Garmin nülink! 2390 sat-nav

Price: £229.99

The Garmin nüLink! 2390 sat-nav won’t only route you round jams; it shows you what they look like, too. The unit hooks up to roadside traffic cameras to offer this clever feature, and we put it to the test.

Owners of other Garmins will be familiar with the 4.3-inch touchscreen, simple menus and ecoRoute facility. Plus, you can add the firm’s £100 ecoRoute HD package – our Product of the Year 2011 – which not only plots the greenest route, but also lets you diagnose faults on your car.

Checking out traffic camera images of jams is a gimmick, though. While it’s reassuring to see you’re not the only driver at a standstill, you are unlikely to be able to view the pictures on the go. Still, it’s good to see Garmin is exploring ways to keep drivers informed about delays.

More importantly, the nüLink! services offer live traffic data – previously reserved for £250-plus devices.

At £229, the 2390 costs more than our current favourite sat-nav (TomTom’s £180 Via Live 120 UK), but it’s a decent choice. Adding to the appeal is voice recognition tech, so you needn’t press any buttons – ideal for making calls via the Bluetooth connection.

Verdict

Rating: ★★★★
What is it?
A sat-nav that doesn't just tell you about jams, but routes you around them and lets you see them as well.
Problems?
Live cameras not useful when on the road, more expensive than rival TomTom.
Why buy?
Live traffic data for less than £250, includes a year’s subscription to services.