A Review of Popular Car GPS Systems

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 7:53
Posted in category Tech

Motor Vehicles have enjoyed being a reliable means of travel for years, even though there have been days when time and gas are wasted or places of interest are missed entirely because of incorrect maps or complicated directions. To eliminate these issues and enable you to have a convenient driving experience, car friendly GPS systems are now here to aid us and are particularly affordable for average car owners. It is very sensible to bring a GPS device on long trips to ensure that the most direct way is taken. The effectiveness of specific GPS devices varies with different brands. To attract customers and attention, optional programs are available on a few models to add value and increase the gadget factor. Following are a few of the more practical ones that merit your consideration. A nice option is the Garmin Nuvi 1350 Portable GPS Navigator.

Garmin Nuvi 265W

The disadvantage of many of the more affordable Car GPS appliances is that their list of functions is so underdeveloped that you wonder if the device is even finished. The Garmin Nuvi is a budget level model, but it manages to retain all the user-friendly functions and level of performance one would experience with its larger siblings – the 705 and 805 series. A speech function is included so you shouldn’t have to read the monitor as you drive and the Garmin will be very uncomplicated to hook up out of the box. The price may not complement everyone’s financial situation, but thanks to its sensible features and minimal drawbacks, the Garmin Nuvi is the best GPS for your money.

TomTom ONE Classic and Routes edition

TomTom ONE products appear to have price tags that are far below their actual value, but its capabilities and applications illustrate exactly why Tom Toms ONEs are dirt cheap. The Tom Tom’s ease of use is abysmal and a few of the convenient features including Bluetooth and text-to-speech were never provided by nearly any of the models. Even though earlier models weren’t particularly popular among value seeking car owners, new ONE products were introduced, including one or two with widescreens and a few more with special functions such as advanced lane guidance, which is exclusive to the Routes edition. The classic edition lacks this feature, but the price might be friendly enough to make it attractive. A good item to consider is Garmin Nuvi 1350 Portable GPS Navigator.

Magellan Roadmate 1212

The Magellan Maestro products are the better selling Magellan products because they were introduced first, however, the Roadmate 1212 should very quickly eclipse the Maestro because of its thin look combined with its affordable price. The respectable performance in tandem with the uncomplicated user interface easily makes this an intelligent investment so long as you can put up with the delayed menu button function. The text-to-speech engine is also present, even though relying on it too long may soon drain the battery with the result that you may find yourself charging the battery after 3 hours.

Bottom Line

With regards to reasonably priced Car GPS products, you might always be torn between cost and applications. Garmin Nuvi easily stands out with its insignificant quirks, but the Magellan and the Tom Tom don’t cost as much. The best thing to do is to invest in a Garmin Nuvi unless you plan on letting a GPS device take control of your driving. You might also want to look at the Garmin Nuvi 1350 Portable GPS Navigator.

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