OK, I'm looking for a In-Car Sat Nav for my trip down to Silverstone - well, I've been thinking of getting one for a year or two, so this seems like the best time to take the plunge.

Budget: up to £140ish, but ideally around the £100 mark - don't want the really cheap ones if they're crap.
Needs: Mac-compatible software for updates
Would like: Lane Guidance, if poss

Any recommendations please?

On my shortlist at the moment is the "Tom Tom Start 2", mainly because of the Lane Guidance and IQ Routes options, plus the maps are reasonably priced to update in a year or two (about £40ish).

I've previously borrowed a Garmin Nuvi 200, but had mixed results (probably because the maps were out of date) missing a vital road junction that wasn't on its maps! Plus the maps are expensive to update on the Garmin, costing nearly as much as the device itself (think the UK maps are about £79!!). It also locked up a couple of times when we got off the motorway so had no idea which junction to take!! All in all, proved to be more stressful than without a Sat Nav!

I should point out that I've got absolutely no sense of direction, hence the need for a Sat Nav - so it will need to offer clear instructions and be easy to see while on the move! I'd like to narrow it down to 2 or 3 models before this weekend, please.

Thanks for any advice.
Steve

my dad got the new tomtom and he says it's brilliant. and yes the line guidance is really good too

According to PcPro the Android Google Maps Satnav Beta beats everything. If it must be a designated satnav, then yes a TomTom Start, does all most people will need and at well under £140.

If you're going to the GP then just sit in the queue on the motorway and you'll get their eventually.

You're probably not wrong there!
We were hoping to set off at 4am to avoid most of it.

I don't know much about the new models, but I wholeheartedly recommend TomToms. I've used Garmins but I don't like em much - TomToms just seem much more intuitive to operate.
I can't comment on the bargain basement satnavs, as I've never used them.

I'd set off earlier TBH

Last time I drove down to Reading from Newcastle a year ago the GP was on (and the year before that too, bad timing!) and I usually cut by Silverstone, those times I had to keep going down the M1 and traffic was terrible as they only allowed one set in/out and made the whole dual carriageway one way to keep traffic flowing.

And watch for the dodgy field parking a load of the farmers put on

Presumably that would have been race-day (Sunday), was it?

We're going down early on the Friday morning for the full 3-days to catch Free Practice, Qually & Race - once down there we know a good few back roads to avoid the motorways, so should hopefully avoid the main traffic (it worked out quite good last year, but I wasn't driving then). Plus our hotel is about 30 miles away - the nearest we could get at last minute! So, the Sat Nav will hopefully come in useful there too.

It's usually no where near as busy on the Friday as the Saturday and Sunday, so I'm hoping a 4am start is early enough - it's about 140 miles (taking about 2.5 hours according to RAC website, obviously not allowing for traffic though). Hmm, you've got me worried now...!

both times was Northbound on the Friday evening, southbound Saturday evening/sunday afternoon

I would have thought the Sunday DURING the race would be fine but apparently not...

Have you got a smart phone?
If so, you can pay a lot less for a sat nav app (iPhone etc) or use Google Maps Navigaion for free (Android phones).

I've got a Garmin and thought it was really good. I've never used a TomTom to compare it to though. I was told when I bought mine to avoid Navigon like the plague.

That was my first thought. Might even be Mac compatible too

My wife has a Keiro FS900 that she got from eBay for about £100, it has lane guidance in the form of "Keep left/right" (as appropriate) and some arrows showing the correct lane(s). It seems pretty good in general but also has an off day now and again (it doesn't like you switching it off before it exits the main program). I've never had another to compare it to though.

I am actually looking at the idea of some navigation software for the iPhone 4. Plus one less device to carry.

I found Google Maps Navigation very easy to use on Android, but it did make the phone get very hot to the touch with the car charger plugged in.

I've got an old Garman which does the job well but my HTC has google maps nav on it for free and that is great ( as long as you have a signal ).