TomTom GO LIVE 825 Europe tested

Price: £229.99
Contact: 0845 161 0009,www.tomtom.com

Has the best just got better? Sat-nav giant TomTom’s Via LIVE 120 was the top unit in our last group test – and now, the company has brought out a revamped version.

The new GO LIVE 825 features a bigger five-inch screen, which makes viewing easier. The touch-sensitive display works well, reacting reliably to inputs, but it doesn’t have the super-sharp contrast of the top-spec 1000 series units, or the fluid touch, pinch-to-zoom and fingertip scroll monitor features.

A well integrated mount allows owners to position the unit on the screen or on the dash-top, using TomTom’s disc set-up; the 825’s landscape display automatically flips to suit.

Under the sleek casing is TomTom’s winning mix of live traffic and safety camera updates, plus the latest interface, which cuts the number of inputs required for many tasks.

Traffic monitoring is what keeps TomTom at the front of the pack; IQ Routes uses historical jam data to plot the quickest way to your destination.

Plus, there’s a choice of modes, including one optimised for economy. So, as with its predecessor, this is all the sat-nav most drivers will ever need.

Verdict

Rating: ★★★★
What is it?
Refreshed sat-nav is our former award-winner in a new case, and has a bigger screen.
Problems?
Screen no match for GO 1000 series, rival Garmin has portrait view; this doesn’t.
Why buy?
Excellent live services including accurate traffic search, hands-free calls.