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Which? sat nav reviews help you choose the best model
If you want to ensure that a car sat nav system will get you from A to B, our video guide explains what we consider in our sat nav reviews, which will help you find the best model.
Video guide to choosing a car sat nav system
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Car sat nav systems are priced between around £60 and £300 – but don't assume that the most expensive are the most trustworthy. Tests carried out for our sat nav reviews show that some pricier models can have poor reception in urban areas. In this video guide, the Which? cars expert explains what features took look out for.
Choosing the best car sat nav system
Sat nav reviews count
Before buying a car sat nav system with the features you want, remember that good performance is key. Which? sat nav reviews are based on rigorous testing and consider accuracy of routes given, how quickly a sat nav re-routes should you go wrong, and ease of use.
Which? reviews sat navs from leading sat nav brands, including Garmin, TomTom and Navman, to help you buy the best sat navs on the market.
Car sat nav features
Sat nav systems can be integrated into a car or attached to your windscreen. So when buying a new car, consider whether you want a factory-fitted sat nav or will buy a portable Which? Best Buy sat nav.
Key sat nav features to consider include traffic information – useful for regular motorway travel and to avoid jams in towns and cities – and European mapping for driving on the Continent. Our reviews can help you compare sat navs with these features.
Sat nav apps
If you'll only use your sat nav occasionally, downloading a sat nav app to your phone – or choosing a phone with one installed – might be a solution.
Which? sat nav reviews include mobile phones with sat navs installed (click on 'Style' for reviews of these sat navs), and we've also reviewed the and sat nav apps that work with the Apple iPhone.
Sophisticated sat navs
Car sat nav systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated – you may find some new sat nav features useful. Many sat navs now feature voice recognition, so you speak your intended address, which avoids typing.
Lane-guidance technology – which shows you road signs on screen, and the lane layout as you approach junctions so you know where you should be positioning yourself in advance – is now a common feature, and can be very useful if you’re on very unfamiliar roads. And most sat navs also allow you to specify routing options, so you can avoid low bridges, motorways or narrow roads, for example.
Sat nav points of interest
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Which? tests more thoroughly than any other organisation
Which? conducts a number of route accuracy tests to see if our satellite navigation devices can cope with motorways, country roads and built-up areas.
Sat navs are put through complicated routes in busy surroundings
We purposely check whether sat navs can recognise newly built addresses, and assess how well they direct you should you need to conduct two manoeuvres in quick succession. This is important if, say, a driver needs to drive through two mini-roundabouts in a busy area and won’t have time to correct mistakes.
