items makes operation quick and easy. And of course, the screen is portable (with battery included). So you can switch between cars, too.

Due to the powerful processor, you can even enjoy your iPod tunes, for example, whilst simultaneously using the navigation features.

Parrot Bluetooth phone interface is also included. Your mobile phone can be left anywhere in your car and your contacts will be displayed and accessible via the touch screen.

AVIC-F500BT Features


Map Type, Pre-installed on 2GB (NAND) flash memory
Navigation Coverage, 33 European Countries, including elevation 3D maps
Points of Interest (POI), 1.5 million plus custom POI creator
Touch Screen Operation
5.8 inch high resolution WVGA on-dash display
Bluetooth - Parrot Bluetooth Module
Customisable Start-up Screen
TMC Traffic Info Receiver
MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, MPEG 4 Playback
Voice Guidance (20 Languages)
SD Card/USB compatible
Portable Screen

Audio

MOSFET 50 W x 4 Amplifier

Connectivity

iPod Control (via optional CD-IU200VM connector)
USB Control
Reverse Camera Input (optional)
Side Aux Input
1 RCA AV Input (mini-jack)
1 RCA AV Output (mini-jack)
SD Memory Card slot
1 Video Input for back-up camera

[rovermorris999]

That looks interesting, many thanks, I'll look into it.

[Lancerlot]

gmarks1 said:

Hi - Have you considered the Pioneer AVIC F500BT. It's available on the internet for around £440, and provides a more integrated approach to portable navigation......

Is there a speed camera locator?

[notax]

Sounds great - but has anyone used it? Is the satnav as good and easy to use as a TOMTOM for example?