Going to USA - buy sat nav here or there?

[defblade]

Resisted a satnav for ages now (I can read a map!) but taking a trip to the USA soon, and their version of "map" is... well, less precise than ours I've found in the past. As 2 weeks satnav hire would cost more than a blinkin' tomtom, I may as well give in and buy one.

Better to get one here and load USA maps, or are they cheaper enough over there to be worth buying one when we get there?

Thanks in advance for your help folks

[nickwilcock]

Well, it rather depends on what you're going to do with the SatNav after you get home to the UK, I would say - and whether you'll be visiting the US often enough to consider buying a map update subscription service.

The SatNav itself may well be cheaper in the US, but then you'll need to decide whether you are going to buy one which includes pre-loaded European maps - or buy a European mapping SD card when you get back. It is possible to buy some Garmin models which have both North American and European mapping pre-loaded, but they can be quite expensive.

Trying to work out which model bests suits your needs can be quite difficult. Do you want a basic unit - or one with Bluetooth, 3-D mapping, traffic information (is it the same in the US as in the EU?), multi-point routeing and 'lane assist'?

I would certainly buy rather than rent from the hire car place - you'll often be rented a unit with out of date mapping.

One advantage of buying an EU model here, plus additional US mapping on an SD card, is that you'll have a chance to become familiar with the user interface before you arrive. And you can pre-load your hotel before leaving. It can be quite awkward to have to work out how to load your destination in an unfamiliar SatNav after a transatlantic flight and 2 hours stuck in the TSA/Customs queue....

Remember that if you intend to bring back any other shopping, that the limit using normal airlines is now £390 before you have to pay customes duty and import VAT to HMRC.

I only visit the US / Canada perhaps once or twice a year. So I just buy the latest available North American mapping SD card before I go.

[defblade]

A fairly basic one.... I'll probably just get it here as much for ease of returns if there's a problem with it as anything.

I did ride a motorbike a fair bit, but just can't bring myself to £500 for something I don't really need... I'd prefer a big clear screen and tankbag with a map window, I think.

[nickwilcock]

I've just been looking at 'bike-friendly' SatNavs and they do seem a lot more expensive than car SatNavs.... Presumably because they have to be rather more robust and resistant to the elements than units designed for in-car use.

Garmin zumos seem to be getting rather mixed reviews.

[waremark]

I took my Tomtom Go 950 (which includes on board US mapping) to the States and it did a good job for me. I was certainly happy not to be using an unfamiliar unit when navigating from airport to downtown hotel. I once rented a satnav (in San Francisco) and found it pretty useless, though that was a while ago and I expect most rental companies would rent something better nowadays.

My top of the range device may be only a fraction better than a cheaper model, but at the relatively low price of these devices I think it is worth buying the top of the range anyway; the US mapping was an incidental benefit.

[audidoody]

I've been researching the same thing. I have a Nokia with Ovi Maps but would prefer a stand-alone product for the US. The solution I have found is to buy a Mio Navman as you can RENT a US map for about £13 which is valid for a month after activation.


http://eu.mio.com/shop/index.php?cPath=34_78&f...

[audidoody]

I've been researching the same thing. I have a Nokia with Ovi Maps but would prefer a stand-alone product for the US. The solution I have found is to buy a Mio Navman as you can RENT a US map for about £13 which is valid for a month after activation.


http://eu.mio.com/shop/index.php?cPath=34_78&f...