Mio DigiWalker C720T (Traffic Performance)

Along with a raft of attractive features, Mio’s current premier GPS device offers a 4.3-inch screen and a thin and elegant profile. You’ll get 12 million points of interest to help look up locations; a media player for enjoying music, movies, and photos; and a built-in 2-megapixel camera for creating your own visual favorite-places list.

 

What separates this model from the Mio C320 is the inclusion of traffic data. Users get 90 days of traffic service free, then a full year for $60. To access traffic you need to have the device’s cradle mount plugged into your car’s electrical port; you also need a separate wire antenna attached to your front window with suction cups. The instructions make the wire antenna sound optional, but it’s definitely required. Everything is included in the box, however.

 

The $60 yearly subscription gets you access to the Traffic Message Channel. We got between 10 and 20 traffic alerts at any time while driving in northern New Jersey, which is about the same as with the other devices here. The C720T’s split-screen view lets users see traffic alerts on the right side of their screens while keeping the map on the left, or they can press a satellite icon to get a full-screen view.

 

You can set the C720T to route you around traffic obstacles automatically, and it performed well on our tests. Our only complaint is that the traffic controls were too small to access comfortably while driving, and the small text was hard to read. This is a very good navigator, but those without excellent vision might want to look elsewhere.