What is it?
Advanced satellite navigation
How will it change my life?
Everyone loves a satnav horror story with tales of being sent the wrong way down a one-way street or ending up in a field instead of the supermarket car park popular sources of mirth around the office water cooler or while propping up the bar of a Friday evening. But these handy gadgets have come a long way since their early inception. Garmin have been one of the frontrunners in navigation since their inception in 1989 and has sold more than 126 million GPS devices to date. Their latest offering, the Nuvi 2599 LMT-D comes packed with clever new features.
Good points?
Garmin has transformed the Nuvi from a simple navigation tool into more of an all-round driving aid. The touchscreen has the same capacitive construction as high-end tablet computers which provides easier operation and improved user experience. The maps are continually updated and provided free of charge for life, so the age-old hassle of purchasing updates only for the download to fail is now a thing of the past.
Destination input has also received a boost in the form of voice commands which work extremely well and can be a Godsend in freezing temperatures where removing those cosy, thick gloves even for a moment isn't ideal.
Active lane guidance is another great feature that boosts driving pleasure as you are informed with plenty of warning and negates the need to frantically signal at the last moment. Rather than the usual "turn left" prompts, the Garmin also calls out the street name you are turning into which provides a bit more confidence when you can actually see the street sign name confirming what the device is telling you.
Of all the impressive features, it's the digital traffic notifications that comes into its own, alerting to incidents and closures while providing alternative routes.
Bad points?
Arguably rather expensive for a unit not offering Garmin's premium services.
Best for ...
Anyone looking for that bit extra of navigational reassurance on unfamiliar roads.
Avoid if ...
You are a map purist or looking for a non-scripted road trip adventure.
Score: 9/10
Garmin Nuvi 2599 LMT-D, £179.99 (garmin.com)
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