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

Updated: 16 September 2015

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

The AA

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? Route planner, breakdown assist, fuel-price oracle, parking locator…
How it works: Uses Google Maps and your location
Cool feature: Get reminders on MoT, tax and insurance
Usability: Excellent, but fuel prices, parking and breakdown assistance requires AA member ID
Rating: 8/10

Fast & Furious: Legacy

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? Street-racing sim inspired by the film, bro
How it works: Gran Turismo logic: access better cars and races as you progress
Cool feature: Great graphics, building and tuning your car is addictive
Usability: Good, but creating garage is involved, heavy pre-race narrative, early levels too easy. A game to immerse yourself in, not a quick fix
Rating: 6/10

Trivago

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? Finds best hotel deals
How it works: Enter dates, current or future location, get cheapest room rates
Cool feature: Filter by price, rating, distance, availability of Wi-Fi, pool and more
Usability: Good but entering dates surprisingly clunky, no navigate-to-hotel option
Rating: 6/10

iPlayer Radio

£: Free/Apple/Android
What is it? BBC digital radio
How it works: Scroll through phone-like dial to your favourite BBC stations and connect to your car, even if you don’t have DAB
Cool feature: Bad  connection? Download beforehand and listen offline
Usability: Good, but requires USB or Bluetooth connection, and you’ll need at least a steady 3G signal to listen live
Rating: 8/10

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