Features and Verdict

The main menu is the simplified one introduced with the GO LIVE 1000. The initial screen houses just six icons, rather than the confusing plethora of screens of previous devices. These then call up further menu layers. The Done button also takes you right back to the beginning rather than forcing you to wade back through your steps.

The 825 also uses TomTom’s latest system which doesn’t calculate routes on the fly, but instead comes with all possible routes pre-calculated. This, in theory, means lightning-fast route calculation, although in practice there’s often a sizeable wait whilst the live traffic information is downloaded. You can also choose an Eco Route option, which calculates the least petrol-consuming combination of roads.

The map screen hasn’t changed much, though. You still get a wealth of journey information at the bottom of the screen, although this is now arranged more aesthetically into three separate blocks. The traffic bar on the right is also more informative than earlier iterations. But this is mostly repackaging rather than a sea change. You still get the Advanced Lane Guidance full-screen graphic to help you find the right carriageway at complex junctions. Bluetooth is also available so you can partner the 825 with your mobile phone and use the sat-nav’s speaker and microphone as a hands-free kit.

Verdict

There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about TomTom’s GO LIVE 825. It bundles together features that the company already offered in other devices. In fact, it’s almost like a hybrid of the recent Via and previous GO LIVE models. But in a market where there’s an increasing trend towards 5in devices no longer being much of a premium, such as Mio’s Spirit 685, this is a hybrid which seems just about right. On the one hand, it is still well above an entry-level price. But the 825 is a 5in with maps for 45 European countries and its price of £229.99 is also £70 less than the UK-only TomTom GO 540 LIVE was at launch. So if you’ve coveted a fully featured TomTom LIVE device for a while but thought the cost was too high, this could be your chance to pick up these capabilities for a more reasonable sum.