Next time you buy a car - will you care if it has Sat Nav?

[Zak33]

I ask because nav apps are so effective now, I've not needed Nav for 2 years and the private cars I have access too, dont have such effective Nav as I'd expect from my phone !

Older cars have older maps - they're updatable but what's the point when your mobi does it so well

and

I attempted to used a Skoda 68 plate Nav for a 500 mile weekend journey recently and it was utter crap. Honestly... it wasn't worth the screen it was taking space up on. It's ability to actualyl go shortest route was pitiful.

Waze and Google maps both kicked its butt.

So... for me.. I think the next car I get I will be looking for one without nav!

[kalniel]

Never did before, still won't. Phone mirroring functionality would be a plus.

[Ttaskmaster]

Always had an aftermarket one for the bike.
Always used phone for the car, and even more so lately as I now have ridiculous amounts of data in my contract.
Always ended up ignoring the wife's stoopid Garmin (I told her to buy TomTom, but this one was £5 cheaper) and using our phones in the end.

Not often a fan of having big display screens on the dash like that anyway, as they're often poorly implemented into the interior design.

[DanceswithUnix]

We have fitted an aftermarket Android head unit to the wife's MX5, so in a way she has upgraded it to Nav but in the form of Waze. Why? Her phone mount fell off whilst driving in the dark where it wasn't convenient to stop and dig it back out from under the seat. There also isn't any worry that the phone's battery isn't charging. She loves it. I did get a 4G to WiFi USB powered dongle so the car has its own WiFi so we don't have to bother with using a phone as a portable hotspot, though some might prefer to use their phone's data.

Recent models (the last two years) of the car I have come with Android Auto, but mine is too old for that. Has still been a useful backup when my phone has crashed on the way home and a couple of screen taps gets me on the car's navigation.

[Smudger]

You can't really avoid built-in sat-nav these days, but having used Android Auto in a borrowed car last year, I'd much prefer that. I had a choice of Waze or Google maps, and it worked really well. The only annoying part was having to plug in and unplug several times to get the head unit to pick up the phone correctly. Not sure if it was the car's fault or my phone, but as it was a Peugeot, I know what I suspect. Luckily, the new car we're getting soon has AA, so look forward to getting into arguments with the wife about that, rather than the in-built facility.

Edit: I also have a TomTom unit that I used to use before we got a car with Sat Nav, and couldn't fault it, especially when you're going into an Average Speed area, with it telling you what your average has been so far, so you can see what leeway you've got. Alas, it's been 'tidied' so I don't know where it is now.

[Saracen999]

No, it won't have built-in SatNav. The last thing I want in a car is any sort of built-in SatNav. After-market for me, every time. If it's standard, I want it deleted, or I buy a different car.

[Spud1]

Yes I care - when I am driving my phone stays in my pocket or coat, out of sight - and tbh thats where they should stay. Despite the penalties and danger I still see 10s of people every day on their phone whilst I commute (a massive 5 miles..) and it drives me mad.

In-car sat navs are a lot better these days and most are pretty up to date, and if you are buying a new car you will more than likely have Android Auto or CarPlay which allow you to use the very latest naviation wtihout the same risks that you get from using your phone (in default settings, I know they can be bypassed).

[Saracen999]

Yes I care - when I am driving my phone stays in my pocket or coat, out of sight - and tbh thats where they should stay. Despite the penalties and danger I still see 10s of people every day on their phone whilst I commute (a massive 5 miles..) and it drives me mad.

In-car sat navs are a lot better these days and most are pretty up to date, and if you are buying a new car you will more than likely have Android Auto or CarPlay which allow you to use the very latest naviation wtihout the same risks that you get from using your phone (in default settings, I know they can be bypassed).

Some good points

But for me, a 3rd-party SatNav only goes in the car when I actually need it, which is not most of the time. Entirely agree about idiots driving and using their phone, though. If I'm driving, my phone either stays off ir, to be honest, most of the time it stays at home.

[TeePee]

I use my phone to send the destination to the car, so that I have the heads up display for directions.

[point blank]

I use my in car one for local journeys but if I am going on longer runs I use my TomTom which has upto date maps and live traffic. To update the maps in my car costs an arm and a leg for one update and I refuse to pay it.

[Hoonigan]

My current car has the sat-nav built into the instrument cluster as one large LCD display. It's by far the most intuitive place to put it and rarely is it any less accurate than Google. That leaves the dashboard available for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.



My next car will definitely want to have satnav. Currently eyeing up an i30 N but I don't know if I'm keen on the "iPad glued to the top of the dashboard".

[Macman]

BMW 118 - Just use my phone, before I set off I put in my destination and start it and has worked without fail every time. At a cost, I could buy a replacement but at a cost of £300-£400? No thanks.

Merc C250 - Has built in Sat Nav but again, phone/google maps beats it. There is a slight delay on the in car version which is difficult if you are in an area that you aren't familiar with at peak times.

When and if we change either car, probably the Merc. Having built-in sat nav or not isn't going to be a factor. It'll be down to how it looks overall, comfort and perhaps running costs.

[kalniel]

Currently eyeing up an i30 N but I don't know if I'm keen on the "iPad glued to the top of the dashboard".

You'd probably get used to it, but yes, I agree - I'm a stickler for well integrated interiors and your golf is a great example. I hear the next golf has gone all touch screen based which is a terrible decision for climate control etc.

[peterb]

No, I use a portable Garmin nuvi that has lifetime map updates.

[Dashers]

Built in sat nav is useful. And whilst the virtual cockpit idea is fantastic, the idea of upgrading that in the future looks impossible.

I'd like to seem some standards come out for after-market upgrades.

What I am surprised not to have seen become more common place is accident cameras as options. So many people buy dash cams now, seems sensible to have an integrated option.

[Zak33]

You'd probably get used to it, but yes, I agree - I'm a stickler for well integrated interiors and your golf is a great example. I hear the next golf has gone all touch screen based which is a terrible decision for climate control etc.

the 68 plate Octavia is all touch screen... utter crap. Smeared screen even with the cleanest of fingers, light reflecting off it from every angle. Hated it