Garmin StreetPilot c510 Deluxe
Price £300
Tel 08457 626625

Web www.halfords.com
Map source Navteq
Traffic information/routing Yes. Aerial supplied.
Speed camera information Yes. Using third-party camera data.
Extra features MP3 player and picture viewer, using SD/MMC card slot.
Garmin is the biggest name in GPS, and it only takes a few seconds of using this unit to see why. It's a powerful piece of kit. A simple lead page invites you to either enter a location or browse the map. More advanced features pop up when you actually need them, rather than, somewhat confusingly, being listed at the start. Before you know it, you've planned a complex journey without even opening the instruction booklet. The screen is excellent – it's big and high resolution, meaning plenty of detail can be displayed at any scale. And it's sensitive to the touch; making on-screen 'buttons' a doddle to use. Halfords has it on exclusive offer; it's no cheaper, but European maps are included as well as the UK and Ireland maps usually supplied. Verdict The best screen, best performance and easiest to use. A deserving winner.

Rating: * * * * *

TomTom One
Price £250
Tel 08457 626625
Web www.halfords.com
Map source Teleatlas
Traffic information/routing Yes, live data available through TomTom Plus service. Subscription applies and a Bluetooth GPRS enabled mobile phone is needed.
Speed camera information Yes. Subscription applies.
Extra features None
The TomTom Plus internet service gives live traffic, speed camera, and weather information. And because it's live, you can be warned of mobile speed cameras – providing that other TomTom users, hooked up to the web, have added the camera locations to their units. You'll need a mobile phone with GPRS and Bluetooth. It's fast on route calculations and satellite grabbing, but it's not so easy to use – the menus seem too big. Verdict Very clever, but you'll need a high-spec mobile.

Rating: * * * *

Evesham Nav-Cam 7500 TMC
Price £299
Tel 0870 160 9500
Web www.nav-cam.com
Map source Navteq
Traffic information/routing Yes. Aerial supplied.
Speed camera information Yes. Free updates for two weeks, then £30 per year.
Extra features MP3 player and photo viewer using SD/MMC card slot.
Because the AA's Navigator software has been used, this unit has the same colours and symbols found in AA printed maps. Sat-nav novices will love the 'home' button, which returns you to the main menu. The 'points of interest' menu is well laid out with categories listed in alphabetical order. One gripe we have is its slow performance. It took ages to grab the satellites, and route calculations were not instantaneous. The map scrolls smoothly while navigating, but was jerky for browsing destinations.
Verdict Slow performance detracts from the AA Navigator software.
Rating: * *

ViaMichelin X-950T
Price £299
Tel 020 7365 1878
Web www.viamichelin.com
Map source Teleatlas
Traffic information/routing Yes. Aerial supplied.
Speed camera information No
Extra features None
A user-friendly unit the most passionate of gadget-phobes will struggle to dislike. Like Evesham's 7500 TC, there's a very useful 'home' button that takes you back to the main menu. We liked how quickly the unit grabbed the satellites too, and the map's smooth scrolling made browsing destinations effortless. But, for the price, there are serious omissions. The lack of camera warnings is surprising, and only partial postcodes are recognised.
Verdict Pretty dear, but easy to operate and a fast performer.
Rating: * *

Sony Nav-U NV-U50T
Price £215
Tel 08705 111999
Web www.sony.co.uk
Map source Navteq
Traffic information/routing Yes. Aerial supplied.
Speed camera information No.
Extra features None.
A stylish, solid unit from Sony. It took us a couple of attempts to program even simple routes and, we think, part of the problem is that the menu titles are vague. Main functions, such as route planning, crop up in all sorts of places – rather than in one dedicated section. Only partial postcode recognition is another niggle, as is relatively slow route calculation and satellite grabbing. The unit's verbal directions are impressive, though, and it is the most human sounding product here.
Verdict Great verbal instructions, but not one of the easiest units to use.
Rating: * *

Mio C210 DigiWalker
Price £195
Tel 020 7294 0074
Web www.mio-tech.be
Map source Teleatlas
Traffic information/routing Supports TMC. No aerial supplied.
Speed camera information Yes. First year's subscription free.
Extra features None.
For a smidgen less than £200, this little rascal is class leading in so many ways. The processor is super quick, making route calculations, recalculations, satellite grabbing, and map browsing smooth and effortless. Complex multi-stage routes can be programmed in easily. The 57mm x 42mm screen is one of the smallest here, but its high resolution means you don't notice.
Verdict Almost as good as Garmin's Street Pilot, for £100 less. Enough said.
Rating: * * * *

Garmin Nuvi 310
Price £310
Tel 0808 238 0000
Web www.garmin.co.uk
Map source Navteq
Traffic information/routing Yes. Aerial needed.
Speed camera information No.
Extra features Translator, travel guide, MP3 player, picture viewer, world clock, currency and measurement converter, calculator, and Bluetooth hands-free kit. Some functions require subscriptions.
Garmin call this a personal travel assist for good reason – as displayed here in 'Other Functions'. All are genuinely useful. The unit acts as a hands-free kit, and the translator and travel guide make this handy to keep in your pocket. An internal Lithium Ion battery ensures the unit stays live long enough between charges.
Verdict Better than average navigation performance. Mind-blowing features.
Rating: * * *

Magellan Roadmate 3000T
Price £370
Tel 00800 6243 5526
Web www.magellangps.com
Map source Navteq
Traffic information/routing Yes. Aerial needed.
Speed camera information Yes. Subscription applies.
Extra features MP3 player, picture viewer.
Magellan has encircled the screen with several buttons, which make it easy to go to the main menu, change the map screen to text or turn-by-turn instructions. They are easy to press by accident though. The internal processor is quick to grab satellites and calculate routes. But map scrolling is hit and miss. If you drag the map along with your finger, the scrolling is rough. And, if you use the four-way control at the side of the screen, it's slower still.
Verdict Way too high a price for this rather eccentric offering.
Rating: * *

NavMan iCN 330
Price £150
Tel 01293 780500
Web www.navman-europe.com
Map source Teleatlas
Traffic information/routing No.
Speed camera information No.
Extra features None.
While this was a respectable basic offering a few months ago, it feels antiquated now. The budget price isn't much less than far more capable units. And that makes it hard to justify the lack of camera warnings and traffic warnings. Slow satellite grabbing, and lengthy route calculations, hardly endear. Easily our biggest moan, though, is the partial postcode recognition. This is also the only unit in the group without a touch-sensitive screen. So you cannot map browse to find locations. On the bright side, its a breeze to use.
Verdict There's basic and there's really basic. This is the latter.
Rating: * *

Road Angel Navigator 6000
Price £250
Tel 0871 7500 111
Web www.nav-now.co.uk
Map source Teleatlas
Traffic information/routing No (currently under development).
Speed camera information Yes. Free subscription for first six months.
Extra features MP3 player, picture viewer.
Road Angel's camera database covers all types of static speed cameras, accident blackspots, and even average speed-checking zones. And the good news is that all this information is built into the Navigator 6000. In fact, this is really two products in one. You can use it as a sat-nav system, or to warn of cameras and danger spots. Purely as a GPS system, this unit is reasonably easy to use, but nowhere near as intuitive as the Garmin or Mio units. A faster processor would improve it.
Verdict Arguably the best system for beating speed cameras.
Rating: * * * *