Sat navs: Compare features & prices

Side-by-side comparison

Sat nav type
Dedicated: standalone sat nav, fully portable; Integrated: fixed in 1 car; Motorbike: specifically for use on motorbikes; App: Sat nav app, downloadable to a smartphone; Bicycle: specifically for use on a bicycle

Screen size
The diagonal measurement across the screen (in mm). Some devices display information on to your mobile phone so no size can be given.

Traffic monitoring
Whether the sat nav can access live traffic updates to help divert you around upcoming jams. You may need to pay a subscription fee and buy extra equipment (eg an aerial, cradle or SD cards), to receive this information.

Traffic monitoring type
Type of traffic monitoring system. TMC is quite basic but often free. Live internet is more advanced but after 12 months you'll usually need to resubscribe to continue the service

European maps
Whether the sat nav tested includes coverage of the continent. If not, look out for a "Europe" version of the same model. If your model doesn't have European maps, additional maps can often be purchased separately, although this is not always the case and you may need to upgrade to a more expensive model.

Points of interest
Tells you of Points of interest nearby or en-route eg museums, restaurants, petrol stations etc

Speed camera information
Tells you whether the system provides warning of upcoming fixed-location speed cameras. You may need to pay a subscription fee and buy extra equipment (eg an aerial) to receive this information.

Avoids toll roads
Whether the system allows you plot a route avoiding any road charging.

Route accuracy
How good the sat nav is at finding a logical route and directing you along it safely (without making illegal turns, for example)

Pinpoint destinations
How accurate the sat nav system is at detecting exact location of target - like house numbers and Points of interest.

Speed of re-routing
How quickly and accurately the sat nav sytem can re-route

Overall performance
Overall performance

Clarity of onscreen directions
How easy it is to follow directions on the screen

Visual prompts
How clear the schematics are (for example the depiction of roundabouts and road layouts)

Quality of audio instructions
The richness and detail of audio instructions

Sound quality
How clear the sound is

Quality of map data
How detailed and clear the mapping information is

Handling multiple junctions
How well each system directed us through 2 or more junctions occurring in quick succession

Setting up
How easy it is to install it in the car, ready to use

Programming
How easy it is to programme

Using while mobile
How easy it is to operate while on the move

Saving favourite routes
How easy it is to save a route to the memory

Changing routes
How easy it is to make changes to the route (perhaps because of traffic or just a change of mind)

Removing from car
How easy it is to remove the device when you leave the car

Portability
How easy it is to store the device in a pocket or a handbag when you leave the car

Overall ease of use
How easy the sat nav system is to use overall

Overall features
A rating based on an examination of the usefullness of all the sat nav's features

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