StuartFZR400

Garmin 310D – my thoughts. Summary – confused!!!! ??? :?: Firstly its obviously a sleek design. The menus are very simple and easy to follow. There aren’t too many sub-menus, however the one level of sub-menu can hold many different options. This Garmin is clearly a derivative of previous models with similar options to that given some six years ago. The display certainly suited me giving your route in pink overlayed on orange roads and a white background; however motorways are in a dull brown. Directions are clearly marked with a large white arrow with black edge. You can choose between 3D and 2D – where 2D you can choose to either always point North or point in the direction you are travelling, unlike the Navman which only point North. The volume is more than enough, however the loudest setting almost distorts the tiny inbuilt speaker. Im VERY impressed at how quick the Garmin is. I was presuming all satnavs of this generation would be. It got a signal in the house !!! - surely thats down to the SiRF Star III? I was also impressed how it gives the POI's in a nice list: ascending with the closest one first, even gave petrol station brand names. Ok, so VW Coventry was missing off the list, but who cares, its easy to look the place up in Yellowpages; most POI lists seem quite poor; atleast Garmin does show it in a sensible manner. Now for the real important bit, the map and directions. The map seems to be out of date; the amount of times it either did or did not give an instruction to turn, where the opposite was needed was incredible. It was missing out turns where a giveway had been in place for nearly 10 years. Let me give an example; firstly it tells you when you need to turn, eg “turn right in 2.5 mile”, that’s great, not that I’ll remember though when it says 2.5 mile. Then it gives an instruction again with a big 0.5 mile to go. Lastly it tells you again with only a matter or yards to go, I mean you’re on top of the junction. In this instance it was an offset crossroads, and the Garmin did as Navman and said “turn right then left” – brilliant. However, once turned right and Im turning the wheel to go left it then says: “turn left, then turn right”. I went into the road and pondered about the “right” bit, and realised it was referring to an old junction that was about 2000 yards to go (so that’s not a flip flop turn is it) and worse still was that this junction was removed many years ago and was now simply a bend. Later on it made many more mistakes like this – the map must be out of date. Further on still I decided to go off route as I knew the one Garmin suggested would be too busy. I had U Turns checked to ensure it didn’t tell me to go back, however it now told me to go back the way I came everytime I came to a roundabout. It was probably the case that the Garmin was right and that was the ‘quickest’ route on a quiet day. The Navman in this situation just recalculated a route dead ahead. Also, when on a Motorway, it gives its last instruction to turn off at teh 2nd countdown marker; so, be sensible and stick to the left lane when it gives you a 2 mile reminder. This leads me onto another downfall, a lack of route options; you either get Fast or Shortest. There is no preference for A or B roads. Better still would be to set your average speed for road types, much like you can in autoroute. An example of where this is handy – it told us to come off the A46 and take country back roads into our town instead of the main drag in. I was happy with it, but my female friend pointed out she would hate coming down these roads at night. This complex type of system must actually be easy to install, as we have had it on autoroute for quite some time. Hence I wouldn’t want a Garmin 310D, nor do I see the point in buying the basic 300, with its competitors being cheaper. Summary of Garmin -v- Navman: - Garmin has 2D map pointing in your direction - Navman 530 has text-to-speach turn signals? - Navman has different views; one showing the junction in detail in the corner - Garmin easy to see map - Navman has many colour options; maybe one that I like. - Garmin; is easy to view the overall map and even edit it with Via-points so you can miss known bad roads. - Navman is currently cheaper (slightly). Notes: both fast, both good signal once moving, both can take a much larger SD card. Both of these PACKAGES come with the Traffic TMC (£300 for 310D, £265 iCN530+TMC). Garmin has bluetooth but I dont care; both have Euro map - again dont care. Both now use a FULL postcode search. Obviously, like with ALL of these sat-navs, you need to use common sense. And in that case the Garmin gets you from A to B in either the shortest or fastest possible way. Maybe Im asking too much of the little thing. Back to the drawing board.

Bump - anyone know if these TMC Traffic Warning systems are any good ???

oh, one more question guys... This TMC Traffic news - HOW GOOD IS IT ? I have no idea what it relies upon. Does it only know about major roads; and if so, will it just re-route you onto a minor road that is just as jammed up; does it calculate average jam speeds, and possibly send you on a 10 mile detour?

