Download lowdown: The monthly test bench for in-car apps, CAR+ December 2015

Published: 03 November 2015 Updated: 18 November 2015

► The month’s best motoring apps
► Rated and slated by CAR magazine
► Phone apps for iOS and Android 

Road Trip Lite

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? Mileage and mpg tracker
How it works: When you re-fuel, put in mileage, litres, price. It computes the rest
Cool feature: Graphs track your mpg
Usability: Simple, logical. Falls down if someone else re-fuels; if you switch to €s all previous figs switch to €s
Rating: 6/10

Cuvva

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? Insure a car for as little as an hour
How it works: Enter your licence details, reg, value and pic of car you’re borrowing, duration of cover, then pay via app
Cool feature: Choose from 1, 2, 3, 4 or 24 hours of cover
Usability: Ultra-simple, took under 10mins including inputting licence/payment details for first time. Quoted £26.53 for a 40-year-old in CAR’s Golf R for 24 hours
Rating: 9/10

Evel Knievel

£1.49 Apple
What is it? Recreate daredevil’s famous stunts
How it works: Progress from jumping rattlesnakes at Moses Lake right up to Evel’s famous Caesar’s Palace fountain jump
Cool feature: Earn points to boost Evel’s strength, agility… and charisma!
Usability: Logical, only two buttons, and with on-screen prompts to help the feckless
Rating: 8/10

Geocaching

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? 21st century treasure hunting
How it works: Geocachers hide caches globally, log their locations and upload clues. Use GPS to get close, then follow clues
Cool feature: Mystery caches can involve complicated puzzles. £7.99 upgrade essential
Usability: Easy to use – and to hoodwink your kids into epic road trips
Rating: 9/10

By Ben Barry

Contributing editor, sideways merchant, tyre disintegrator

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