TomTom GO 300 In Car GPS Satellite Navigation With UK Mapping & Bluetooth

The screen is clear, I have positioned it in the right corner near the front door pillar, the suction mount is very secure though I have placed it low enough so it sits on the dashboard - this has removed slight vibration, and have not suffered any reflections on the screen. The directions are simple to enter, I just use the full postcode option - I can't see how it could be easier? the touchscreen is excellent to use but there is little need once your are driving. the voice commands are very clear and can be very loud - I have reduced mine to 80%. the voice commands are also pleasant to hear and do not sound patronising as a friends in-built sat nav does.

It took me ages to decide which to buy (as it always does with me) and I looked at many models and read many reviews - Garmin C320 Streetpilot (which is very similar), Magellan Roadmate, Navman 510, etc. A great benefit over most models is that it will last 5 hours on battery so you dont have to have cables around, this also makes programming in new destinations easier as I dont have to plug it in at home to do so. the Garmin comes very close but I prefered the look of the Tomtom.

If you think you need one I recommend Tomtom, there are more expensive versions, 500 & 700, but if you only expect to drive in the UK and dont want to use it as a handsfree phone then I would save your money and get the Go 300.

When it was delivered and she found out how much it cost she wasn't best pleased - but she is now. After one particularly complicated journey to Tulse Hill in south London she phoned me and without any preamble exclaimed, "I LOVE this TomTom! It took me straight to the house I needed to visit."

You need to take your time in complicated situations where the road network has lots of turnings - if only to make sure you take the right one - but between the voice directions and the scrolling on-screen map you'd need to be an impatient idiot to get lost. And even then it'll immediately work out an alternative route and get you back on the right road.

Whether you need to find a place in the middle of nowhere or a crowded city centre, this is the gadget for you.

The navigation menus are amazingly simple to use using the touchscreen, and the car mounting kit that is included is sturdy.

Being a technophile (and reading other reviews) I decided to connect to the internet and download the latest maps. I backed up my software first using the accompanying CD, and then downloaded the update files. Disaster then struck with my Tomtom turning off half-way through. On turning itself back on, it had wiped all of its data off the memory card and the backup mechanism refused to work. After many hours scouring the internet for help, and finally speaking to Tomtom, they wanted me to return my smart card to them to be reset - a turnaround time of 4 weeks! At 120mb, I would even have contemplated downloading new files, but sadly this is not available. Even worse, they informed me that the backup mechanism on the CD-ROM is 'not a complete back-up' (!)

Here's my advice then - buy this product - it is fantastic. However, as soon as it's got your home details entered and is set up ready for the first journey, MANUALLY copy -ALL- the data from the smart card and burn it to CD then KEEP IT SAFE!
If it crashes in the future for any reason, you'll have a nice fresh install available to use.