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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to pay £750 for built in sat nav in new car?

107 replies

Honeybooboo123 · 03/02/2018 21:00

given that I could just use my phone... it's an expensive i hadn't budgeted into for new car, but it seems silly to have the lovely touch screen but no sat nav installed? Thoughts?

OP posts:
DGRossetti · 04/02/2018 11:34

I can also use google maps through the car screen on my phone.

Android Auto ?

Jaygee61 · 04/02/2018 11:36

My in car one in my Audi A3 is excellent.

givemesteel · 04/02/2018 11:46

Going against the general grain but I wouldn't buy a car without one having hot one now which I use all the time.

Dh also put one of those windscreen cradles for your phone in the car but (a) on small so it's always a strain to reach it (b) the bloody thing falls off quite a lot and (c) having GPS on phone drains my battery (even if I have it plugged in) so I always get to the destination with a depleted phone battery.

I wouldn't buy a new car again, not worth it, but I'd only consider second hand ones with a sat nav included, and Bluetooth.

givemesteel · 04/02/2018 11:46

*I'm small

SoupDragon · 04/02/2018 11:49

and the dash board display saves looking away from the road.

Surely if you’re looking at the dashboard you aren’t looking at the road? My satnav sits in the corner of the windscreen and that still involves glancing away from the road to look at it.

HisBetterHalf · 04/02/2018 11:52

I have an incar one, beats my previous TomToms and Garmins hands down

canihaveacoffeeplease · 04/02/2018 11:54

Use it as a bargaining chip. I got it for free along with the fancy screen etc in my new mini. You have to be prepared to bargain really hard though (DH did it for me, I'm a total wimp when it comes to things like that!)

MatildaTheCat · 04/02/2018 11:56

Depends on the system. Mine is Honda and brilliant and easy to use. DH has an Audi and it’s the most infuriating bastard. It simply will NOT allow you to enter the postcode in full. BMW are the same so I suspect it’s a German feature that works in Germany but not here.

MatildaTheCat · 04/02/2018 11:56

And yes, bargain to get it reduced or thrown in. Are you part exchanging?

They want the sale.

somewhereovertherain · 04/02/2018 12:11

Apple Car play.

Sloegin2 · 04/02/2018 12:14

I've got a Ford - the satnav didn't cost that much but is totally worth it. I'd pay £750 to keep it.

kmc1111 · 04/02/2018 12:19

If it's a brand new car I'd expect it to have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in which case a $5 USB cord will get you sat nav on your screen.

I definitely wouldn't buy built in sat nav for any price if it didn't include free software updates, ideally over the air. My car has that and it's great, but it updates itself regularly overnight, at no cost. If $750 doesn't get you that, you're paying a ton of money for something that'll be obselete and a nuisance in just a couple of years, if that.

AgnesSkinner · 04/02/2018 12:26

I paid about £170 for a Garmin with North America mapping and lifetime updates, ideal for taking on holiday - it’s way better than any in car sat navs I’ve used.

UndomesticHousewife · 04/02/2018 12:26

I have a new qashqai and it came with it, not sure I would have paid 750 extra I might have just chosen a different car!
I used it a few times but I don’t know how to work it properly and have to figure out how to turn audio on.
But I wouldn’t pay that for it as I don’t go places that I don’t know the way to very often.

SisyphusDad · 04/02/2018 12:40

Save your money and have a decent charging phone cradle fitted. That way you just slot your phone in and use Google Maps or Waze. I've used the Brodit car kits for years without a problem.

Madonnasmum · 04/02/2018 13:33

I've got the screen but no sat nav. It's still useful as it's mega easy to listen to music via my phone, use as hands free, update the clock etc, swap radio stations etc.

TalkinBoutWhat · 04/02/2018 15:50

My car sat nav updates for free. Always has done. I don't particularly love it, but I think it's essential.

I also frequently drive to areas which take me through wi fi dead zones (away games for children's sports) and so the map on the phone loses me. Also, my phone loses charge a lot faster when I use it in low windows areas as it tries to constantly reconnect, so many a time I've run out of charge when out for the day. Just great when you're lost...

TheBrilliantMistake · 04/02/2018 15:56

You can get offline maps for your phone (doesn't need Wifi) and Google maps will allow you to download the maps for your journey to avoid Wifi dropouts.

750.00 for in Car Nav is just one of the many ways the manufacturers and dealers claw more money from you. Other big earners are larger wheels, and leather seats. Absolutely huge markup on these items.
Metallic paint finishes at 600.00 are also a rip-off, but can help residual values. It costs the manufacturer about 10 - 20.00 extra for metallic.

TheBrilliantMistake · 04/02/2018 15:59

You can also buy a far superior dedicated SatNav for about 150.00 and you can move that between vehicles if you have multiple cars, or move it to your next car.

Madonnasmum · 04/02/2018 16:11

But I do have the reverse camera which is amazing but again I wouldn't pay extra for it. I got the touch screen and camera thrown in at the end.

Boysnme · 04/02/2018 17:51

That seems a lot OP to pay for it. We have in built in both our cars and agree with others that they are not the best but I don’t have a phone holder for my phone so I do use them. Not sure I would have paid that for them though (and am pretty sure I didn’t on my Toyota although did pay something)

derxa · 04/02/2018 18:01

I would pay.

MrsPeacockDidIt · 04/02/2018 19:02

If we plug our phone into the USB port in our new Skoda it comes up on the large touch screen so we use google maps. We didn’t know it did this but refused to pay for in the car Satnav so was pleasantly surprised it did this !

MrsMaxwell · 04/02/2018 19:04

Use Waze app on your phone, loads better.

MrsMaxwell · 04/02/2018 19:05

Or buy a second hand one off Gumtree and pay to have it fitted.