Gone are the days when sat navs were a strictly aftermarket purchase. You now get a satnav fitted as standard on a Suzuki Baleno that costs less than £13,000 – and every single BMW that rolls off a garage forecourt comes with one, too. It’s becoming less and less common to find a car without a half-decent navigation device fitted as standard. But when it comes to getting the absolute best satnavs on the market, Garmin and TomTom have the market pretty much sewn up.
If you’re buying a second-hand car built when GPS technology was a luxury option, then the chances are you’ll want more than a dog-eared road atlas. And even if a used model does come with satnav, the maps it uses and the features it offers could well be so out of date that a modern unit is worth the investment. Better still, you can grab a cheap satnav and take it on holiday so that you don’t have to borrow a satnav from the car rental desk.
Here we’ve selected the best six satnavs on the market, and with prices ranging from £100 to £250, there’s a perfect pick for every budget. And if you’re not sure what to go for then our Buying Guide below will run you through everything you need to know.
How to buy the best satnav for you
Can’t I just use my smartphone instead?
For many drivers, mounting their phone on the windscreen in a cradle and using Google maps, or a free navigation app such as Waze offers everything they might need, including traffic information, up-to-date maps and places to stop off at along the way. There’s only one problem, you’ll need a decent data connection unless your app has offline maps, and you’ll cost yourself a fortune in roaming fees if you attempt to download maps and navigate abroad.
Indeed, the latest satnavs have fought back against the smartphone. Some double as Bluetooth devices, using their in-built microphones and speakers to provide hands-free call technology. Some display the current speed limit, or act as dashboard cameras, recording video footage which you can use in the event of an accident.
Which satnavs give the clearest directions?
The big manufacturers have honed their basic route guidance for years, and there’s little to choose between the standard displays.
There are, however, additional features that do differentiate the products, including the 3D junction displays, which show you a path through complicated motorway junctions, or a series of turns that follow in quick succession, which can make all the difference when you’re surrounded by traffic in an unfamiliar situation. Some Garmin satnavs also offer real-life views as you approach your destination, so you don’t miss a hidden turning or building that’s set back from the street, and their voice guidance has more of a natural, human touch – telling you to turn after a landmark such as a church, for example.
How will satnavs make my journey smoother?
To put it simply, the satnav receives signals from GPS satellites, so it knows where you are. You tell it where to go and it’ll find the best way of getting you there.
Even basic satnavs now come with lifetime map updates, so you’ll always be guided on current roads, and you won’t end up being the driver who followed their satnav into a lake because a road used to be there.
But the greatest time-saving technology is the live traffic data that’s available on mid-range models and above. The speed of traffic on major roads is constantly monitored by the satnav firms, so your device can route you around any traffic hotspots as they develop on your journey.
Speed camera warnings are billed as alerts to warn you to take care on stretches of road that are so dangerous that they have had to have speed cameras installed. The device will usually beep as you approach a camera. They are also a handy reminder to check your speedometer, but may require a subscription fee.
Which satnavs are simplest to operate?
Putting another screen in your car could be a recipe for distraction, but the best models come with voice control to minimise how often you need to use the touchscreen. Good voice recognition software is essential to prevent frustration.
You will have to use the touchscreen at various points, though, and your best bet is one with a capacitive screen – the same technology used by smartphones. Cheaper models have resistive touchscreens, which flex slightly when you push them, are less precise and don’t provide such clear image quality.
What extra features are worth looking out for?
From collision warnings to black box video recorders: your satnav doesn’t have to be a one-trick pony. One of the most useful features, if your car doesn’t already have it, is a Bluetooth connection. Connect your phone wirelessly, and the satnav will be able to search through contacts, make a call and act as a microphone and speaker so you don’t need to touch your phone.
Choose a satnav with a camera fitted and it can act as a dashboard camera, recording footage through the windscreen, which can be useful in an accident. The camera can also monitor other traffic and the white lane markings on roads, warning you if you’re getting too close the the car in front or straying out of your lane.
