Sat navs, tyres and accessories Choosing sat nav features

Sat navs with points of interest: good for holidays

Do you want a sat nav with live traffic information and route guidance avoiding traffic? Or will a really basic model be enough to meet your needs?

It all depends on how you plan to use your sat nav.

Occasional sat nav use

If you just want to use your sat nav for family days out or holidays, go for a sat nav that highlights points of interest such as museums, restaurants and petrol stations. Nearly all sat navs offer these.

For occasional use, there’ll be limited benefit in paying extra for sat nav traffic management. Find out more about live traffic information.

Regular sat nav use in towns and cities

Towns and cities tend to have more complicated road systems, so go for a good sat nav that offers clear visual and audio instructions, especially when giving multiple instructions (eg "Turn left, then take the second right").

Nationwide sat nav use

If you travel to different places every day, a sat nav can be invaluable. But make sure you choose one that's easy to remove and compact enough to carry around when you park up.

Our sat nav review has more on choosing a sat nav, sat nav safety and protecting your sat nav from thieves.

If your sat nav doesn't already have European maps, you can usually buy and install them - via a memory card or an internet download

European and worldwide sat nav use

Planning on driving abroad? Make sure the sat nav you want to buy has, or is compatible with foreign maps, and check the cost of these.

Sat navs that can direct you around Europe, the USA and Canada and beyond are all available. Check manufacturer websites.

Types of sat nav

There are three main types of sat nav, each with their own advantages and disadvantages:

Integrated sat navs (which are built into the car)
Dedicated sat navs, the portable type that most of us are familiar with
Mobile phone based sat nav apps, usually downloaded onto a smartphone

Integrated vs dedicated vs sat nav apps
Pros	Factory-quality installation Integrated into car sound system Large screen Sat nav display can often be linked to the dash display – easier viewing	Useable in any car Cheaper to buy than integrated sat nav systems Easy and cheaper to update mapping	Usually cheapest - sometimes free Sat nav is always with you
Cons	Sat nav can only be used in one car Expensive (typically more than £1,000, which you're unlikely to recoup when you sell) High potential for sat nav mapping to be out of date Mapping updates more expensive	Easy target for thieves Some models have small screen	Rarely outstanding sat nav performance Need to buy a mobile phone holder, and often a car charger

Integrated vs dedicated vs sat nav apps

Sat nav type

Integrated sat navs (supplied with the car)

Dedicated sat navs

Sat nav apps (downloaded onto a smartphone)

Pros

Factory-quality installation
Integrated into car sound system
Large screen
Sat nav display can often be linked to the dash display – easier viewing

Useable in any car
Cheaper to buy than integrated sat nav systems
Easy and cheaper to update mapping

Usually cheapest - sometimes free
Sat nav is always with you

Cons

Sat nav can only be used in one car
Expensive (typically more than £1,000, which you're unlikely to recoup when you sell)
High potential for sat nav mapping to be out of date
Mapping updates more expensive