Mio Moov 310 review

I’ve been testing the Mio Moov 310 recently, one of the first four models in the new Moov series just introduced by Mio. This product line has a completely new interface, created thanks to Mio’s purchase of Navman. As a result, I will go into the interface in some detail in this review. First though, let’s look at  what distinguishes these four models from each other.

The Mio Moov 310 has a 4.3” wide touch screen, comes with over 3.5 million points of interest (POIs), and has text-to-speech, so you’ll get “turn left on Oak Street in 200 feet”, rather than just “turn left in 200 feet.” The 310 also comes with a one-year live traffic subscription, delivered via the Traffic Message Channel (TMC). The Mio Moov 300 has all of these features except for live traffic. The 200 and 210 models offer the same features as the 300 and 310, albeit in a smaller package with a 3.5” touch screen.

Compare prices on the Mio Moov 310

All four Mio Moov models include pre-loaded maps of the 50 United States and Puerto
Rico, and they use the SiRFstar III chipset and SiRFInstantFixII for fast
satellite acquisition in challenging environments. They also offer other  advanced
features such as multi-destination routing and area avoidances.

Mio Moov 310 interface

The Mio Moov interface is less complicated and more intuitive than that found
on Mio DigiWalker models, though not all of the previous features have been
included in the Moov interface.

The map screen below (image courtesy of Mio) has several components that are common to most auto GPS receivers. For example, the center top bar shows the next turn while the next maneuver indicator at upper left can be tapped to call out the direction and distance to the next turn. The bottom left button brings up the main menu, as does the center bottom bar which usually displays your current location. Centered on the right side of the screen are three buttons. The “X” cancels the current route, the magnifying glass allows you to zoom the map in or out, while the map button lets you scroll through the various map screens (3D, 2D, traffic overview,
route, turn-by-turn).

Several items on the screen warrant more detailed discussion. The “70” in a red circle at left, is a speed warning, not the actual speed limit. You can set the Mio Moov to display this warning whenever you reach a certain speed. Unfortunately, there is no speed limit database to allow you to set a warning when you exceed the speed limit by a given amount.

Notice the arrows on the top right and bottom right buttons, indicating that they can be expanded. The top right button can be changed to show the current time, current speed, time to go, distance to go or estimated time of arrival. Likewise, the lower right button can display a compass indicator, GPS status, battery status, TMC status and mute/un-mute volume. For most of these you can tap and hold for additional information.

Mio Moov 310 routing and navigation

While the Mio Moov 310 performed adequately in most situations, there were plenty of rough spots too:

• When I missed an exit on an Interstate highway, rather than re-routing me, I was instructed to “make a U-turn when possible”
• In outlying areas, most streets were referred to by their rarely used four digit state and county road number first, then by their more common street name
• In some cases, on major roads, the Mio used old street names rather than the current name listed on street and highway signs
• The device tried to route me onto an older street that no longer exists
• I experienced one instance of routing so bizarre I couldn’t understand what the device wanted me to do, even though it was on a major road less than a mile from my home
• In another instance the unit called out the destination on the right, when it was actually on the left

Advanced navigation features

The Mio Moov 310 has a couple of advanced navigation features not typically found on units in this price range:

• Multi-destination routing – Allows you to plan a multi-destination route, change the order of stops, and add or delete stops. Unfortunately, you cannot add a stop once you are navigating a multi-destination route, though you can skip waypoints mid-route. Also note that there is no route optimization tool for designing the most efficient route for selected waypoints.
• Custom area avoidance – This feature seems to work fairly well, though dragging the map to define an area can be slightly awkward and imprecise

Mio Moov traffic

I did not have the opportunity to test the Mio’s TMC traffic reporting feature. One year of TMC service is included in the purchase price.

Mio Moov 310 pros

• Great feature set (text-to-speech, traffic, wide screen, multi-destination routing) for the price.
• One year traffic subscription included, rather than the 90 days offered by many manufacturers
• SiRFInstantFixII technology speeds satellite acquisition
• Interface is much more intuitive than Mio DigiWalker models
• Locations can be searched for by zip code

Mio Moov 310 cons

• Navigation engine and database fail to meet expectations
• Touch screen response suffered from delays at times
• Screen appears washed out in bright sunlight
• Speeding indicator isn’t relative to speed limit
• New interface drops some advanced features found on Mio DigiWalker line, such as the ability to exclude a specific road from a route
• No MP3 player or Bluetooth
• Only 3.5 million POIs

Recommendation

If it weren’t for all the navigation problems I listed, I would be happy to recommend this unit. The price and features are great but it fails when it comes to the primary reason people buy a GPS.

More Mio Moov 310 reviews

• Consumer-authored Mio Moov 310 reviews are being posted at Amazon
• GPSLodge has posted an in-depth review of the Mio Moov 310
• GpsPasSion has posted a Mio Moov 310 review, including a section on the MioMore PC software
• CNet gives a 6.0 out of 10 rating in their Mio Moov 310 review
• PC World reviews the Mio Moov 310, giving it an 85/100 (very good)
• UberGizmo has posted a brief Mio Moov 310 review
• Coolest Gadgets also has a brief review of the Mio Moov 310
• I4U News gives an 8.5 out of 10 rating in their Mio Moov 310 review

I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…

Other Mio Moov 310 resources

• There is a Mio message forum at GpsPasSion
• There is also a Mio forum at yourNAV
• And a Mio message forum at ILoveMyMio.com
• Get the Mio Moov 310 owners manual
• A Mio tips blog
• Hacking the Mio Moov series
• MioMagic is a third-party Mio POI manager
• The official Mio Moov 310 web page

 

 

Compare prices on the Mio Moov 310 at these merchants:

• Check the current Mio Moov 310 price at Amazon.
• Get the
  Mio Moov 310 Wide-Screen Portable Automotive GPS System with Traffic
  at TigerGPS, where you get free shipping on orders above $250.
• Get the Mio Moov 310 for an amazing price on eBay.