I have owned tomtom devices for the last 6 years and have got through 3 of them now. Appalled by the consistently poor(non-existent) service offered by tomtom and the fact that my last two devices have basically died and won’t even turn on without being plugged in to a power source i decided to try something else. Believe me, this was not a decision i took lightly as i had been loyal to tomtom for years and very nearly bought the new tomtom go 5000/6000. I tried both out extensively and decided against the new generation of tomtom device as it has been released in an appalling state of development and should never have been released – just google reviews for it to see what people have to say. There is very limited functionality and i think this new generation has gone for ‘pretty’ in terms of graphics rather than a proper user interface. The garmin nuvi 3598 is the best satnav i have ever used by a country mile. The touchscreen is clear and responsive, the voice control works.But more than that, the interface is engaging and interactive.

I have owned tomtom devices for the last 6 years and have got through 3 of them now. Appalled by the consistently poor(non-existent) service offered by tomtom and the fact that my last two devices have basically died and won’t even turn on without being plugged in to a power source i decided to try something else. Believe me, this was not a decision i took lightly as i had been loyal to tomtom for years and very nearly bought the new tomtom go 5000/6000. I tried both out extensively and decided against the new generation of tomtom device as it has been released in an appalling state of development and should never have been released – just google reviews for it to see what people have to say. There is very limited functionality and i think this new generation has gone for ‘pretty’ in terms of graphics rather than a proper user interface. The garmin nuvi 3598 is the best satnav i have ever used by a country mile. The touchscreen is clear and responsive, the voice control works.But more than that, the interface is engaging and interactive.

This is (currently) the top-of-the-range satnav from garmin. It has lifetime maps and lifetime traffic, voice control and bluetooth link to a phone. I plugged it into my computer, registered it using garmin express and then upgraded both the software and the map. I have a 60mbps broadband so this upgrade took only 30 minutes including installing the map on my computer so that i can use it with other garmin devices such as my forerunner 205. Some of the voice control features are not available in the uk but all the important ones are. In order to upgrade the usb cable has to be plugged directly into the satnav rather than via the mount. Note that to receive traffic information you do have to have the 12v power plug connected and the power lead in place. Digital traffic information is updated twice each minute and you can select whether to change your route or sit out a delay. If you use auto then the satnav will calculate an alternative route for you. Here are the specifications for the Garmin nuvi 2548LMT-D 5″ Sat Nav:

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• Easy to use bright 5″ touchscreen sat nav includes preloaded street maps for 24 Western European countries including UK and Ireland
• FREE Lifetime Digital Traffic – Fast, accurate and continuous updates let you know if the road ahead is blocked, length of delay and alternative routes
• Free Lifetime Map Updates for Western Europe – ensure you drive with the latest road and Points of Interest information
• Real Directions provide clear guidance using recognisable buildings and landmarks as reference. Exclusive to Garmin
• PhotoReal and Bird’s Eye Junction View and Active Lane Guidance clearly shows the lane you need to take

Easy to use,many good features.

Really very pleased with this sat nav. It looks good and it works very well. Out of the box, it is very easy to set up and get going. Literally, attach the mount to your car windscreen, plug the charging unit into the cigarette lighter, attach the sat nav and off you go. It is easy and intuitive to program in where you would like to go. The satellites are found quickly and easily – much better and quicker than sat navs made by a garmin competitor. The standard ready set voice is not annoying which is a bonusas for the directions it gives, they are clear and accurate. The maps are easy to read and have not made an error on any of my routes yet. If you go the wrong way, the sat nav instantly configures a new route – there is no waiting for it to think about it.

Reviews from purchasers :

• This sat nav is very easy to use
• Picks up satellites easily. A bit heavy so not well held with
• Really good, my daughter and family went to Italy and

Used it straight out the box, immediately advised me of traffic and took me the quickest way round it. Great purchase as always with garmin.

Very good post code navigation. Very quick rerouting if you stray off the prescribed route. The device does not always find the fastest route and often when i choose a detour on a route i know, the eta goes down. (14 minutes saving in one case. )power lead is twice as thick as the predecessor with a junction box and jack plug for the dab ariel lead. This increases the weight on the plug into the sat nav. This was the point that failed in the last garmin and the one before that.