Premium or stick with iPhone & Tom Tom?

[Zoidy]

Hi all,

recently been looking for a 7 seater as family is growing and now I've fallen in love with the xc90! Going on Saturday to dealer armed with the online brokers quote, but first I'll have to convince the wife!

However, what do you guys recommend re the built in sat nav? Should I got for the premium SE, or use Tom Tom and save a couple of grand?

Cheers,
Pete.

[bignose]

tom tom...

[JimmyB]

Hi

I bought a 6mth old xc90 09 plate and it had the Sat Nav inbuilt already. What I like about this is I do not have to stick it to the windscreen using those horrid suction pads that fall off time and time again. Also I like that I don't have to worry about losing it or having it nicked - if they get the sat nav they get the car, but I've got GAP insurance so I'll get over that.

On the other hand I had a tom tom with my old car and with this I could put in a full post code to get exact location. My xc90 sat nav only allows for example BR6 5 and then gives the roads it knows under this, which can be a lot to sift through. The tom tom would allow you to do BR6 5BX for example and you get more accurate point on Map. I would say that this is not so bad in built up areas as you'll most likely know the street name. However when I was on holiday in the Lake District last year I would not have found the Cottage we had booked as the lane it was on had no name, so I really needed to be able to put in the last 2 digits of the post code to pin point it. Luckily I was following a mate who knew where to go.

Now maybe the latest version allows you to enter more detail so check that out, but it is worth considering depending on where you go etc.

Also you'll have to pay for update discs in the future to keep the maps up to date, so additional cost later on.

But the Volvo one does tell you when roads are really busy etc, whereas my tom tom did not - I would have had to subscribe for that service.

Also I can control it from the steering wheel so it is safer to operate.

I would ask to see a demo of it when you test drive one and use it as you would normally to see how you get on with it, as yes it is expensive, but you may just like the convenience of it to pay that couple of k for it.

[bluesnappa]

2k gets you other toys or a 2k saving and if you have a tom tom already then whats the point...unless you like the argument for above. I am sticking to my garmin...much better and phone intergrated so I am prepared to stick it on the screen on the rhs and run the power cable between the dash and the door pillar, under the plasitc carpet edge of the drivers door and under the seat. Here it is plugged into a £5 extension from the rear power point. So...spit and a fiver...or...2k...the choice is yours!

[Zoidy]

Thanks for the comments guys.

Will probably go for the Sat Nav, forgot it had TMC and I have that now in the Qashqai although so far it hasn't really helped much. I do miss Postcode searching though with the Qashqai sat nav so even partial postcode is good for me!

I assume the rear parking camera is an extra?

[mikealder]

Have you considered getting the TomTom application for your iPhone and a decent GPS receiver mount/ car holder such as the TomTom car kit, then fit this to a brodit addaptor, trust me its a decent combination and works a treat also as its your phone it won't get left in the car to get nicked, full postcode support, IQ Routes, Lane Assist and Text To Speech to read out road names.
Whether we see some of the other TT Live services appear on the iPhone at a future point isn't known but this would be a logical progression for the software to take given time, something like the HD Traffic service we enjoy with the higher spec TomTom Live devices would be great for iPhone, only question is if/ when, I certainly wouldn't waste £2K on a factory install nav unit - Mike

[AB-UK]

I can endorse the comments JimmyB makes.
In addition I'd like to point out that I have posted in the forum before on the Volvo Crap Nav and the dreadful errors it makes - which Volvo UK say their engineers can never reproduce. My Wife's cheap NavMan does better.
It is best suited for someone who knows where to go anyway, but would like a little reassurance on the main routes.
I like the built-in nature of it for the same reasons already given by others.
The lack of a full postcode search is a real omission though - perhaps the latest incarnation is a big improvement over my version (updated 2006) in terms of search and accuracy of route finding.

[Unbeliever]

I went for the cheap option and upgraded my phone to a HTC HD2 with a 4.3 inch screen. I installed NAVIGON IGO8 which is great.

[Pickers]

TomTom every time

- If you're buying new, whatever you pay for built-in satnav, it will be worth a fraction when you sell
- Volvo Nav has a really poor reputation - £200 will get you a top of the range TomTom with lane guidance, IQ routes etc and if you want traffic info its £8 a month I think - £96 a year so if you pay for 10 years worth, you've still saved a grand

[yeoman]

Originally Posted by JimmyB

Hi

I bought a 6mth old xc90 09 plate and it had the Sat Nav inbuilt already. What I like about this is I do not have to stick it to the windscreen using those horrid suction pads that fall off time and time again. Also I like that I don't have to worry about losing it or having it nicked - if they get the sat nav they get the car, but I've got GAP insurance so I'll get over that.

On the other hand I had a tom tom with my old car and with this I could put in a full post code to get exact location. My xc90 sat nav only allows for example BR6 5 and then gives the roads it knows under this, which can be a lot to sift through. The tom tom would allow you to do BR6 5BX for example and you get more accurate point on Map. I would say that this is not so bad in built up areas as you'll most likely know the street name. However when I was on holiday in the Lake District last year I would not have found the Cottage we had booked as the lane it was on had no name, so I really needed to be able to put in the last 2 digits of the post code to pin point it. Luckily I was following a mate who knew where to go.

Now maybe the latest version allows you to enter more detail so check that out, but it is worth considering depending on where you go etc.

Also you'll have to pay for update discs in the future to keep the maps up to date, so additional cost later on.

But the Volvo one does tell you when roads are really busy etc, whereas my tom tom did not - I would have had to subscribe for that service.

Also I can control it from the steering wheel so it is safer to operate.

I would ask to see a demo of it when you test drive one and use it as you would normally to see how you get on with it, as yes it is expensive, but you may just like the convenience of it to pay that couple of k for it.

Hi JimmyB,


I too have an 09 XC 90 and it has a FULL post code search facility.
The strange thing about the post code search is that you do it under CITY not POST CODE.!! If you are confused, i'll post a pix of what I mean.

Cheers