Review: TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition

Overview, features and performance

The very notion of TomTom turning to Jeremy Clarkson for in-car navigation is obviously a polarising decision.

This surprisingly compact package may represent perfect timing for the Christmas rush, but be warned: Clarkson isn't for everyone, even in controlled bursts.

If you've got any doubts at all about whether the TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition is for you, or the person you're buying it for, then you should stay well clear.

Clarkson, like his views on pretty much everything, is a delicacy - you either love him or hate him; there's no wishy-washy middle ground.

Don't be too swayed by the team Top Gear livery, either - you only get Clarkson's voice to guide you down Britain and Ireland's road, there's no James May to send you to sleep at the wheel, and Hammond is also notably missing.

You do get the Stig as a selectable voice, but this turns out to be simply silence - a one-off joke that has somehow made it into the final machine.

Far more useful, and impressive, is the huge array of standard voices on the TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition, which aren't quite so irksome.

The Go Live moniker is an indicator that this sat nav updates its database on the fly. This isn't only locations of static and mobile speed cameras, but also includes traffic jams and accidents, enabling you to recalculate your route and avoid trouble well in advance of you realising that your motorway of choice is doing impressions of a municipal car park.

This service does come at a fairly hefty cost of £47 a year, so it's one for anyone that's on the roads a lot for work. You do get the first year free at least, so you can see how much you use it first.

Clarkson actually does a pretty good job of telling you where to go, and isn't anywhere near as annoying as we could have guessed, on the TomTom Go Live TopGear Edition. There are some moments of genuine entertainment, such as: "Turn left on to the motorway. You can't miss it, it's the big lump of tarmac covered in caravans and traffic cones."

There are moment of surprise as well, when Clarkson directs your next cause of action, followed by "I'm bored to death of this journey", or "Your driving is making me car sick". The problem is, these are repeated often in even a small journey, and there simply isn't enough variety.

The saving grace is that TomTom knows rather a lot about satellite navigation. When it comes to the important task of getting from A to B in a timely fashion, there's plenty to love here. The predicted arrival time is unnervingly accurate, while the routes make sense and don't involve anything silly such as sending you the wrong way up one-way streets.

The interface has recently been updated, and navigating your way around the TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition is a delightful experience.

Finger presses need to be firm, but this is easy to get used to, and it does mean you're not navigating to Land's End by accident. The Go Live features are great, and really give you time to work out where it's worth trying a different route to avoid a traffic jam.

Mounting is straightforward, and while thicker than a unit that can be detached from a cradle, it folds reasonably flat to slip in a pocket. The decision to use a standard USB cable for charging, along with an adapter for the car power socket works well, and means you don't need multiple cables when plugging it into your PC.

Verdict

The problem with the TomTom Top Gear Edition isn't actually Jeremy Clarkson's voice, because that can be swapped once you've heard all of his little witticisms, but rather what else you can get for nearly the same cash.

This edition only comes with England and Ireland maps, while spending an extra tenner nets you the whole of Europe if you pick up the TomTom Go Live 825 Europe. This does mean that you have to live without Jeremy Clarkson's charms, although this is a sacrifice only the most ardent Top Gear fanatic could realistically not make.

We liked:

While we wouldn't go as far as saying the core navigation is flawless, the TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition does do a damn fine impression of it. Routes are intelligent, and are based on more than simply getting you to the nearest motorway or trunk road.

The interface is a delight to use and explore, with the display readable in a variety of lighting conditions. The screen is uncluttered, even when showing a lot of information, and the 3D view makes navigating the more complex junctions straightforward.

We disliked:

Repetition means the few funny lines from Clarkson become less funny pretty quickly. There's not enough variation either. We'd also have liked to have more than Clarkson and Stig's silence as voice options from the Top Gear team.

The Go Live subscription isn't cheap, and while you could argue that it's only really intended for people that drive for a living, it works so well that everyone can benefit from it.

Final verdict

The TomTom Go Live Top Gear Edition isn't the cheapest or the most extensive sat nav money can buy, nor is it the most hilarious, but it does make for a tempting package for the right kind of petrol head.

It's a wonderful device in every other sense, and a formidable navigator, but we can't help thinking that your money would be better spent on a more encompassing model.

And on that bombshell...

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Review: TomTom Start 20

TomTom Start 20: Overview and features

If you're looking to get away by car this summer, then the new TomTom Start 20 is something you should consider taking along for the ride.

This entry level sat nav is ideal for anyone who's getting a sat nav for the first time - or for those who only occasionally need help getting from A to B - like holidaymakers heading to the coast.

To prove the point, the TomTom Start 20 has seen TomTom gives its entry-level range a radical overhaul. This one boasts an ultra-slim body with an 11cm touchscreen display, a brand new operating system - which aims to be even easier to use than before - improved Points of Interest and two million kilometres of additional roads.

Just the kind of thing we love to get our teeth into.