It’s worth checking what kind of mapping coverage you’re getting, too. The majority of devices have European mapping included as standard, but if you’re planning to travel to one of the more obscure places, then you may need a higher-end model.
How do satnavs update their maps and traffic data?
Some high-end satnavs have their own built-in sim cards, so they can connect to the mobile network to collect live traffic data and update maps. Others use radio signals to receive the information.
At the lower end, you may need to connect your phone wirelessly to the device, so that it can use the data connection to receive live traffic information.
Cheap models still require you to plug them into your computer to update maps, which is now beginning to feel awkward and out of date.
The best satnavs to buy from £100
1. Garmin DriveSmart 50 Europe LMT-D 5: The best satnav under £150
Price when reviewed:£120
The DriveSmart 50 is an unbeatable package. Now available for the price of the cheapest TomTom model thanks to various online discounts, the DriveSmart 50 packs in a responsive capacitive screen as well as live traffic updates.
It uses digital radio signals to update the traffic situation, and was effective at highlighting some obvious jams during our testing, even if our experience is that Garmin devices aren’t quite as good at TomTom’s at highlighting congestion hotspots, nor as accurate at highlighting speed cameras.
The routes chosen by the DriveSmart 50 were logical and fast, with accurate estimates of arrival time. Detours to avoid traffic are clearly marked, and a detailed 3D display shows the lanes to take through complicated junctions. A clear and comprehensive menu helps you find points of interest - such as restaurants along the route.
Like all of the Garmin satnavs, it features real directions, so it may tell you to turn after a bridge, or a petrol station for example. It’s such a natural way of guiding you that you don’t really notice it’s happening.
The voice command system starts up the moment you say “voice control” and gives you plenty of options, including postcode entry. However, it was so poor at recognising what we were saying (in our clearest voices) that we gave up using it. Hands-free calling is clear, though.
Key specs – Screen: 5in capacitive; Navigation features: Live traffic data, lifetime map updates, 48 countries, speed camera data
2. TomTom Go 5200: The ultimate high-end satnav
Price when reviewed:£249
It’s expensive, yes, but the Go 5200 is the satnav to go for if you have the budget. The capacitive screen is as natural to use as a decent smartphone, and the built-in sim card means that you don’t need to pair your phone with the device: it’ll download TomTom’s class-leading traffic data, which is generally better at spotting jams than rivals, as well as speed camera alerts for the lifetime of the device (which TomTom says is until they decide to stop supporting it).
The Go 5200 is quick to find a logical route that avoids obvious traffic jams, and arrival time estimates are accurate. Clear 3D diagrams guide you through complicated junctions, and landmarks are shown in cities, which make it easier to identify the turning you want to take. You’ll be able to plan your journey around points of interest along the way, there’s a fairly display of the speed limit of the road you’re on and a GPS calculation of your current speed - which is usually more accurate than your car’s speedometer.
Pair your phone with the device and it’ll act as a hands-free device, as well as reading out text messages that you’re sent. Making a call isn’t as simple as it should be - there are too many buttons to press - but the sound is clear.
Voice control seems better than on other TomToms - it was less likely to mishear destinations than on the Via 62, and is activated when you say a phrase that you choose and program in yourself.
Key specs – Screen: 5in capacitive; Navigation features: Live traffic data, lifetime map updates, 48 countries, lifetime speed camera data.
3. TomTom Via 62: A brilliant mid-range satnav with hands-free Bluetooth
Price when reviewed:£149
This mid-range TomTom has the company’s excellent live traffic data and it’s used with clear indications of when you should take a detour to save time. There are no subscription fees for the traffic data, but that’s partly because the satnav needs to be connected to your phone, with wireless Bluetooth, and uses its data connection to check the latest congestion hotspots. It’s not a lot of data, but does mean that you can’t connect your phone to your car’s Bluetooth system to play music through the stereo.
The 6in screen looks enormous, but not as slick as others because it’s a resistive display - albeit one that’s responsive to use.