Ok, I test ran the Navman 520 and found a few faults that I might not live with. In summary, that half-postcode meant it couldn't pinpoint a certain street I asked for; it often lost signal - worse in Birmingham builtup areas. Personally I found the colours annoying and the 2D map orientation a bummer too. The Points Of Interest (POI) were odd and petrol stations seemed to need a road name. Other than that it lasted well on batteries, clear and loud voice. There are a few deals out there. Seems the Garmin 310D (Delux) at Halfords, £299, is your best deal; see image below for table of my findings. The Garmin 310D includes Traffic TMC warning system with lifetime subscription included. It also has Europe on DVD incl. The direct compariso is the Navman 530 - which has the added bonus of text-to-speach instructions. decisions, decisions. As price is so close, its come down to ease of use - which the Garmin does best for me - and also comes down to screen colours for me; Garmin is lacking in screen colour options. Im off to test the Garmin 310D this week. Feedback next week 8)

Oh, go on then Scoobydoo, I'll give yu my 10 pennies worth - although its all subjective and your own oppinion is the only one that counts; taken from experience of both 15" and 17" alloys. (both 7j) I started off with 17"'s and thought the car was awesome. I changed to 15"'s and almosted hated it in comparison, but there were many factors that were not constant. What Im going to say, probably applies to most cars: the 17"s were on Toyo Proxes which are known for being grippy in the dry. My 15"s had some Dunlops, which have lasted much longer, but can be said they're less sticky. I played with the tyre pressures in the 15"s and found a marginal improvement. Im now running the 15"s on Rainsport tyres and have to say the grip is superb; hence rubber DOES matter. As for handling, I can still feel a little roll - some down to suspension, the other down to a squidgy 50% profile. So what do I prefer? ... its a bit horses for courses, so I'd be inclined to say I'd love the compromise of 16"s. The 15"s dont quite handle as well, but the rough ride and tramlining from the *17"s just dont cut it for me; hence the 16"s have to be my best bet, IMO. * similarly, I've found the low profile tyres on the missues Megan to have similar tramlining as the 17"s off the C. You could always read this guys views on tyres/wheels - CLICK. HTH

WHICH ONE? ----- and for £129, sounds allright. Im testing a Navman 520 this weekend, so will give a little reiview later. I have narrowed it down to a handfull: 1. Navman 530 (£200 roughly) 2. Navman 520 (£160) 3. Garmin nuvi 300 (£220) 4. Road Angels latest one for £249 Both Navman and Garmins latest ones look great. The advantage of the Nav-530 over the 520 - for me - is simply better signal strength and quicker route finding. It also comes with Europe Map on a CD amongst a few other things that don't concern me. The 530 (not 520) also comes with a Traffic alert system as an addition (£50).* * the confusing this is, some site also suggest the the Garmin also has a Traffic Alert system too (as standard?) Not sure I like the plain white Garmin screen. Comes with Most camera locations. Does not come with Euro map (thats the 350) and also doesnt come with text-turn voice: ie "Turn left onto M40", rather than the old Turn left in 500yds (again only the nuvi 350). Road Angel just throws a spanner in the works, as this also includes all known camera locations, including typical Van spots.

Again, this site lists thier TOP 15 at the moment. Im looking at the Navman and Garmin's. hmm, updating my list of reuqirements, I guess they list as: 1) is it easy to see (important) 1b) LOUD enough to hear 2) does it get it right always 3) does it give clear instruction in time 4) does it run off batteries or car-lighter 5) easy to use 6) ability & cost to update 7) add ons: traffic warning etc 1. Some colours seem wishy washy to me. Some also seem to get overcomplex. Some have very accurate drawings of what the junction looks like. 1b. I 'hear' that some of these things are too quiet in a loud car like the C. What have YOU found? 6. Many seem to be able to update different things; traffic warning (7) or camera locations or even new maps for free. Im finding it hard to see who does what. LOVE TO HEAR SOME MORE FEEDBACK STORIES.

workmate told me Navman 520 was £135 on TV at Halford; but t'internet says over £160 Sounds pretty good. And yu free camera spots. But NO LASER right?

Hoping to hop onto this topic and get some nice little low-downs / feedback on a few different types/brands. I've seen Tomotom, Navman and roadangel are popular. Ok, many of you guys probably own a Navigation system or a Speed camera detector. Can any of you guys give feedback of ones you’ve used. Having seen a Tom Tom in use, I noted that it lost signal several times, replanning the route took a couple minutes (still 25 mile to destination) and sometimes gave the audible direction rather late (no biggie). The Tomtom is a bit bulky too although again not a huge issue. Maybe some of you own one that combines the best of boths worlds, like the Roadangel Navigation 6000 (£249 seemed competitive); curious to know if thats as easy to use as say a TomTom. And I’ve heard Garmin are good for sat-nav. Alternatively, if you know of any good reviews, that may help. I found this out-dated Auto Express review. This site seemed useful. Foremost, I guess the Navigation system is paramount as I don’t really see the need for a camera detector; can only see a laser detector being informative. So in that case, I suppose my initial navigation thoughts are: (1) is it easy to see (important) (2) does it get it right always (3) does it give clear instruction in time (4) does it run off batteries or car-lighter (5) easy to use (6) … what else is a consideration, other than price? I’ve noted the comments on this page too. I see Henny has a Tomtom Go. Got to agree common sense needed, which is easy on open roads. Even if you’re in town and take a wrong turn, eg too early, I guess it will just recalculate it for you.

