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Reviewed by UK Guest, 6th Jan 2007. |
| Review Summary: Sat Nav has come of age |
Overall Score: 5/5
 
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Review: As someone who drives up and down the country regularly and an early adopter of Sat Nav devices I have to say that manufacturers have now finally got it right. The Tom Tom 510 is the best Sat Nav I've ever used. It boots up fairly quickly, finds satellites within seconds and reliably holds on to a signal even when there are overhead obstructions (obviously it won't work down a tunnel). The user interface is clear and easy to use and the spoken instructions are presented to you using a real voice rather than synthesised `robot-like' speech as preferred by some competing products. Route calculation is also quick.
Any mounting problems appear to be solved by a new click and release mechanism. In fact the mounting is the best I've come across. The secret (as mentioned in the instructions) is to make sure that the area of the windscreen where you want to place the mount is clean and to lightly moisten the plastic suction cup before fixing - REALLY. Before thieves caught on to Sat Navs I've had inferior suction devices stuck to my windscreen for months in all kinds of temperatures. As regards the accuracy of route calculations, ignore the people who write reviews and contact the BBC's `Watchdog' programme complaining that their TomTom nearly killed them by directing them into the nearest canal, these people shouldn't be allowed to drive their car out of the garage. Any Sat Nav device is reliant on the accuracy of the map data supplied by one of a very small number of third party mapping companies. Inevitably this data is usually out of date the day it is released and updates don't seem to appear that often and are usually at extra cost. Sometimes the directions you are given will be wrong, won't make sense or if you know the area, won't necessarily be your preferred choice. That said, when I used my TomTom to direct me from South London straight through the middle of the city, over Westminster Bridge and out the other side to all routes North, it did so without me making a single glance towards an awkwardly balanced `AtoZ' as used to be the case. On such occasions you'll wonder how you ever lived without Sat Nav.
My only complaint is the TomTom's obsession with the M25 and the removal of real time speed information on the display (for those like me who are fascinated as to how much your car's speedometer overreads). One of the best gadgets I've ever bought. |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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5 |
| Review Score: |
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5 |
| Recommended? | |
Yes |
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