Sat-navs Tested

February 2009

Prices are plummeting, but portable sat-nav buyers now get more than ever for their money. Features that used to be costly options are becoming essential as makers fight for sales.

So you needn’t break the bank for Bluetooth hands-free, text-to-speech – where the road name or number is read out – or FM radio-based Traffic Message Channel (TMC) jam data. Even sophisticated features are included, such as 3D displays of buildings in towns, plus lane assist – which gives a graphic view of complex intersections.

And market leader TomTom has broken new ground, with its GO Live series offering a mobile phone SIM card and permanent GPRS link for downloading traffic and safety camera data. We try 10 of the top sat-navs on sale to see which is the best buy.

A road test alone is not enough to separate today’s top sat-navs – so we also looked at what you got for the money. The bigger the screen the better, while units with full European maps scored over those which covered only the UK and Ireland.

We expected speed trap warnings to be directional and also looked for comprehensive points of interest (POI), rather than simply a list of national chains. Mapping was checked with five postcodes and three small villages, and we tried to catch out each unit by taking in a T-junction that until recently was a roundabout. Clear instructions, given in good time, were desirable on the road, while we also looked for screen zoom as we approached junctions.

Verdict

If you can afford it, the TomTom GO 740 is worth the money. If not, what Garmin’s nüvi 265W lacks in extras it makes up for with its Euro maps, TMC and POI at a great price. Navigon’s budget 2210 edges out the Navman.

* Clarion, 01793 870400, www.clarion.com/gb
* Garmin, 023 8052 4000, garmin.co.uk
* Medion, 0871 376 1020, www.medionshop.co.uk
* Navigon, 0871 288 0154, navigon.com
* Navman, 01293 566100, navman.com
* RAC, 0844 335 1811, racshop.co.uk
* TomTom, 0845 161 0009, tomtom.com

Top 3

1. TomTom GO 740 LIVE
2. Garmin nüvi 256W
3. Navigon 2210

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