Brendan Hughes

I'd like to buy a satnav unit and hide it in a top-dash pocket, so I don't have to constantly take it out of the mount/car, and so thieves with two brain cells won't smash my windows when they see the windscreen mount thinking I'll have the unit in the glovebox.

Was all set to buy a TomTom but I've been told that the main windscreen mount (of the 910) has all the crucial connections, so I can't really avoid it.

Which satnav do you have, and how has it been mounted - did you manage to avoid a windscreen mount?

Many thanks.

Hanley

I used a TomTom for a while but got sick of taking it out all the time, and the suction marks left on the windscreen leave a clue for the thieving toe-rags that I have a sat nav and that I may have been stupid enough to leave it in the glovebox.

Just had this Audi Naviagtion Plus fitted into my Audi A4



Much better than the TomTom (and I'm a big fan of TomTom), also had the bluetooth phone kit installed at the same time which integrates nicely



Radio display



and a nice big screen for the sat nav, it also links to the driver information system which is a cool touch

mart360

Dedicated dash mount for the axim, exactly like a mobile mount, and the antenna is discretly mounted in the sunroof


mart

Brendan Hughes

Cheers both. Hanley, I can get the OEM system (BMW) but it costs an absolute fortune, hence my reticence.

///\oo/\\\

Brendan - did you go for the X3 in the end?

(Sorry, can't help you on the satnav)

Brendan Hughes

I will, but this and the interior have prevented me from signing on the line yet. I think I have the interior sorted (Toyota have given me the name of the firm that did mine), now it's just finding a way to have two handsfree phones of MY choice, charging, and a decent satnav which has my street on it. We're entering 2007, not 1997, but that seems to be an impossible request. I'm thoroughly unimpressed with BMW forcing bluetooth on everyone even though not all phones are compatible with it and it sucks battery.

As you can guess, there's no urgency

///\oo/\\\

Thought the x3 had two 12 volt outlets in the cabin if you keep the smoker package for charging 2 phones?

1 series does.

And you should be able to get it without bluetooth (the BMW bluetooth system isn't one of the best anyway)

Aftermarket handsfree is probably the way to go

Brendan Hughes

The problem with an aftermarket system, coming through the speakers as I'd like, is it depends on the connector on the back of the OEM radio. In the Toyota I had to change the radio and don't want to do the same thing. BMW say there is no option in Europe for non-BT HFK, the one on the price list is only designed for America

What do you use, if at all?

KiwiGTI

Get the OEM system - it's much nicer/better. Fully integrated with the speed and direction too so you still get navigation in tunnels/valleys/cities etc

If you have to question cost then you have to question why you are buying a BMW in the first place and not getting a Nissan XTrail for example.

Brendan Hughes

Kiwi - point 1 - thanks, I didn't know and that's important, if correct. Still doesn't solve my phone problem though.

Point 2 - because I can get the BMW for less than the X-Trail.

KiwiGTI

It was just nice having it there all the time, not having to worry about mounting and removing another unit. And it was very reliable.

The system BMW use is based on the speed ratios of the wheels and it calculates the vehicles location. Very impressive when it comes out of 20 mile long tunnels in the alps and you are exactly where the map says, and also very useful when you have urban areas with lots of turn-offs with lots of bridges tunnels etc.

In fact in Cologne it successfully navigated us to a destination in an underground carpark (there is an underground carpark about a mile long)

///\oo/\\\

When I have to, just a bluetooth headset.

You could always have two, one on each ear

StratosWRC

How about TT on your mobile / pda on a good old C&C vent mount?