Wendy, Im sure your guess is good as any. Its bound to come down to male competative neanderthal survival ways. As a generalisation you're right, but as said before women seem to be as bad these days. Its as if its a competition out there - its back to the attitude of "I OWN THE ROAD". I much prefer France where they pull into the verge as you overtake them and visa versa, they dont expect you to beep if they need to cut in sharply if they overtake you; give and take. Who got onto OAP's? I dont even give them the time of day; I give them a huge berth* and always expect the worst - that way you never get flustered; face it, thier senses and stuff just aint up to scratch. * give large berth ; just as you would a person who displayed a 'P' plate, lol

She's too Phat for my liking. But the blonde aint too baid :lol:

215 rub..... hmm, depends how far slammed he is and what the wheel offset is (thats only 10mm wider, ie 5mm each side wider than standard). Maybe that fat old 9" rim will rub if its an odd offset - good heads up !

ooh, might jump on the wagon; my ABS light is bugging me too. 8)

if you take a look at the Tyre bible, you can see he's not a fan of streched, but the calcualtors say anything up to 235 wide still needs a 40% profile and not 35. But anything smaller than a 225 and the calculator says yu need a 8.5j rim. 225 sounds stretched to me. Wouldn't go lower than 215 IMO. Having said that, the calculator seems a bit odd. It gives for a 205/50/15 a max width of rim as 7j and a minimum of 5.5j. I've just fitted 205's on my 7" wide wheels and they look chubby. A 195 looks nice. Just imagine a 205 on a 5.5 rim ?wtf? Maybe the calcualtor is out of date, lol. But 215 seems your safe choice. Dont forget to show us a pic later once purchased. And yes £210 is a good price for that size; not sure about brand; why not check mytyres? See the Tyre Discussion Thread for forum preferred brands.

Mixed reactions there guys; that how I felt. possibly a myth, so says thier forum. Still a pain. MUCH rather buy your VR6 ;)

IMO I like the Corrado interior. However you did mention visibility; Im sure the Corrado is the worst of those you listed, even with the seat up making your head touch the roof. The 2L 16v will see off your rudeboy Corsa's but then you'll only find its somthing else that annoys you; typically BMW's. (IMO). I find my 2.0L is getting 25mpg, but that includes too much town stuff; you'll get 30mpg on the motorway easily; probably more if you got a very well looked after one too. You're keen on oil changes - try to make sure the previous owner was too; look for genuine VW oil filter just as an indication. A log of work done and services really helps. I'd be happier buying the Corrado purely down to looks; its a cool retro coupe. The active spoiler is quirky too. SEE THE FORUMS Buying Guide for some handy buying tips.

Yeh but don't worry, a lot of men know jack-**** about cars too. Agreed ;) Tell me about it. Had one this week. Almost took the C out. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead, even when I went past on the duel-carriageway. But someone did say men are worse. Normally would agree there, and Im sure I've said this before, but women are getting more aggresive too. All ages too, not just the teenagers. But the subtle difference is that if you beep your horn at a woman who has drifted into your lane, they often ignore you, whereas a bolke will take the effort to either cut you up worse and start using his fingers, or boot it hard. The awareness does bother me; can't afford to be oblivious when travelling faster or swapping lanes. Im sure its a inherant problem, related to the poor-parking spacial-awareness thing. ::: Only today I went past one of those Hyundi coupes at the start of a sliproad to the M6; noticed an escort going past a lorry on the slip, and also noticed a massive fladbed lorry on the M6 doing a good lick. Knew that the lorry + escort were cutting it close to get out infront of the Flatbed; so immediately broke gently, with about 200yds to merge, and let the Flatbed get ahead of me. Meanwhile dizzy binter woman undertook me, trying to show me how its done as she didnt like being overtook in her "fast car" and got upto the lorry on the sliproad. Lorry slid infront of the Fladbed nicely, I slid in behind the Fladbed and watched lane 2 traffic wizz past us. While Dizzy Hyundi woman broke, stuck indicator on and tried to continue to come out at me - while ive got traffic passing me on my right; sounded my horn, she looked dumbfounded and came to a stop. Lost count of the number of women I've seen in the past 2 months who let go of the steering wheel with both hands to see to thier hair. Maybe men are as bad with whatever they do - be it looking for paperwork/mobile/cigar/whatever. Maybe its just there are lost of bad PEOPLE on the road; genders just show some generalised areas of fault. Think my nan could drive quicker than Clarkson. LOL Wont let the GF drive my C; her new car has far too many scratches for my liking. "it just appeared, honest"

