If
you've struggled through several awkward car journeys this summer,
you might have noticed that when the roads are hot and your patience
is short, finding your way around is just that little bit trickier.
That is just what we thought, until our dear chums at QVC suggested
we tried one of their best selling products. Thanks to that, we
managed to find our way home to review the TomTom Start 60 satnav.
We've
played around with a few satnavs in the past but never really found
one we've wanted to fully commit to. The trouble is, although a very
handy thing to have, especially when travelling to some place new,
most modern smartphones feature a navigation app or at least some
kind of usable map. However, since we've been literally test-driving
the TomTom Start 60 we haven't reached for our phones once. Here's
why.
First
of all, this baby has a six inch touch screen. That makes it the
largest and clearest screen of any satnav (or dash cam, for that
matter) that we've ever seen. The screen also has a matte finish,
meaning there was no glare in the bright summer sunshine. Navigating
the onboard OS was a breeze, and the combination of a large touch
surface and nice chunky buttons made using the TomTom Start 60 easy
to do, even while in motion.
We
were also impressed by how slim the unit is. At just 2.2 cm thick it
feels more like a phablet in your hands, and thanks to the built-in
suction cup it takes up very little room on your windscreen. And
(hold onto your hats here) once on, that suction cup didn't once give
up the ghost, not once during the fortnight we used it. Seriously, wow.
We
also think that the TomTom Start 60 wins hands down over a smartphone
by the speed at which it can connect to, and read data from, a GPS
satellite. As soon as we switched the TomTom Start 60 on the road
ahead was right there, and every turn we made, no matter how small,
was immediately represented on the screen. There was no lag time as
the satnav loaded map info from the internet, as it was already there
stored on the device. By the way, TomTom offer free updates for life,
meaning you will always have the correct road info waiting for you as
you set off on a journey.
The
actual directions the TomTom Start 60 gave we're also pretty clever.
For instance it knows when rush hour is kicking off, warning you of
increased time for journeys through busy areas. The on-screen imagery
also interprets some areas with realistic 3D representations,
allowing you to see exactly where to drive. This was especially handy
on complicated junctions on motorways where roads overlap each other.
We've
loved testing the TomTom Start 60 and it really has made summer road
trips miles easier to complete. This clear, neat, and easy to use
satnav is a must for any driver... even those who think their phones
will see them right.
Around £100