Navman ICN510 V3

If your journey times in the car are often doubled as a result of questionable map-reading skills, a satellite navigation system, such as the Navman ICN510 V3, could prove to be an invaluable investment.

Operating as a standalone unit, the Navman will quickly be able to guide you to any street address in the UK. The combination of a map and voice instructions guide you turn by turn to your destination and, should you accidentally take a wrong turn, the Navman instantly recalculates the route to get you back on track. The basic package gives you UK street-level maps along with major western European roads, but additional European street-level maps can also be purchased.

The colour touch-screen display performs well, but it does have some trouble keeping a clear display in bright sunlight - occasionally we found it almost impossible to see what was on the screen due to reflections. That said, the voice instructions are always on hand and provide clear directions without you even having to look at the map.

An intuitive menu system means it takes next to no time to get to grips with the Navman. You can navigate through the on-screen menus using either your fingers or the included stylus. New journeys can be planned in a matter of seconds and you can set up a list of favourite addresses to speed up the process. The Navman can also highlight a variety of points of interest along the way, such as cash machines, petrol stations and car parks.

Along with its good performance, we were also impressed with the compact size of the Navman. Despite housing a large 3.5in display it still manages to measure less than 3cm deep. It can run either off the cigarette lighter socket in your car or using the internal battery supply.

In-car navigation units such as this aren't cheap, but there are no subscription costs so it's a one-off purchase. The Navman ICN510 V3 takes minutes to set up, is easy to use and works well. If you're after a hassle-free satellite navigation system, it's well worth the money.

See also:

Medion MDPNA 100

Find your way about town with this GPS-enabled handheld computer  10 Jun 2005

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