TomTom One satnav system

Posted by T3 Online on Mon 29 Oct 2007

The best satnav system for your bucks.

Having dominated the high end of the satnav market for some time, TomTom has now set its sights on the entry level.

At just £280 - TomTom's cheapest model yet - you might expect certain corners to have been cut. You'd be wrong. The 32MB of onboard memory might seem skimpy, but there's also an SD card preloaded with maps, so it's easy to plug it straight in and get going. As with all TomTom devices, the 3D maps are easy to follow on the 3.5-inch touchscreen and the voice directions are clear too. It's also quick at picking up satellites, taking about 30 seconds from when you fire up the machine, and routes are recalculated almost instantly, should you stray off course.

The addition of Bluetooth means you can also use TomTom's PLUS subscription service for real-time traffic updates - ideal for those who start pining for America's more relaxed gun laws when stuck in jams.

In fact, the only areas where the budget price-tag tell are the rechargable battery (it lasts two hours) and the styling (less than opulent). But at this price, that's nit-picking - there simply isn't a better budget-satnav.