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With more than half a million Apple apps and around 300,000 Android apps to choose from, finding a really good one can be like panning for gold. Here are Auto Trader's top ten apps car apps- the ones we have found most useful, ingenious, fun and good value for money.

AA Parking
£1.99 from App Store/Android Market

It might not be very glam, but this app is one of the most useful out there. Either search for parking in your vicinity or plan ahead and enter your destination of choice to view paid and free parking nearby. It's possible to see where it is on a map, find out how many spaces there are and how much it costs. There's also useful information on whether the spaces are covered and if the car park has an attendant - useful knowledge if the weather turns ugly and for the security conscious.

RAC Traffic
Free from the App Store/Android Market/Windows Phone

Checking the traffic before you make a journey can save time and stress. This app flags up traffic problems on Google maps as yellow, orange and red dots, depending on their severity. There's a brief description of the cause of the delay and the app will estimate how long the hold-up could be. It's not always as quick to update as we'd like, but it can alert you of the roads to avoid - particularly on longer routes.

Spotify Premium
£9.99 per month from the App Store/Android Market/Blackberry App World/Nokia Ovi

Spotify is like a breath of fresh air, because it works so seamlessly. Premium members can choose their favourite music from Spotify's large database and 'sync' it to their mobile device. Once it's there, you can connect it to your car via an auxiliary lead and enjoy the latest music. Some manufacturers including Volvo are even integrating a Spotify connection into their cars' infotainment systems.

Dynolicious
£8.99 from the App Store

Here's one for the performance fans amongst you. Using the accelerometers inside your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to detect movement, this app can work out how fast your car can accelerate and how much G-Force it can generate in corners. It's not a cheap app, but a professional box of tricks providing the same data would cost several hundred pounds. In our experience it's usefully accurate, providing you have a good in-car phone holder to keep your device steady. Perhaps the biggest drawback is that you'll need to go to a track or drag strip to use it.

TomTom UK and Ireland
£39.99 from the App Store

If you own an iPhone or iPad and need a good sat-nav, this app could save you some money. The cheapest all-in-one TomTom is currently on sale for £99.99, so this app is less than half the price. It also includes TomTom's HD Traffic, which updates you with the latest traffic information and IQ Routes, which alter depending on the time of day. A subscription to the HD Traffic service costs £20.99 for twelve months.

For the optimum experience, however, you might want to complement it with the TomTom iPhone in-car installation kit. This is a £99.99 windscreen-mounted phone holder, charger and GPS signal booster, which ensures you'll keep on course and your battery won't run out. A total price of £139.98 still represents a good saving over a portable TomTom sat-nav with equivalent features.

Pure Lounge
Free from the App Store/Android Market

This app from digital radio creators Pure, turns your portable Apple or Android device into a portable radio with more than 16,000 streaming internet stations. If your car has an aux-input, you can soon be enjoying it through your car speakers. It's a great way to listen to music and talk shows from all over the planet, all you need is a decent mobile signal and a data allowance which allows free or inexpensive internet access.

Witness Driving
£0.69 from the App Store

This interesting app allows you to record the road ahead and keep a record of any incidents which take place. If an accident should occur the footage could be invaluable in proving it was unavoidable or caused by another party. The App works by filming through the windscreen on a loop up to an hour long (it can be set shorter to save memory). Your speed and GPS location are imprinted onto the footage, and should the phone detect a high G-Force impact, footage is automatically saved for future reference.

WeatherPro
£2.99 from the App Store/Android Market/Windows Phone/Blackberry App World

It's always important to know the weather conditions before any trip in the car, but particularly between the colder months from October to March. In our experience this weather app is one of the most accurate. You can set up favourite locations, so you can quickly choose the places you spend most time. We love the fact the forecast isn't for the whole day, but breaks each down into three-hour segments, so you'll know if the sun is about to come out, or the heavens are going to open. There are radar and satellite maps too, for the budding meteorologist.

Trip Advisor
Free from the App Store/Android Market/Nokia Ovi/Windows Phone

If you are on the road and need a place to eat or stay overnight, this app could make your decision much easier. Tap in the town you are visiting and it will list establishments by distance, rating or price. With more than 45 million reviews posted worldwide, there's a good chance of finding out if the local hotel will give you a great night's sleep or bed bugs.

Auto Trader
Free from the App Store/Android Market/Nokia Ovi

Auto Trader's app is going from strength to strength and now lets you search for used cars and motorbikes or local dealers. Using your postcode, the app can work out which cars are in your area in the price bracket you choose. By moving your favourite cars to My Garage, you can save a shortlist of used cars to view later, even when you have no signal or internet connection.

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