Mobile solutions via app have long since replaced the classic navigation system in many cars. In fact, the best navigation solution also comes as an app. Unfortunately, it is not free.
Always knowing where you are and where you have to go – when navigation devices hit the mass market, they were still a revolution. However, with the advent of Google Maps and other free smartphone solutions, that changed quickly. Not for the first time, a test by Stiftung Warentest shows that the best navigation is available via an app.
The surprise: It does not come from Google, but from the navigation system manufacturer Tomtom. With its solutions simply called “Go”, it ranks first twice in the overall ranking, in the classic navigation device together with competitor Garmin, in the apps for Android it is even unchallenged. The Tomtom solution only has to be content with fourth place for the iPhone apps.
Navigate better for 13 euros than for 300 euros
Tomtom owes the strong result above all to the clear test victory in the most important sub-category: the navigation itself. Whether for route guidance, precise navigation announcements or route calculation: Tomtom is always at the forefront. Strong: In the sub-heading called traffic services, which includes the calculation of current traffic jam lengths or alternative routes, Tomtom even beats the data king Google and is the only provider to achieve the highest rating. The only weakness of Tomtom’s navigation: Google and Waze are even better at calculating the arrival time.
It is exciting that the app solution on Android is even rated better than that of the expensive standalone device. Especially when it comes to route calculation, the two apps do better than the Tomtom Go Discover 7 we tested. This is surprising in view of the price: While the apps cost 13 euros per year, the hardware solution costs at least 250 euros. The advantages: Unlike the apps, the device supports voice control, and of course you don’t have to strain your smartphone. You have to decide for yourself whether this is worth the price.
If you don’t want to pay anything at all, the free apps are good for you anyway. Google Maps or the Apple Maps offer don’t quite come close to the Tomtom navigation, but in the overall package they can both keep up very well because of the slightly better handling. Interesting: Because the handling is rated better on the iPhone, Google gets a slightly better overall rating on the competing system than on its own Android system.
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