Mio MiVue Drive 55 LM Review

Mio MiVue Drive 55 LM is a unique all-in-one solution offering high end car navigation, with an integrated Extreme HD premium dash cam! As I’m sure many of you know, dash cams are ever increasing in popularity with many people using them to record whilst on the roads. Some users requires also use car navigation. Now with this Mio MiVue Drive 55 LM, you can do it all with just one gadget for your car journey.

This Mio MiVue Drive 55 L Mtouchscreen dashcam comes with a 5 inch touch screen. It is very easy to use and comes with great features, like two smart Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) features to support you on the road: Lane Departure Warning System (LDWS) and Forward Collision Warning System (FCWS). It also promises Lifetime Map Updates, so you never have to worry about new maps or road changes, provided you update it. In addition to the maps, there is also lifetime safety camera data, so you will always know where to drive extra carefully. The real-time traffic information alerts you to delays on the roads ahead, saving you valuable time by avoiding hold-ups and congestion.

Before I go into more detail, let me show you what’s inside the box. It comes with a Mio MiVue Drive 55 LM, car charger, mounting bracket, DVD, 16GB micro SD card and instructions.

To set up, insert the micro SD card and charger into the device. Plug the other end of your car charger to the 12v power outlet. The car charger measures about 1.2 metres long which is a good length for you to position the device in the middle or right hand side of your windscreen. Installing is pretty straightforward by sliding the device onto the bracket. The mounting bracket attaches very securely onto the windscreen. For first time use, the instructions advise to charge the device for at least 12 hours. As they only provide the car charger, I am not going to charge it in the car for such a long time. I used a mini USB cable to charge it using my laptop. Once you turn it on for the first time, you have to key in your ‘Start Up Key’ to register.

The device comes with a 140 degree wide angle adjustable lens which is able to capture views of the sides of the vehicle and the road ahead. I do feel conscious of leaving such a conspicuous device on display so I feel I have to remove it when I exit the car. Re-installing it onto the bracket is quick and easy but I do have to re-check the recording footage before driving off, to make sure it captures the correct view.

One of the best features of this dashcam is the extreme HD recording of 2304 x 1296 at 30 fps with the latest H.264 technology for high quality videos at a smaller file size. There are two video resolutions to choose from: 1080P/30FPS and 1296P/30FPS. Once you turn the device on, it will record in 1080P/30FPS by default, unless you have change it in the settings. Personally, I am using the 1296P/30FPS setting. But do remember that if you need any videos, do download it as soon as possible. As the video files are quite big, it will overwrite old video (videos without incidents) fairly quickly on a 16GB micro SD card. So far the video on my device has been very clear. I am able to review the video and see some car number plates at a distance.

This device allows you to take still photos by expanding the record icon on the bottom left of the screen and taking the photo. It will then save your still photo into the Photo folder of the memory card for easy access.

It also comes with a built-in 3-Axis G-sensor which records direction and force, including impact, turns and acceleration of any incidents, saving and locking down the latest footage in a separate file. Thankfully, I’ve not had cause to use this yet.

Another key feature of this device is the 5 inch LCD touch screen which offers ease of use. It is very responsive and straightforward to use. It has a matt surface which helps avoid fingerprints but occasionally we have found it hard to view the screen when the sun shines on it. Also the map can be quite lagging when there is no GPS signal.

On my video, I will be showing you how to set it up, how to use the settings on the device, using the map and many more: https://youtu.be/QnAJRqbSiBA

I love that most of the default settings on the device are very standard. I reviewed them all but ony changed the video resolution to the highest setting. It also comes with GPS tracking that automatically records your driving information, including speed, altitude, longitude, latitude and heading. You are unable to stop this tracking as it requires the information to provide latest safety camera warnings. According to Mio MiVue, you will always know where to drive extra carefully with their lifetime of monthly updates to safety camera data. In our experience with the dashcam, not all the safety cameras were updated. These may have been cases where there used to be temporary safety cameras during roadworks but are no longer there. On the whole though, I do like this feature as it gives us sufficient warning especially when we are driving in an unfamiliar place. Also it allows you to choose your navigation mode: car, caravan or truck. The truck mode enables you to input your vehicle or trailer details, to calculate safer and more efficient routes to avoid the length/width/height/weight restricted tunnels and bridges, as well as sharp turns and narrow country lanes.

Lastly, the device offers an outlet for a rear camera. This is an optional extra that could give you extra peace of mind by recording the footage from out the rear window.

Overall, this Mio MiVue Drive 55 LM is very simple to set up and use and provides good video. It captures clear voice conversation and the videos are easy to extract. It is available to buy in good shops and Amazon. For more information, please visit: https://eu.mio.com/en_gb/mivue-drive-55-lm.htm.  If you only require a dashcam, why not check out my Mio MiVue 658 WiFi DashCam review.

Disclosure: We received the sample for the purposes of writing this review, however all thoughts and opinions remain our own.