That's brilliant.
My Granddad told me about these things, apparently they had them in the olden days.

We just returned a Jensen sat nav after three weeks because it was total rubbish. It kept sending us the wrong way and we could not download the updates for the maps from the net. We tried getting assistance from Jensen about the download problems with no success. One time we had a trailer on the back and the bloody thing sent us down a dead end, it was a total nightmare!

I've only used the Garmin models that Avis rent with their cars but they've been good. Garmin generally makes excellent GPS navigation equipment - we have a handheld mapping unit for Geocaching/ATV'ing/Snowmobiling and I've used Garmin equipment quite extensively at sea. Can't go wrong with Garmin IMHO.

Didn't a Sat Nav recently cause someone to drive off a cliff?

I use a Garmin 250W. I've had it for a couple of years. I think I paid about $225. By the way if you are buying one in the US make sure that it includes the Canada maps. Very often they don't and they are about $90 to buy. Getting one in the US isn't always a good deal. I also have a Garmin handheld which I use in the Arizona desert. Like he said, "can't go wrong with Garmin. The car rental companies rent them out for $14.95 a day ! I'd like to be in that business ! A pretty good return I'd say.

The daily rental is extortionate but at this stage I don't do enough travelling to recommend that the company purchases one outright. Similarly I don't need one for personal use because, well, you just can't get that lost here!

Actually, the feature that I use the most is "Places of interest" for finding hotels, gas, restaurants and so on when I'm on the road and in a strange town. The gas one especially. I wouldn't go into the bush or out into the desert without a GPS. It just might save your life.

Garmin 255W here. Wife uses it as she gets disorientated even in Atlantic Canada. Seems to work ok.

LOL... I could have written this. TomTom Go720. It always seems to get me where I need to be, but sometimes insists on avoiding certain roads.

I have a Nextar 14BC (see here bottom one http://www.slipperybrick.com/search/navteq )

Absolutely brilliant touch screen jobby - would literally be lost without it. Haven't installed the backup camera (tbh I don't think you should be driving the vehicle you do if you need those!)

Even if I take a wrong turning it recalculates instantly - gives plenty of warning when junctions or turnings are coming up. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly its idiot proof, and this is coming from some who got lost from Drumheller to Stettler (one road - straight north - no turn offs )

You don't have little kids around do you?

Darwinian Theory applies there Steve

i brought my navman from the over from the uk. its now got uk,europe, and north america all on one card. so i can take it everywhere and not faff around learning a new one.

it has the odd fit at some road junctions here, but i've learnt that and can see what its trying to do

I brought my TomTom Go510 over from the UK. Got a Canada map for it and it works just fine.. hasn't failed me yet (apart from the time it took me down a dirt track in Reading... but that's another thread ). In my line of work, I do lots of home visits around the Fraser Valley - most of the time, it takes me right to the house.

I just bought Mr Minimeeze a Garmin Nuvi 265 which also seems to do a good job. Very little between them, really. I think Garmins are American and TomToms are European (so the girl in the shop said!), which is why Garmins are more popular here.

We've used our navman S90i when we've been there, no problems at all