BEST FOR FEATURES
Trafficmaster Trackstar, £399
Like all units on test, bar the Covert Asset, the Trackstar is wired into a car's electronics under the bonnet - some devices are so discreet, their makers will not release pictures. The Trackstar uses GPS and mobile phone (GSM) signals to track your vehicle, but it becomes a sort of sat nav if connected to a dashboard display: you can talk to a Trafficmaster operator to find routes that take into account jams, roadworks and variable speed limits, and have directions sent to the car. The Trackstar can also warn of speed cameras, provide traffic updates and, if you're in an accident, alert the emergency services. Minimum subscription is £132 a year (£241 with the speed-camera option). A "duration" sub, for the entire period of your ownership of the vehicle, costs £369.
Verdict Security meets the sat nav with great results.
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BEST FOR ADDED SECURITY
TRACKER Locate, £544
The Locate uses VHF radio waves to communicate with the company's network of listening posts around the country, backed up by GSM and GPS signals. The advantage of VHF is that it cannot be blocked as easily as other signals - GSM and GPS can both be knocked out by a basic jamming unit - and in fact, if the Locate picks up jamming frequencies, it alerts Tracker HQ. If a vehicle is moved without its ignition being on, or the owner reports it missing, Tracker locates the vehicle and co-ordinates its recovery with the police. More than 1m British vehicles have a Tracker device installed; the company tracks seven thefts a day and claims a 99% find rate. An annual subscription costs about £150 (the first year's charge is included in the price). A duration subscription will set you back £389.
Verdict A top-level device, but involuntary subscription costs make it expensive. It will be available from the new year.
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BEST FOR CHEAP RUNNING COSTS
NeatTrack, £299
Most tracking units cost a lot up front or entail a hefty annual sub, but the recently launched NeatTrack is trying a third business model. Its small GPS units won't break the bank, don't need a sub and use a pay-as-you-go Sim card with maximum monthly usage costs of £25. Choose from three units, depending on whether you want one-way or two-way calling, wired or non-wired installation (non-wired battery life is just 24 hours) and an SOS function. The user tracks his car via a website (on a PC only). Options include three mapping programs, remote ignition cut-off and the ability to call up a vehicle's full driving history.
Verdict A great entry system, but lack of a support centre makes it best for one-off situations, like leaving a car while on holiday.
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BEST FOR INSURANCE OPTIONS
CobraTrak First, £329
CobraTrak, whose more expensive technology is offered as an optional extra by dozens of luxury car marques, also has an entry-level tracker. The First is a wired GPS/GSM device with an annual subscription of £135, and the company claims close links with European police forces (the Sim card works in 36 countries - useful for frequent continental drivers). A £30-a-year upgrade to First Mobile allows you to get vehicle location information sent to a mobile phone. CobraTrak also offers a novel insurance scheme called Coverbox, which lets you pay only for the time you drive. The theory is that those who avoid travelling in rush hour and at night can save cash, as their tracking units will tell Coverbox (which organises cover from several large companies - previous similar plans have tied you in to a single insurer) where they've been, and when.
Verdict It's not for the high-mileage road warrior, but the combination of the First and Coverbox is tempting for casual drivers.
cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk, coverbox.co.uk
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BEST FOR QUICK FITTING
Covert Asset Tracker, £845
This device can be moved between vehicles as it's non-wired and attached by strong magnets. It works fine in the boot or under a bumper or seat - the transmitter works through body panels, but not anything thicker. Despite the high price, there's no support centre, and all tracking is done by the user through the website mapatrack.co.uk. Locations are pinpointed with GPS and GSM. It costs 1p to request a position via the website, or 10p by SMS. A motion sensor helps to conserve battery life but it's still short, at about five days.
Verdict A basic service, but without the hassle of wiring.
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WILL A TRACKER SAVE YOU MONEY?
Apart from providing peace of mind, car trackers can save you money on insurance. We got five quotes for a 30-year-old man living in Bristol with a clean licence and full no-claims entitlement, driving a 2006 BMW X5 worth £16,000.
Without a tracker, the average quote was £670. With a tracker, that dropped to £608 - an average saving of £62. Privilege would not provide cover for the same car without a tracker, and the biggest discount came from Ibuyeco, which reduced its quote by £231, to £612. However, two insurers - Swiftcover and Zurich Connect - did not change their quotes, which remained at £581 and £630 respectively.
"If you hope that fitting a tracker to your car will save you significant money on insurance, you may be disappointed," warns Lee Griffin of Gocompare.com. "The market is going the same way it did with immobilisers: insurers used to give more generous discounts for cars fitted with them, but now, as nearly all new cars have one as standard, many insurers won't reduce the premium."