Gps Tns300 - Does It Work And Help

May 13, 2003

I am planning to buy a TNS300 GPS based navigation system for my new Yaris.

I would appreciate some opinions on “is it worth the investment”. I think of issues like:

How easy is it to enter your destination

How user friendly is the instructions during driving

How accurate are the maps compared to real life

In general is it an useful tool

May 18, 2003

well if you're anything like me and can't venture 50 miles from where you live without getting hopelessly lost, then yes, it's a useful tool.

i have used the TNS200 on a new Avensis which was dead easy to use and worked very well. The TNS300 as i beleive is basically the same but with an LCD screen showing a full map view. I have seen and used the simliar version on the Lexus IS200 which is very nice indeed and i am led to beleive is basically the same albeit the new Toyota version is a little faster etc.

they are simple to operate, and do cool stuff like zoom in on roundabouts/junctions and show a small image of you as you navigate the junction while telling you which exit to take.

the maps get out of date of course as new roads are built, but you can get new data CDs for approx £130, or if you are lucky you may be able to copy or download one from the net.

most satnav versions also display points of interest such as hotels, petrol stations, theatres/museums and the like - usually you can punch them straight in as opposed to finding them by city/street.

May 18, 2003

I have a TNS 300 system on my previa, it has basically the same menus and display as the tns200. The main difference is that the data is held on a dvdrom which covers the uk, and most of europe. Its possible to enter a place in france select the ferry post , or tunnel and it will take you all the way there.

There is also data on hotels, restaurants etc with phone numbers. This is one of the best features that I have seen. easy to operate, it can remember 200 of your entered destinations, plus about 10 previous. Although the map is small, the voice is excellent as you don't need to look away, especially in towns. Other option of the dvd, it can be set to speak in english, french, german, dutch, spanish etc