New features

One of the most obvious changes from the TomTom Start 2 - aside from the body and 480 x 272 pixel widescreen display - is a new ball-and-socket mounting arm, which swivels around so you can mount the TomTom Start 20 either on your car's windscreen or on the dash.

You'll need a dash or air vent (not included) if you want to do the latter.

The mounting arm enables you to position the TomTom 20 at almost any angle, while its suction cup is robust enough to stop it from coming loose - a problem that dogged some TomTom sat navs in the past. To help you mount the TomTom Start 20 either on your windscreen or your dash, it now comes with an orientation sensor, so the on-screen menus and maps are always the right way around.

Other features of the TomTom Start 20's body include a large, easily accessible power button on the bottom left (with the screen facing towards you), built in speaker, and an SD card expansion slot - which TomTom says will activated with a software update this summer.

The TomTom Start 20 is easy to charge and sync with your Mac or PC too - it uses a new 12v USB power adapter and mini USB cable.

Inside you'll find all the usual sat nav gubbins, plus 4GB of internal flash memory, although there's no built-in Bluetooth so you won't be able to use the TomTom Start 20 to help you make and take hands-free calls. You also won't be able to use the TomTom Start 20 to get Traffic Message Channel (TMC) data on your route unless you pay an extra £50 for a dedicated receiver.

This £130 version of the TomTom Start 20 includes maps for the UK and Ireland, although you can also get a European version for an additional £20 - we think this nominal extra spend is worth it.

Menus

The biggest changes to TomTom Start's range come in the form of a new operating system with enhanced navigation that aims to make it even easier to find your way around.

Right from the get-go, it impresses with bright, clear icons and logical sub-menu system that's easy to find your way around. One thing you do notice, however, is that you do need to press the touchscreen quite firmly for it to register each selection you make.

Getting around the menus is also more leisurely than quick, which suggest that the TomTom Start 20 is a little underpowered when compared to its more expensive siblings.

Delve into the sub-menus and it becomes obvious how feature-rich the TomTom Start 20 is - you can do everything from customising the colours of the map screen to planning your route by car, bike or on foot.

You can even choose which icons appear on the main navigation screen from 'make your own menu' which gives you the option to add things like 'drive to car park' and 'suggest driving breaks' icons to the screen.

Navigation

The best thing about the new TomTom Start 20 though has to be actually using it to get around.

Whether you're simply going across town or heading to the other end of the country, it'll quite simply get you there with minimum fuss - which, of course, is what a sat nav is supposed to do. You'd be surprised by how many get it wrong.

What's amazing is that TomTom has already made its killer route mapping and navigation even better by adding a couple of simple extras - like telling you what the name of the road is that you need to turn on to e.g. 'at the next roundabout take the second exit on to High Street' instead of the usual 'at the next roundabout take the second exit on to the A4050'.

It's a little thing, but it makes a huge difference especially when you're struggling with busy, complicated junctions.

Going alongside side that are new, even more detailed junction views, which make it abundantly clear what you need to do at motorway intersections with the lane structure clearly displayed along with flashing amber arrows telling you which lanes you should be in.

TomTom's evidently also done a lot of work on its Points Of Interest, which covers everything from nearby cash machines and petrol stations to more exotic stuff like restaurants and zoos. All of a sudden, that shopping mall that previous TomTom's failed to take us to without typing in the exact postcode have appeared in the lost of Points of Interest options and you can even find a decent restaurant if you want one - TomTom no longer just serves up a list of fast food joints and little else.

TomTom Start 20: Verdict

TomTom has overhauled its Start range - and how. The TomTom Start 20 is easy to use, has all the essential features you need and gets from A to B with minimum fuss.

We liked:

We particularly like the new improved route mapping features like road names and even more detailed junction views. A wider range of mounting options and the inclusion of an SD card expansion slot are welcome. Build quality is good and the widescreen display is bright and clear - even in strong sunlight

We disliked:

It's obvious the TomTom Start 20 has been built to a price, so you have to forego things like Bluetooth hands-free calling and traffic jam updates, but the only real downers are a slightly unresponsive touchscreen and the leisurely pace at which the TomTom Start 20 lets you leaf through its graphical user interface (GUI).

Verdict:

So should the TomTom Start 20 be on your shopping list? Absolutely. For £130 you get a dedicated sat nav that beats the pants off most of its standalone rivals and makes those freebie apps you can download for your phone look inadequate by comparison. If you're serious about getting around, but don't want to spend a fortune, then the TomTom Start 20 is very hard to beat.

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Review: TomTom Go Live 825

TomTom Go Live 825: Overview

Sat navs may be one of the most beneficial gadgets ever invented, but navigating your way through all the available options can be a nightmare.

TomTom aims to simplify things by splitting its 2011 lineup into two distinct camps: 'non-connected' sat navs such as its Start 20 and Via Live 120 models and 'connected' sat navs such as the TomTom Go Live 825 Europe, part of the Go Live 800 series.

