Sat-nav Speed Trap Locator Test

We pick the best sat-nav units that both plan your route and locate speed cameras

Auto Express Car Reviews

August 2007

It was inevitable that, sooner or later, a speed trap locator would be combined with portable satellite navigation. But it has taken longer than expected for the devices to reach the market.

Initially, it was the producers of camera locators who led the way. However, now both sides have realised that the combined navigation-and-alerts approach is the way to go, and motorists have a wide choice of products on offer.

And the makers haven’t stopped with only those two features. Many units also include MP3 music players and JPG picture viewers alongside hands-free Bluetooth mobile-phone connectivity, TMC (traffic message channel) reception and even weather information.

With this impressive line-up, it’s hard to pick which product is right for you, so we took nine out on the road to find the best all-in-one solution for your car.

The Test

As the bugs are ironed out of portable sat-nav systems, it is the extras that can make the difference – so we looked for features such as MP3, Bluetooth, European mapping, points of interest (POI) and a seven-digit postcode search. We checked four random postcodes and verified map updates by visiting a roundabout that was replaced by traffic lights in 2002.

During road testing we sought quick initial routing, as well as rapid revision when we went off-course, clear spoken directions and a useful screen.

On our speed trap route, we ideally wanted to have clear, accurate warnings, with countdowns to the camera. A real bone of contention was the use by some devices of non-directional alerts – which can effectively be false alarms, as warnings may be for traps
on the other side of the road.

Verdict

Garmin’s nüvi 660FM wasn’t cheap, but had almost every extra, worked perfectly as a sat-nav and did well in trap tests.

Despite a low POI score and failing the roundabout test, the Navman N40i fought back with good trap performance, its smart Navpix function and European maps at a fantastic price.

The Strabo was also good value. Its camera location was great, but sat-nav duties were compromised by a small screen.