timma - Norfolk ::: :( :::: Deluk - Swindon :roll: Doh ! Back on topic though - yeh yeh, funny. And I notice the multi changer survived the trip too. Is this the cheapest way to SLAM the C too? :lol:

Citreon do some real old cheap estates and parts are super cheap; best still are breakers or fleabay. Once you get the know on how some of thier systems work, DIY is quite easy. Old man has the Laguna estate. For get buying one of those. Stupidly expensive tyres as they have stupid trendy 17" alloys on them standard. You can pick up old Mercs cheaply; not sure on running costs. VW Passat also familiar ground; possibly best bet.

My desktop is my signature C. My Screensaver is my newborn :)

Dear fellow petrol heads, a friend of mine has decided to ditch his 16v fiesta Si and upgrade to a Coupe; (as his gf is always commenting how nice my C is when she sees it, lol). He doesnt want the same car as me, not even a VR. He has his eyes on the Fiat Coupe; as they are knocking about for £3-4k. I've only ever seen a couple on the road my self and both were driven sedately and looked standard (ie horrid little rims [although probably 15" too]). Never knew much about them until I did a bit of digging. Found they have a couple decent forums too, along with buying guides. Im sure he will be after the Turbo 20v. IMO I am sure you can make them look decent, but standard I much prefer a C any day; each to thier own. Anyone know if these cars are robust? Decent? ... or are they the typical Fiat flimsy tin cans? I quote the specs off thier fccuk forum: "The Fiat Coupe, based on the Tipo platform, entered production in 1993. Power came from either a 1995cc 16V (142bhp) or a 1995cc 16V turbo (195bhp) engine (both developed from engines taken from the Lancia range, the latter from the Integrale). In 1996 the 1747cc 16V (130bhp) engine from the Barchetta was transplanted into the Coupe, and then in 1997 both 2 litre units were replaced by the new 5 cylinder 1998cc engines, both with (220bhp) and without (147bhp/154bhp) a turbo. "

My polished BBS look quite nice; just needs a 20mm drop if I can find one. These wheels are actually 15 x 7j ; and so also take a 205 tyre nicely too.

I've tried this but found it worse. I witnessed some woman open her door and let it go, it gained a much greater speed (than if closer) and put a big ding in my door. HTH some peeps. Thats horrible to hear. But our Sainsburys CP, I cant see the position of the parent bay helping, people still drive through that area way too fast; comes down to mindless idiots at the end of the day, not size of spaces. I dont put the carseat in my C, only the Megan, but we dont even want that car scratched/dented either, so again when Im driving, I'll go for the furthest space (dont want that stray shopping trolley greeting the M); it shouldn't be a case of 'you drive a car and therefore should be able to afford rectification of dents caused by idiots or alternatively buy a 2nd car', idiots should own up and pay. -- wouldn't you say? Just out of curiosity, whats the legality of parking in a Parent Bay if you are not one? As for VR6 comment, I never leave a door open in the road. I always climb into the car, path side, and strap her in . Dont want a door knocked off and debri hitting anyone.

Interesting reading, as Im looking into an intermittent ABS light. Checked both front sensors to find both get a reading of 1.11 at rest and fluctuate down to 0.9 and upto 1.2 (only). Thinking of taking off the discs and cleaning everything up.

Martin - what you got, a VR6? Although these are a heavy car, they can be well balanced. Are they on standard wheels and suspension? If so, how old are they. They could be a bit naffed, so I'd be suspicious of those. However, before doing that, its easiest to check the tyre pressures. If you read this informative TYRE site, you can get some idea there. But in simple words, messing with the pressures close to STANDARD, of about +/- 2psi. Over or under inflated rears could easily be the cause of back end twitching. Just as easily a badly worn set of rear tyres could be the cause. My top tip is to check the cheapest (free) stuff firstly. You'll find a slightly lowered C on 16 or 17" alloys is a sublime experience. Stu