TomTom Car Kit for iPhone goes for a spin

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TomTom Car Kit for iPhone mounted in a car.

Should you spend $220 on an app and a cradle? Check out our review to find out.

(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)

We got our hands on TomTom's Car Kit for iPhone and took it for a spin--both figuratively and literally, the cradle spins 360 degrees.

The Car Kit holds and charges your iPhone while driving, enhances GPS reception when used with TomTom's turn-by-turn navigation app, and boosts audio quality of spoken directions and hands-free calls. However, the problem with a peripheral like the TomTom Car Kit is that when it's working best, you don't notice it, which makes it difficult for many users to justify the $119 price. People may be less likely to buy it when they consider that it takes an additional $99 app to get the most out of the purchase!

Most users wouldn't bat an eye at spending $200 on a portable navigation device, but how does does an iPhone app/peripheral package stack up? Check out our full review to find out.