Security Supertest 2003 - Tracking systems rated

We were looking for systems that offered more to the consumer than just tracking, something every design was able to do with ease in our European trials.
Every system was a proactive product, which would alert control rooms to the thefts without the owner having to do anything, so we gave extra marks for UK and European vehicle recovery and close police liaison.
Products which enable motorists to call the emergency or roadside assistance services at the touch of a button, via the tracking system’s own control room, were further rewarded.

Click here to see what each system offers.

DanTrack Interactive
This is the middle-ranking unit in the DanTrack range, costing £599 to buy and install and £156 a year to subscribe.
DanTrack Interactive works throughout Europe, but while the company will organise recovery of a stolen vehicle in the UK, it is up to the owner’s insurance company to recover a vehicle tracked to Europe. DanTrack liaises with UK police forces but has no such link-up with forces across Europe.

Eagle Track - TEST WINNER
Eagle Track comes in three spec levels, Silver, Gold and Platinum, and is priced from £589 with annual subscriptions from £99.
The basic system we tested offered a good overall service. Eagle Track was one of only two devices we tested to offer recovery of vehicles found in mainland Europe and has close links with police throughout the Continent via a number of European offices.
Eagle Track also provides an emergency service alert as standard and breakdown alert as an optional extra.
This product offered both a through service and the best value for money of the units we tested.

NavTrak
NavTrak is the most expensive of the devices we tested at £999, (including a year’s subscription of £195), but it was also the most comprehensive. This unit ticked all of the boxes on our wishlist, including recovery from abroad, emergency services and breakdown alert and replacement of a stolen vehicle.
NavTrak was the only service which offered customers a courtesy car should theirs not be found. This is free of charge for up to 10 days, and offered to any customer whose car is not recovered within six hours of going missing.
NavTrak communicates directly with UK police and has established relationships with forces in 23 European countries through a network of local liaison offices.

RAC Trackstar
This product, which is part-owned by What Car?’s parent company, Haymarket Publishing, is available in its basic guise from £499. However, we tested the Guardian system, which includes extras such as emergency services and breakdown alert. This service costs from £699 including the first year’s £180 annual subscription fee.
While RAC Trackstar can track in Europe, it does not recover vehicles from the Continent, and neither does it liaise with European police forces.

Tracker =
Unfortunately, at the time of our tests Tracker did not have a system that was capable of tracking vehicles throughout mainland Europe. However, it has since launched a product, called Tracker Horizon, which works in France and Spain through tie-ins with the local police. The company plans to develop that system further over the coming year.
Tracker’s Horizon product is unique in that it uses GPS- and radio-based technology. This means that a stolen vehicle can still be located even if it is hidden in a car park or a container.
Tracker is also the only after-theft recovery system to be operated directly by the police.
On the plus side, most police cars and helicopters are equipped with Tracker receivers, which means that any stolen vehicle should be found and returned to its owner very quickly. However, for the same reason, customers must currently forego desirable extras such as the ability to alert the emergency and breakdown services.