Mio Moov Spirit V505 TV

The basics

As you may have guessed from the name, the Mio Moov Spirit V505 TV is a satnav with a difference: it packs a digital Freeview TV tuner (with EPG) into its slim frame. There’s also a 4.7-inch screen and a 12-month subscription to speed camera location data.

The good

As a satnav, the Spirit V505 TV works reasonably well. While the touchscreen would benefit from a bit more responsiveness, the built-in TMC traffic updates, clear voice instructions and logical routing make the whole thing work well.

The bad

While the addition of a TV tuner is certainly welcome, Mio could have implemented this part of the V505 better: with no headphone jack, you’re forced to use the built-in mono speaker (which could potentially annoy other passengers).

The TV function is also disabled whilst your car is in motion (so passengers can’t watch while you drive) and with no mains adapter to charge the battery you’re left at the mercy of the short-lived power pack should you step outside the car.

Add to this the facts that reception from the built-in aerial is frequently poor and the EPG is poorly designed and, well, you’ve got a bit of a dog’s dinner.

The bottom line

The V505 makes for a decent satnav but a very disappointing portable TV. Best look elsewhere for your on-the-go entertainment.