'Non-connected' sat navs eschew all the bells and whistles in favour of simplicity, which is great for casual drivers who only need to use a sat nav occasionally. Meanwhile the 'connected' ones give you all the bells and whistles and then put brass knobs on, making them ideal for 'professional' drivers who need to navigate congested roads and beyond.

We've already reviewed a 'non-connected' sat nav in the shape of the TomTom Start 20, so now let's take a look at the 'connected' alternative: the £230 TomTom Go Live 825 Europe, and explore why it's worth an extra £110.

TomTom Go Live 825: Features and performance

The first thing you notice about the TomTom Go Live 825 Europe is its 13cm 480 x 272 pixel touchscreen display. Its bright and clear screen real estate enables you to take advantage of all those 'connected' features (more on these in a minute).

The TomTom Go Live 825 Europe also includes a new orientation sensor, which enables the display to swivel 180 degrees – which is handy as TomTom has redesigned the mounting arm so you can place your sat nav either on your windscreen or on your car's dashboard (provided you also buy the optional dash mount).

Other physical features include a simplified 12V charger plug with mini-USB cable, which enables you to sync the TomTom Go Live 825 Europe easily with your Mac or PC without the needed for additional cables. You also get a mini SD card slot for expansion – handy if you want to buy additional maps later, although it comes with full UK and European maps covering 45 countries.

Other goodies inside the sat nav itself include built-in Bluetooth and 4GB of internal flash memory.

The biggest change, however, has been to TomTom's sat nav operating system: it's cleaner and simpler to use than before, with a logical series of menus and sub-menus that make it easy to find your way around. You'll notice that getting around or accessing menus requires quite a firm press of the touchscreen to get your input to register – but better that than the other extreme, which is just plain annoying.

Going alongside the cosmetic changes on the TomTom Go Live 825 Europe are a deeper set of improvements that should help improve TomTom's already fearsome reputation.

These include thousands of new kilometres of roads, a much better selection of points of interest (POI) – that now includes amenities such as local restaurants as well as national chains – and, of course, those 'connected' Live features.

These give your TomTom Go Live 825 Europe a year's free access to features including TomTom HD Traffic, which gives you updates on the traffic situation on your chosen route every two minutes; with the results displayed in a slender indicator column on the screen's right-hand side. This flashes up potential problems ahead using red or orange indicators, enabling you to plot an alternative route well before you reach them.

Other Live features include updated information on fixed and mobile safety cameras, local weather reports with five-day forecasts as well as Live QuickGPSFix and Google Local Search – for those times when the built-in POIs can't find what you're looking for.

All of this information is accessed and updated using the TomTom Go Live 825's built-in SIM, so you don't have to worry about connecting your mobile to receive them. The only real downside is that you'll have to pay an annual fee of around £47 once your year's free subscription is up – but if you drive a lot, we think that's a price worth paying.

Performance

Out on the road, the TomTom Go Live 825 Europe really proves its mettle. Our combined test route of rural, urban and arterial roads really put the sat nav through its paces – and it was very rarely found wanting. We particularly like the fact that 2011 TomToms now include road names among their voice instructions, making it far easier to take the correct turn, especially at complex road junctions and roundabouts.

We also love the improvements to the way TomTom handles motorway junctions: you no longer just get close-up views of each one with arrows indicating which lanes you should be in, the arrows now also flash orange so you can tell at a glance exactly what you're supposed to do.

Teaming Live services with TomTom's IQ Routes – which intelligently picks the best route to your destination by taking into account anonymous data collected from thousands of other road users – also helps make driving a lot less stressful.

The only time the TomTom really tripped us up was when we were looking for a particular supermarket at our destination using the Points Of Interest search – only to be greeted with identical names for each one, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact store we wanted.

TomTom Go Live 825: Verdict

TomTom is on a roll with the Go Live 825 Europe. Not only has it been able to make the world's best sat navs even easier and more pleasurable to use, but it's done so in an intelligent, engaging way that leaves the competition even further behind.

From simple changes such as the improved integrated screen/ dash mount to the changes it's made to its sat nav operating system, TomTom's sheer class, quality and attention to detail shines through.

We liked:

TomTom's new operating system really shines on the Go Live 825 Europe, carefully balancing ease of use with lots of tweakable features. The whole environment feels slick, polished and a pleasant place to be.

Better yet are a useful range of sat nav features including spoken road names to make navigating junctions easier, as well as clearer signposting at motorway intersections. Double thumbs up.

We disliked:

Not a lot, to be honest. When you're paying for a premium product you expect premium features, and that's pretty much what you get.

The only things that are a little annoying are the insensitivity of the touchscreen – which feels a little kludgy when you compare it to something like the iPhone 4 – and the ongoing costs associated with those Live features. But then if you're going to moan about the cost of these, you've clearly bought the wrong sat nav in the first place.

Verdict:

The TomTom Go Live 825 Europe proves that the world's best sat nav is now even better. The new operating system, improved UI and enhanced navigation options are worth the money alone. Optional Live services such as Traffic HD and Safety Camera updates are the cherry and the icing of an already yummy cake.

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