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Mio DigiWalker C520

*Est. $270

Reviewed by ConsumerSearch

Pros

Loads of features at a low price
Split screen is a helpful navigation tool
Especially sleek and good-looking

Cons

Navigation glitches
Hit-or-miss Bluetooth pairing
Not quite as easy to use as a Garmin
Map updates cost $80

Our Analysis
Specs

We found the most exhaustive reviews of the Mio DigiWalker C520 at GPS Tracklog and GPSLodge.com, where testers describe how every feature performs during lengthy road tests. PC Magazine helpfully compares the Mio C520 with other mid-priced widescreen models, but the comparisons are scattered throughout reviews of the various models. CNet.com also does a full road test, although the mixed results don't seem to justify the high rating CNet.com gives the unit. About.com names the Mio C520 to one of its "top budget picks" lists, but the rankings don't seem to be based on any testing.

More than one reviewer notes that the Mio DigiWalker C520 is particularly slim and attractive, and it probably offers more features than any other unit in the price range. Features include an MP3 player, Bluetooth, and a wide screen that can go split-screen, showing the map on one side and helpful navigation data on the other. The Mio C520 has the ability to speak street names ("text-to-speech"), which its competitor the TomTom ONE XL (*est. $195) lacks. Testers get mixed results with the Bluetooth: Some have no problems, while others find it crashes the unit or won't work even when it's paired properly with a phone. Although the Mio C520 navigates well in most tests, some testers find glitches - the unit locks onto satellites slowly or can't recalculate a good route when testers veer off course, for example. Reviewers find the Mio C520 isn't as easy for beginners to use as a Garmin nüvi is, but they say it's still a good budget alternative to the Garmin nüvi 660 (*est. $345). User reviews are mostly positive, but have one major recurring complaint: Map updates from Mio cost $80.

Our Sources

1. GPS Tracklog

GPS Tracklog blogger Rich Owings reviews the Mio DigiWalker C520, based on a 10-day test drive. Owings doesn't compare the C520 with other models, but his narrative is very detailed, with exhaustive lists of pros and cons and plenty of screen shots to illustrate his points.

Review: Mio C520 Review, Rich Owings, July 16, 2007

2. PCMag.com

In this test for PC Magazine, reviewer Craig Ellison finds one major problem: The Mio C520's Bluetooth won't work with his phone. But after Ellison tests several of the Mio's competitors, he decides the Mio DigiWalker C520 is his top pick in the mid-priced widescreen GPS category.

Review: GPS on the Cheap - Mio DigiWalker C520, Craig Ellison, June 5, 2007

3. GPSLodge.com

GPS blogger Scott Martin includes the Mio DigiWalker C520 in his holiday buyer's guide, which links to the write-up of Martin's lengthy road test of the unit. Martin likes the high-end features at such a reasonable price, but he points out that Mio products can be difficult to use if you're not tech-savvy.

Review: Mio Digiwalker C520 Full Review, Scott Martin, Aug. 20, 2007

4. CNET

The Mio C520 makes CNet.com's top five GPS list, even though tester Bonnie Cha says "you can get a better user experience and smoother performance from competing systems." According to Cha, the C520 fixes slightly inaccurate locations but doesn't always recalculate routes efficiently. However, it packs a lot of features into an inexpensive package.

Review: Mio C520 Navigation Receiver Car GPS (Navigation) reviews, Bonnie Cha, June 19, 2007

5. About.com

The Mio DigiWalker C520 is one of five budget models on this list by About.com GPS guide Fred Zahradnik. The list provides price estimates, a screen shot and a one-paragraph description of the C520's traffic capabilities, but there is no link to a full road test of this unit.

Review: Top Picks: Lowest-cost In-car GPS With Traffic Tracking, Fred Zahradnik

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