Group test: Hassle-free satellite navigation

One of the most popular options for satellite navigation is the all-in-one solution that you can just plug in and stick on your car’s dashboard, without worrying about linking to the computer or performing a tricky installation.

Devices like these have been around for a while, but were quite expensive; the development of pocket computers has helped commoditise the hardware, while companies like Tom Tom, with its Go range, provided attractive and simple solutions that outshone some of the old-fashioned offerings from traditional GPS manufacturers.

But just how good are these newer devices? We’ve looked at 10 models, ranging in price from around £180 to £300 – our brief was that they cost less than £300, include at least UK street-level navigation and come ready to use, complete with car mounting kits.

There are remarkable similarities between some of them, while others stand out in various ways.

As well as test driving all the units, we’ll explain what you should look for from a GPS device and provide lots of practical hints and tips to help you make the most of the system.

We’ll also help you decide which of the products really is the best one for the kind of driving that you do.

In-car GPS navigation may be one of the top gadgets of the moment, but why would you need it and what exactly can it do for you?

GPS relies on a constellation of satellites operated by the US, constantly transmitting data. A GPS receiver picks up the signals from these and, with the aid of some clever mathematics, is able to work out its own position on the planet.

Add a little intelligence, and it can work out which direction it’s moving in and how fast as, contrary to popular myth, GPS doesn’t track you. It simply allows a receiver to know where it is and the receiver can do what it wants with the information.

If you want to know where someone is, you need a GPS system that combines a receiver either with software that records a log of all the locations, or hardware – such as a mobile phone – that can send information about the position to someone else.

So, while most navigation systems will keep a ‘track’ in their memory, recording where you’ve been, using GPS doesn’t mean the satellites are spying on you; unless you give someone access to that track, you’re just as anonymous as you were.

Having dispensed with that concern, just what can you expect from a GPS unit and what should you consider when you’re choosing one?

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