ahh the memories! 
last time i drove i was carting around a holdall with a to zs of virtually every town and city in the uk.
its much better now, all i need carry is a little lightweight box (well i do have a truckers atlas)
i use that and google maps, or if I use a sat nav, its a tomtom i got from halfords for 70 quid. i opted for that because if there is any issues it is easy to pop into my local shop, not something you can do with ebay.
i dont see any problems using a car sat nav. you have to use your eyes and brain to look for road signs… but thats why they put them there. when i route my journey i look at the atlas and keep to the main roads as much as possible.
if Oxford county council get their way and we are all forced to use a hgv sat nav, i will invest in one of the cheapy ebay ones, i will be dammed if i would fork out 300 quid for a sat nav!