Hands-free calling is included. The sound is good, but there is lots of fiddly pressing on the screen to make a call, unless you use the mediocre voice command system: its range of options are limited and it can be difficult to make your instructions understood.
The satnav has the same functions as the cheaper Start model, including points of interest along your route, a display of the speed limit and speed limit alerts (free for the first three months). The screen mount is integrated, making it compact and easy to carry.
Key specs – Screen: 6in resistive; Navigation features: Live traffic data (via smartphone), lifetime map updates, 48 countries, 3 months of speed camera data
4. Garmin DriveAssist 50 Europe LMT-D 5: Great navigation features and a built-in dashcam
Price when reviewed:£200
It’s not-so much Garmin’s all-singing and all-dancing model, but more the all beeping and flashing one. It’s hard to shake off the impression that this satnav has packed a little more in that it can manage, which overshadows an extremely good product.
Equipped with the same functions as the DriveSmart 50, including its clear mapping and good route choices, it also adds a camera on the back, meaning that your satnav can act as a dashboard camera, recording the view from the windscreen and providing evidence if you’re unfortunate enough to end up in a shunt.
That function works well, but Garmin have tried to add accident avoidance technology as well: the camera can spot if you’re too close to a car in front or drifting out of your lane - at least in theory. In practice, it’s not accurate enough to be useful, regularly bleeping away with false warnings. We turned it off.
The camera does redeem itself with a neat trick when you approach your destination, though. In some areas, the image from the camera is shown on screen and overlaid with directions, making it much clearer where you need to turn. Combined with Garmin’s real directions that reference landmarks, it makes it much harder to take a wrong turning.
Key specs – Screen: 5in capacitive; Navigation features: Live traffic data, lifetime map updates, 48 countries, speed camera data.
5. TomTom Start 52 (Europe maps): A very respectable £120 satnav
Price when reviewed:£120
This basic TomTom looks like the poor relation to a mobile phone app, with no live traffic data - which is available on the Via 62, which at the time of writing costs the same - and a resistive screen too, which is slow to respond with a low resolution.
But the device is saved by the clear directions and speedy route planning, which means you can be driving away just a minute after starting up the device. Complicated junctions are displayed with impressive clarity, too. It benefits from TomTom’s reliable software, which nearly always sends you on a sensible route.
The big advantage over smartphone apps are the extra functions: you can easily look for restaurants or petrol stations on your route, which makes planning your journey much easier. The device also tells you the speed limit of the road you’re on (pretty accurately, with the exception of roadworks), in case you miss a sign, and there’s a handy column on the right hand side that lets you know how far away the next petrol station and speed camera alert is. TomTom’s good speed camera database is usable for three months, too.
Given that you can currently pick up the superior Start 62 for the same money, though, you'll get more bang for your buck with TomTom Start 52's bigger brother. Keep an eye on those prices.
Key specs – Screen: 5in resistive; Navigation features: No live traffic data, lifetime map updates, 23 countries, 3 months of speed camera data
6. Garmin Drive 50 Europe LM 5: The best budget satnav
Price when reviewed:£110
You can get a version of the Drive 50 without European maps for less than £100, which makes this the cheapest device on test. The Garmin basics are still here: sensible routes, clear directions and extra 3D diagrams to help at junctions.
However, this is also a device that highlights some of the brand’s weak points. It’s slow to start up and the resistive screen makes the keyboard fiddly to use - you’ll mis-type less frequently on a TomTom.
Real directions, which reference landmarks (telling you to turn right after the church, for instance) are included, along with warnings about dangerous turns, and the one that you’ll hopefully never need – to warn you that you’re driving the wrong way down a road.
The excellent route planner also helps you find points of interest along the way, which lifts the device above a smartphone, although the lack of traffic data and the need to plug in toa computer to update the maps, makes it feel decidedly like old tech.
Key specs – Screen: 5in resistive; Navigation features: No live traffic data, lifetime map updates, 48 countries, speed camera alerts