So how do the app makers make any money on them?

Now we expect the best navigation apps in the world to be given to us for free. To pay, or not to pay?Ī decade ago, we wouldn’t have baulked at paying £100 or more for a sat-nav unit that would clamp onto the windscreen.

Points were also added for useful optional extras such as head-up displays. We scored the clarity of the instructions along the route, how the app responded to poor mobile reception and how quickly it reacted to wrong turns. Once on the move, we stopped and asked it to divert to the nearest petrol station and an electric car rapid chargepoint. Rather than use an exact postcode, we tested if the app’s search function could help us find it. We then asked for directions to a business and a residential address.

Using an iPhone, we downloaded the apps and any associated maps that were required. But are they the best, or are we missing out by not trying a different app? We tried seven systems to help point you in the right direction. There are obvious choices from the tech giants Google and Apple, which will be the default choice for most drivers. Car makers have realised keeping up is a lost cause, so most modern cars incorporate Apple CarPlay or Android Auto to help us use our phone apps safely. You can tailor a system to your needs and it should bring you the latest information about traffic, cameras, closed or new roads and even potholes. It’s easy to see why, because our devices are constantly updated and connected. It’s enough to make you feel sorry for car makers – they spend a fortune developing built-in sat-nav systems, but we all use our smartphones to give us directions instead.

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