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Buyer's Guide: The Best Monitors 
TomTom GO LIVE 825 vs Mio Spirit 687
Fabien Pionneau
Translator: Jack Sims
Updated: September 2, 2011
Translator: Jack Sims
Updated: September 2, 2011
| On the left, the TomTom GO LIVE 825, one of the rare sat navs to get a 5-star rating, thanks mainly to its very handy connected services. TomTom is now an established brand but the competition is on the counter! | | | | | | | |
On the right, the Mio Spirit 687 is the surprise of the moment. Although it doesn't earn a 5-star rating, this model is cleverly designed with the accent on simplicity. A serious contender! | ||||||||||||
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| 5-inch screen |
| | 5-inch screen | ||||||||||||
| Traffic: HD Traffic | | | Traffic: V-Trafic (TMC-RDS) | ||||||||||||
| TeleAtlas maps |
| | TeleAtlas maps |
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| Europe | | | Europe | ||||||||||||
| 244 g |
| | 185 g |
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| THE BACKGROUND |
 The LIVE services are now reserved for TomTom's GO LIVE range. This means the Via LIVE 120 and 125 have been replaced by the GO LIVE 820 et 825.The 825 has been conservatively designed, the only changes being a new format and a microSD port. It nevertheless still has some serious advantages, thanks to a recently reworked interface and the renowned connected services, the LIVE services: speed camera alerts, weather, Google search and above all the devilishly effective HD Traffic! |
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 Mio is ploughing its own furrow, slowly but surely. Following a radical reworking of the interface and the adoption of the TomTom IQ Routes system, there have been numerous other improvements.Among them, a new system for journey presentation, Google search and Yellow Pages without subscription and even a truck mode! |
| Connected services may well be the future for sat navs. TomTom seems to think so in any case and is putting everything behind its LIVE services which include a quality traffic information system. Not everyone needs this sort of sophistication however, nor wants to pay to get 100% out of their sat nav. Both models in this duel have real strengths. Let's see which carries the day. |
| HARDWARE AND FINISH: TOMTOM WINS |
| Hardware: it's a fact that sat nav manufacturers are not particularly generous when it comes to supplying accessories. The main difference here is with the windscreen mount. While Mio has kept the standard mounting system, TomTom has built the suction mount onto the sat nav. It's compact, practical and solid, and is useful for when you don't want to leave anything visible in the car (discourage thieves from breaking in). Finish: traditionally providing a very good finish, TomTom shows once again that it hasn't forgotten how to get things right. The TomTom GO LIVE 825 uses quality matte plastics, adjustments are precise and no screws are visible. This impression is confirmed when you handle it and the product is nicely designed with a serious, classic feel to it. The same can't be said for the Mio Spirit 687. Although it's light, the overall finish is a notch down and the glossy black plastic around the screen doesn't set it off all that well and looks outdated. |
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Design and suction mount:
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Design and suction mount: |
| DESIGN: MIO WINS |
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Interface: TomTom has recently modernised the interface on its sat navs. More aesthectically pleasing, it's still nice and legible. During navigation all the main information (speed, arrival time and so on), as well as speed limits and the next intersection are clearly and precisely displayed.
The menus are still organised in the form of pages, with six identifiable icons. Although moving between menus is very fluid, the way they run into each other could be more practical. Unfortunately, we're still not convinced by voice recognition. |
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Interface: reworked for the release of the first models in the Spirit range, the Mio QuickStart interface just keeps getting cuter. Very pared down, the display during navigation only gives you the essential, with a green route displayed on a white background and discreet speed alerts to tell you when you're over the limit. The menus are well-organised and very simple with their big icons. Typing addresses in: in spite of the slight lack of fluidity, entering addresses has been well-thought out, with progressive deletion of letters at the end of the typed string. You can also find companies or individuals using Google search or the Yellow Pages, which are free to access as long as you have an Internet connection on your mobile phone (Bluetooth link). Lastly, we particularly like the four journey choices on offer each time a new journey is calculated. This allows you to choose exactly the route you want to take. |
| NAVIGATION: TOMTOM WINS |
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In addition to offering journeys calculated according to real speeds measured on the routes you're going to take (thanks to the IQ Routes technology), the TomTom GO LIVE 825 also takes traffic into account very accurately thanks to HD Traffic. The keystone in TomTom's LIVE services, this info traffic system warns you about slowdowns in real time and, where possible, suggests faster routes. It isn't limited to major roads and is amazingly accurate most of the time. It's a devilishly efficient system for frequent drivers and city dwellers who come across traffic jams all too often.
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With the Mio system, journeys are also calculated using TomTom's IQ Routes technology. It's therefore unusual to be directed along minor, slower, more dangerous roads. While traffic information is included (V-Traffic), it is limited to major roads and doesn't claim the sort of precision you get with TomTom's HD Traffic. It is nevertheless useful during, say, a bank holiday rush but don't count on it for detailed information on a traffic jam and how to avoid it. |
| EXTRA FEATURES: A DRAW |
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Included on all high-end sat navs, Bluetooth means you can use compatible phones with handsfree cpability.
The TomTom LIVE services also include weather and speed camera alerts! |
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In addition to Bluetooth, the Mio Spirit 687 has a truck mode (annual subscription after the trial period), which is very practical for truck drivers or those with a caravan or camping car. You can also add a camera to help with cornering backwards. Unfortunately, there are no speed camera alerts on the horizon, which blots the otherwise perfect copy. |
| RESULT: TOMTOM FOR REGULAR DRIVERS, MIO MORE AFFORDABLE |
| Thanks to the best info-traffic system on the market and general overall quality, the TomTom GO LIVE 825 is a safe bet. Regular drivers will be delighted with a service that, while not always able to save you from jams, does tell you exactly how long they're going to last. Don't forget however that you need to subscribe to the LIVE services, though the charge has recently been reduced to £50 a year after the first year (free). For this you'll also get speed camera alerts. TomTom GO LIVE 825
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An all-round solution that's simple to use, the Mio Spirit 687 has a lot going for it, though it could still be improved on the hardware side (hardware, finish and rapidity). We particularly like the clarity of the interface, which is very pared down, as well as the free address search using Google and Yellow Pages and, of course, the varied choice of journeys on offer. You will have to make do without speed camera alerts here however and a less evolved traffic information system than on the TomTom. This won't be a problem for occasional drivers however. Mio Spirit 687
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