OK, so I bought what is pretty much the same Garmin my wife already had, a Garmin Nuvi 42. Then I decided I wanted one of my own instead of borrowing hers so I bought one of these.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Noza-Tec-Navigation-System-Navigator/dp/B00LXTL8FI although it only cost me £25 at the time.
I was a bit sceptical after reading the reviews but was prepared to take a chance at that price. I read the instructions carefully because some reviewers had complained about them not working properly. Got the maps online (they’re free for life), installed them (dead easy), fired it up.
It’s actually just a small android tablet so it’ll play music and bluetooth your phone in and all sorts of stuff but all I’m bothered about is the mapping.
It’s BRILLIANT! It’s by far the best satnav I’ve ever used. Way, way better than my wife’s Garmin. The on screen directions are excellent, telling you clearly which lane to be in, what the signs look like, it’ll even show you landmarks to help you navigate. The default voice is crisp English accent, he tells you about junctions that are approaching and warns you well in advance what the junction will be like and the touch screen is just right. Comes with a little bag for the device. It didn’t get lost once over two days roaming around Cumbria and always gave us the fastest route (you can select other types of routes – scenic, cheapest, etc) – Just to wave my man card here, I know Cumbria pretty well, we just kept it on as an experiment. 😉 . You can download maps for just about anywhere one the planet for free as far as I can tell.
If I had any criticism, it would be the screen is a little hard to see when the sunlight hits it at certain angles but it’s still visible and I’ve not played with the brightness or anything yet.
Highly recommended.