Best 5 GPS systems
Associate Editor, Car Tech Although GPS-enabled smartphones are gaining ground in the portable navigation market, the standalone portable navigation device (PND) is far from dead. In fact, today's PNDs sport more features than ever to help you get from point A to point B quickly and safely--features such as audible driving directions with ....-to-speech (TTS), spoken street names, real-time traffic updates, Internet connectivity for points-of-interest search, and large easy-to-read screens, to name a few. However, the GPS market has also never been more crowded, so to help you in your buying decision, we've selected our Top 5 picks for in-car GPS navigation systems. We will frequently update this list as we review new GPS devices, so check back often.
The GO 740 Live features TomTom's Live connected service, which--for a monthly fee--gives users access to real-time traffic updates, fuel prices, and Google POI search. Bluetooth hands-free calling and a voice recognition system allow users to keep their hands on the wheel while navigating.
The Garmin Nuvi 1690 offers free ad-supported traffic updates for two years through the Garmin nuLink data service. This unit also accesses Google POI search, White Pages search, fuel prices, weather forecasts, local events and movie times, and a service called Ciao Friend Finder through its EDGE data connection.
The TomTom XL line has benefited greatly from feature trickle down. As a result, the XL 340 S has gained ....-to-speech directions that read street names aloud, TomTom's IQ Routes (which calculates routes based on historical speed data), and MapShare, a user-generated map update system.
The Magellan RoadMate 1470 may find itself with a short list of bells and whistles, but its core functions are where it really shines. This unit can put four routing options at a user's fingertips in the time that most units take to choose one.
It doesn't get much simpler or much cheaper than the Garmin Nuvi 205 when it comes to portable GPS navigation devices. However, the 205W ups the ante with a large 4.3-inch wide screen for better visibility for only a few bucks more.
