18 Dec 07
I like the Satnav 220 partly because it has a nice big 5" screen that gives you a good view of where you are and partly because it comes (for free) with Traffic Message Channel jam warnings; you also get notice of fixed Gatsos. But mostly I like it because I can use it - it makes sense to me.
So many times with other sat navs I've prodded and poked and scrolled a bit and then given up because it's too hard, but this one is utterly intuitive. You have a guess at how to change something, or add something, or check something, and - miraculously - your first guess will be right. It's not hard to input the right place: you don't need the complete address, as it's happy to fill in the gaps once you've given it the general idea.
The woman with the instructions is good too. She doesn't overdo it. If she hasn't got much to say, she doesn't say it. She tells you in advance what your next move will be, then in due course she tells you that the time to do it has come. This is admirable restraint compared to many systems. If you're travelling in a straight line for a long time, she will eventually pipe up to say something to the effect of 'carry on!' to reassure you that she's not switched herself off.
Like all portable sat navs it's a bit messy, with wires trailing about, but the sucker and the cradle do what they're meant to, and there's no need for a stylus: you just prod the screen with your finger.
The Satnav 220 comes with a built-in MP3 player, which I found very easy to load but, as far as I could tell, it will only play through its own speaker, not the car's. On the move, you can barely hear it. It's handy for picnics, though. There's also a Bluetooth connection that's meant to allow you to use the Satnav 220 as a hands-free way of operating your phone. I couldn't get it to stay connected to my phone, although I didn't try very hard.
At £299.99 the price is on the steep side as sat navs go, but this one feels built to last and is so easy to use that you'd soon get your money's worth.
