Road Atlases

September 2006

Portable sat-nav units are top of the pops at present, but atlases remain a hit with many drivers - and the main reason is their much lower price. The mappers have also been busy making their books more user-friendly than ever, and most of the new versions for 2007 show useful information such as speed camera locations.

A4 and A3 sizes are still the most popular, and offer a much bigger, detailed picture of the route than a portable sat-nav system. Scale is also important, and is measured in miles per inch (mpi) - the smaller the number, the easier the read. So which is the leader of the pack? We hit the road with eight to find out.

Detail is key, so we looked for a big and easily legible scale, plus urban centres and approach maps, restricted motorway junctions and speed traps. In addition, we assessed villages and roads, plus back streets in selected towns. Value for money was based on the price per page.

Verdict

Philip’s Navigator remains the best for pure mapping capability, but has tripped up with its once-every-two-years updates, as it misses some camera sites. So the A-Z Superscale gets the top spot, especially as its trap locations also display the speed. The AA’s Big Easy Read slots into third place.

Top 3

1. A-Z Superscale GB
2. Philip’s Navigator Britain
3. AA Big Easy Read

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