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Satnav challenge: the final verdict

Posted on 20 Jul 2010 at 18:05

We reveal who won our real-world satnav road test

Is free satnav really good enough to keep pace with the paid-for software? Our final leaderboard reveals that Google Maps was more than half an hour quicker than even a top-of-the-range TomTom over the course of our four challenges, suggesting it’s more than a match for products costing hundreds of pounds.

On paper, things don’t look so hot for the other freebie, Nokia Ovi Maps. Yet, we didn’t download the free maps onto our Nokia N97. Given that a lack of data signal ended up robbing Priti of half an hour at the start of challenge two, preventing her from downloading the on-demand maps, if we had done so the Nokia would probably be at least on a par with the paid-for packages.

So do we give our unqualified backing to the freebies? No. Google Maps still requires a decent data signal before it will even plot a route, which isn’t much good if you’re stuck in the Peak District, or even a pub car park in Surrey.

And while Nokia’s downloadable maps might overcome that particular hurdle, the free software (and indeed CoPilot’s paid-for iPhone app) is still dependent on the GPS receiver inside your smartphone, which normally fails to latch onto a signal as effectively as the GPS radios found inside dedicated satnav devices.

It’s also fair to say that our one-day challenge didn’t fully exploit the TomTom’s advanced traffic system, which uses historical road data and live traffic updates to guide drivers towards the fastest available route. We know from months of personal experience that TomTom’s system is excellent at finding the fastest routes in towns and cities.

So for those in rural areas or people who spend hours in their car every day, we believe the investment in a dedicated satnav device or software will still pay off. But for the recreational user, who simply wants to find their way to Alton Towers at the weekend, it’s amazing what you can get for free.

Total finishing times

1. Google Maps - 154 mins

2. TomTom - 187 mins

3. CoPilot for iPhone - 190 mins

4. Nokia Ovi Maps - 215 mins

5. Paper roadmaps - 237 mins

Reviews

Nokia Ovi Maps

Google Maps Navigation

TomTom Go 950 Live

CoPilot 8 for iPhone

Advice

Tips for satnav drivers

Author: Barry Collins