Review of TomTom Start 2 satnav

GH Institute

Satnavs

Features

Weight: 125g. Dimensions: 94 x 81 x 20mm. Screen size: 9cm Cradle. Lane guidance. Installed maps: England, ROI and N Ireland and partial Channel Islands.

Comments

Good points: Instinctive to use when programming. The screen maps are clear and easy to view at a glance. Verbal instructions are clear with a good choice of voice options and languages. It tended to find the more localised routes rather than taking the main roads. Quickly finds an alternative route when taking a wrong turning. Indicates which lane to take at a motorway junction. Compact to store, the screen mount folds into the back of it.

Drawbacks: Only chain restaurants listed. Battery level indicator does not show unless it is low.

Rating: 79/100

Price: £119.99

Stockist: 0845 161 0009 - http://www.tomtom.com

GHI Test Report - November 2010

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Other products in Satnavs

Review of TomTom Start 2 satnav

Features
Weight: 125g. Dimensions: 94 x 81 x 20mm. Screen size: 9cm Cradle. Lane guidance. Installed maps: England, ROI and N Ireland and partial Channel Islands.
Comments
Good points: Instinctive to use when programming. The screen maps are clear and easy to view at a glance. Verbal instructions are clear with a good choice of voice options and languages. It tended to find the more localised routes rather than taking the main roads. Quickly finds an alternative route when taking a wrong turning. Indicates which lane to take at a motorway junction. Compact to store, the screen mount folds into the back of it.
Drawbacks: Only chain restaurants listed. Battery level indicator does not show unless it is low.

Rating: 79/100

Price: £119.99

Stockist: 0845 161 0009 - http://www.tomtom.com

GHI Test Report - November 2010
Review of Garmin Nuvi 1310 satnav

Features
Dimensions: 74 x 120 x 14mm. Screen size: 10.8cm. Cradle. Lane guidance. Installed maps: England, ROI and N Ireland
Comments
Good points: Clear widescreen and mapping which is clear at a glance. Voice commands are given with plenty of notice and are clearly audible.
Drawbacks: Motorway lane directions are a little small and shown in the top left hand corner of the screen. Battery level indicator is not shown. Could do with more detail on the maps.

Rating: 75/100

Price: £120

Stockist: 08450 579 000 - http://www.halfords.co.uk

GHI Test Report - November 2010
Review of Navman Mio 470 Spirit satnav

Features
Weight: 152g. Dimensions: 80.8 x 127.2 x 18.5mm. Screen size: 10cm. Cradle. Lane guidance. Installed maps: England, ROI and N Ireland.
Comments
Good points: Clearly shows which lane to take on a motorway junction. Good wide screen.
Drawbacks: Testers felt the map was not detailed enough and the voice instructions robotic. It failed our postcode test, directing us in the wrong direction. When programming, the buttons need a really firm press and the unit is slow to register. Only chain restaurants listed. Long winded to programme.

Rating: 57/100

Price: £99.99

Stockist: 0844 800 0912 - http://www.navman.com

GHI Test Report - November 2010
Review of TomTom ONE satnav

Good Housekeeping Top Scorer
Features
Weight:148g.Dimensions: 78 x 92 x 25mm. Screen size 3.5". Integral windscreen mount. 2D and 3D view options. USB cable. Installed maps: UK and Ireland. Map updates available to download from £29.95Speed camera alerts installed. Sunscription costs £19.95 a year.
Comments
A tiny, pocket sized model which has an integral screen mount which folds flat against the body of the satnav for easy storage. Of course with its small dimensions you compromise on screen size, but it still manages to pack in lots of useful information including distance to next turning, any upcoming speed cameras and the speed you should be travelling at plus your current speed and its is still easy to view all this at a glance. Ideal for a first time satnav user.

Rating: 85/100

Price: £129.99

Stockist: http://www.tomtom.com

GHI Test Report - November 2008
Review of TomTom GO 730 satnav

Good Housekeeping Top Scorer
Features
Weight: 220g. Dimensions: 85 X 118 X 24mm. Screen size: 4.3" widescreen. Cradle. 2D and 3D view options. USB cradle. Bluetooth hands free. FM transmitter. Installed maps: UK, Ireland, Eastern and Western Europe. Map updates available to download from £39.95Speed camera alerts installed. Subscription costs £19.95 / year
Comments
This slimline model is lightweight to carry around in pocket or handbag and more importantly very easy to programme. Plenty of clear information is given on the navigation screen including showing you which lane you should take for motorway exits and junctions. There is a clear countdown to the next turning and plenty of options to customise your view and audio commands. The arrival time given is accurate and voice commands very clear. The calculated route can be viewed and easily changed if necessary.

Rating: 93/100

Price: £299.99

Stockist: 0845 161 0009 - http://www.tomtom.com

GHI Test Report - November 2008
Review of TomTom GO 720 satnav

Good Housekeeping Top Scorer
Features
Weight: 219.4g Dimensions: 86 X 120 X 25mm. Screen size: 4.3" widescreen. Cradle. 2D and 3D view options. USB cradle. Bluetooth. Installed maps: UK, Ireland and Western Europe Map updates available to download from £39.95. Speed camera alerts installed. Subscription costs £16.60 / year. Traffic updates using FM antenna costs £49.95. Traffic update subscription costs £29.95
Comments
Slim and compact for carrying easily. Easy to programme with lots of categories under points of interest but not many restaurants other than fast food. Voice recognition works well. Plenty of useful information on screen as your drive and speed camera beep is clear. Road numbers are not spoken which can be misleading, but plenty of notice given for turnings. Easy to change the selected route for another preference when programming. Quick to re-route once off track.

Rating: 81

Price: £229

Stockist: 0845 161 0009 - http://www.tomtom.com

GHI Test Report - August 2008
Review of Panasonic Strada CN-GP50N satnav

Features
Weight: 275g. Dimensions: 85 x 130 x 30mm. Screen size: 5" widescreen. 4 hour battery life. Cradle and dashboard attachment. 2D and 3D view options. USB cable. Bluetooth. Installed maps: UK, Ireland, Eastern and Western Europe. Map updates available to download from £69 some not available until the end of 2008Speed camera subscription is free to subscribers to Club Strada. Traffic avoidance subscription not available yet.
Comments
The clear main map zooms into a junction when nearing it. Once way streets are shown with an arrow. The touch screen is a little slow to respond but it is easy to program. Windscreen cradle is hard to attach and bulky to carry. Road numbers are given at roundabouts. Re-routes quickly when a wrong turning is taken. It took a few minutes in a built up area to find the GPS signal at the start of the journey.

Rating: 80/100

Price: £259.99

Stockist: http://www.panasonic.co.uk

GHI Test Report - August 2008