Vexia Econav 480 UK and Ireland
Satnav devices have to work hard to grab the attention these days. There are lots on the market, at different pricepoints from different vendors, and catching the eye of a possible purchaser is increasingly tricky.
Vexia’s unique selling point with the Econav is that it helps you improve fuel efficiency. This saves you money and reduces your CO2 emissions. Well, that’s the theory.
The device has a database of over 11,000 vehicles and it can cope with more than one so that it can be shared across multi-vehicle households. Just remember to tell it which car you are driving before you set off, or its instructions to you might not feel sensible or do you – or your fuel economy – any good at all.
Of course, you get the usual turn by turn instructions. You can choose between three display options. A familiar routing display, the Econav display which concentrates on the eco feature and includes a large window showing what gear you should be in, and a hybrid display which shows mostly the turn by turn screen but offers a small vertical strip of eco data down the right hand side.
There’s no denying that constant reminders to change gear when city driving get a bit tedious. And having the main eco screen on and so not able to view the turn by turn map I had a couple of experiences when the device did not give an instruction at a junction. Not only was this annoying, it could potentially add distance to a journey if you make the wrong choice.
The touchscreen could be more responsive, and the printed manual is rather skimpy too. Perhaps Econav could have put a bit less effort into the fancy box and a bit more into producing a fuller manual.
But the eco side of things is what will sell this device. During my short testing period it isn’t possible for me to give chapter and verse on the money saving, CO2 reducing aspects. But there is little doubt that the Econav did have a handle on encouraging smooth acceleration and deceleration, and on the use of appropriate gears for the prevailing conditions.
Its reporting, across daily, weekly, fortnightly or annual timeframes, includes tips on how to improve and is potentially useful. Vexia recons you can make up to 30 percent savings on fuel and CO2 emissions. Of course, that depends on how fuel efficient a driver you are to start with.
There are several versions of the Econav available:
Econav 480. 4.3-inch screen, UK and Ireland maps £179.99 inc VAT Econav 480. 4.3-inch screen, European maps £209.99 inc VAT Econav 380. 3.5-inch screen, UK and Ireland maps £149.99 inc VAT Econav 380. 3.5-inch screen, European maps £179.99 inc VAT
More information at www.vexia.co.uk
Sandra Vogel