Sat Nav Buyers Guide
Picking a sat nav is going to be a challenge, especially with technology changing almost daily.When The Mad Motorist was picking his sat nav years ago, he felt quite frustrated at the choices he had to make. So, here's his expert guide to picking.
Screen size
Obviously, the bigger the screen size, the easier it will be to read, especially when driving.
POIs
All sat navs contain POIs, otherwise owners would die of boredom from inputting thousands of petrol stations, supermarkets and hotels into the memory. Be aware that some of these will just be approximations, so keep your eyes open when you get there.
Maps
Sat navs sold in the UK have a UK road map built in as standard. Some will also include European maps, either built in or available on a memory card. Obviously European maps are only going to be useful if you make regular trips abroad.
Sat Nav Aerials
Modern sat navs have built in aerials. But in some cars this may not be enough. Some cars, such as Renaults or Citroens, have infra-red reflective windscreens. These can be spotted easily as they generally have a slight blue tint to them. Other cars may have heated windscreens, which can be spotted by thin vertical lines within the glass.
Windscreen Mounts
All sat navs are sold with some form of mounting for use in a car. Normally, this is a mounting to affix the satnav to the inside of the windscreen.
When fixing the sat nav to your windshield, remember to make sure it doesn’t block your field of vision. Quite apart from looking silly, it can be dangerous and should the Police spot it, you might be “strongly urged” to reposition it, or worse...
Some satnav manufacturers, as well as aftermarket manufacturers like Belkin, also offer dashboard mounts for sat navs. These are far safer and less likely to attract the attentions of the Police or road safety campaigners.