Smartnav

If you require a navigation system, then the worst on the market is SmartNav. By far the worst aspect of the system is the aggravation, couldn't care less attitude and outright non-cooperation of the young operating staff, who seem more interested in amusing themselves and one another, than providing any kind of customer service. All in all, an absolute disgraceful rip-off against it's huge expense. Any advantages that SmartNav might have (which I can't think of) over a traditional, simple, inexpensive, self-operating system, are just simply not worth the frustration of being dealt with in this way. Best advice: go to Halfords and get a mid-range dashboard system...

Smartnav had been installed in a car I purchased 10 years ago during that time I've used it many many times and it has never let me down. I think it's a brilliant bit of kit I used it on a pay as you go deal £25 up from which a small fee is deducted every time you use the system I can honestly say the system never let me down.

This is the worst nav system ever as it uses a mobile phone system which in many places does not get a signal particularly when you are off the beaten track and need it you will not be able to use it.

This is also the most distracting and intrusive system on start up it lists every road you are going to use and anounces every road you are using again at every junction it just never shuts up go through an area with lots of roundabouts like Milton Keynes and the commentry from this unit is continuous do not buy if it is fitted to a vehicle you are buying insist it is removed for your own sanity.

WORSE THAN POOR BUY A MAP

I received this device with my new company vehicle, after nearly 30 mins trying to register it with the call centre and then using for my first trip, the co-pilot app on my phone is far superior.

Smartnav no not very, it very rarely connects to give me any directions really poor customer service and the maps look they have been downloaded from the original ipaq (anyone remember those)

Save yourself £500 plus a boat load each year for the subscription and buy an app for your phone much better.

I have driven 20 miles before i have received a route, i often get diverted around traffic jams that do not exist, or get told there are no delays when i have been stopped with the engine off for half an hour. I recently delivered to a RDC that had been open for 18 months, so the roads to it must have been there longer, but they did not appear on the Smartnav's map. The only reason that this sat nav is in my van is because it was fitted when it was imported, i often feel like throwing it out the window as it is not fit for purpose, and is truly awful. If you have the choice, choose another sat nav, as Smartnav will drive you mad.

My Smartnav journey began back in 2004, when it was included as a trial offer with my new Mitsubishi Grandis.

At the time, it was innovative, and my friends were duly impressed when they heard me call the Smartnav concierge for a route, instead of struggling with a touchscreen device.

But Smartnav have allowed themselves to be left behind. The service is expensive. I was paying £210 a year for UK navigation plus speed camera alerts, and each time I visited Europe, it was another £9.99 on top. That’s around £2,000 over the years.

If you call yourself ‘smart’, you need to live up to it, and Smartnav doesn’t always. When you phone their customer services, you’re ironically often put in a long queue. Their live traffic doesn’t fare much better. There were times when I had to inform them of major road closures (such as the Blackwall Tunnel on one occasion) as they were blissfully unaware. Quite often, I would be advised ‘there are no serious traffic problems on your route’, only to take my place at the back of a gridlock moments later.

When you have apparently taken a wrong turn, re-routing takes an age, as Smartnav goes through a laborious routine of ‘you are no longer on the planned route… Smartnav is calculating a new route to your destination….your route of 30 miles will take you on the A35, A30 etc etc’, during which time you’re screaming with frustration about where the heck to steer, and have probably compounded your deviation from the route still further.

Of late, I noticed the system becoming flaky in many locations. For instance, it persistently tried to send me north up the A3 into London, when my destination was south of London. I just had to ignore it until the penny dropped and it gave proper directions again. Also, it finds it hard to cope with city centres (once, Maidenhead was too much for it – and in parts of parts of East and West London, it just stops working). For years, it didn’t recognise most of an entire motorway in France, the A28.

As for the concierges, they are mostly pleasant and helpful (though one or two lacked basic UK geographical knowledge). It was largely the same staff year in, year out, so you kind of got to know them.

Smartnav is a nice-to-have, if you don’t mind shelling out an awful lot of money for it every year. However, the service is becoming increasingly inferior to that provided by even budget ‘windscreen’ devices.

Which is why, after nine years, I have cancelled my subscription in favour of a Garmin.

Like another reviewer here - this came free with my new van - not surprised its offered for free - its awful. Rarely connects to its database - the diatribe of where you are going to drive is ridiculous - the UI is clunky - you would be better off with a map and an A to Z - seriously! Only bummer is that the wiring has all been hidden but wont fit my Nuvee Navman (which is brilliant) He ho.

Truly dreadful product. avoid.

Regards

Tommo

P.S I gave 'value for money' 5 stars because it was free!

I cannot understand the comments and experiences of some of the people reviewing this system. I have had it ever since it available. I have had it moved from car to car and it is so releibale I never had any problems. I use it for work travelling all over UK. Best syetm ever. Traffic jams ahead! Fantastic time saver and stress reliever. Never bothered to upgrade to colur screen.

I have this Free with a company van, The unit will inform you to continue, then tell you you are "Off Route", the recalculation takes forever, then you are told every road you will travel on, I want to know where to go next not after I have travelled a great distance.It will also attemp to get you to turn when there are no turnings. Road numbers are sometimes wrong.

Typing in an address & postcode takes to long, I hate predictive text. You are unable to set a favourite and have to call to do this.

Good point the traffic camera warnings.

I would never pay for this service and I have only had it for 1 week

I prefer TOMTOM

Smart Nav promises a great deal on the face of it but in reality delivers very poor performance. Very unreliable and eratic network connections to central control centre with poor download times of information to the car. The system does not give any initial directional instructions untill journey has commenced so causing one to very often set off in the wrong direction. Customer service is non existent- they clearly don't understand what this means!!!!!! The system is ridiculously expensive and frankly wouldn't install it if it were free. Smart Nav - you need to get your act together and listen to what your customers are saying or fail!!!!!