Navigon 1210 in GPS / Satnav

The incredible TomTom Go 740 Live shows just what you can do with satnav these days, but it's an expensive investment especially as you have to pay £7.99 per month for the connected services. That's why our main A List choice remains the TomTom Go 730, though this isn't a cheap device either.

But you don't have to pay more than £100 for decent in-car navigation, as this Navigon proves. The 1210 doesn't look much; so small, thin and light (95 x 72 x 17mm), in fact, that we didn't expect much from it at all. And the price at just £85 exc VAT is as low rent as you can get. However, first impressions can deceive.

That unassuming exterior hides a powerful device that works extremely well. Advanced features include maps for the whole of Europe, speed camera warnings and lane assistance. The latter gives the 1210 the edge over TomTom's One for general navigation, providing clear advance warnings as to which lane to be in when driving on dual carriageways, complicated motorway junctions and multi-lane roundabouts.

During testing it picked up satellites quickly, voice instructions were loud and clear and we found the maps to be very easy to read. Again, the latter are an improvement on TomTom's efforts, which look a little old fashioned in comparison. And the small 3.5in 320 x 240 resolution screen doesn't feel too cramped either; in fact drivers of small cars may prefer its compact windscreen footprint to a larger device such as the TomTom Go 730.

Where the 1210 does lose out to the TomTom, and the reason why the latter remains the best cheap alternative to the Go 730, is the address entry and ease of use. The onscreen keyboard feels more fiddly to use, and the user interface is less intuitive. You also can't upgrade it with TMC to receive traffic information over FM as you can with the TomTom One either.

However the price for the Navigon 1210 is a mere £83 exc VAT, a good £10-£15 cheaper than the One, despite a dramatic fall in price since our review. And that makes this little satnav a very good deal indeed.

Author: Jonathan Bray