A Review of Popular Car GPS Systems

Automobiles have remained a handy method of transportation for years, but there will be trips when time and gas are frittered away or destinations are bypassed altogether because of incomplete maps or unclear directions. To solve these concerns and help you to benefit from a rewarding driving experience, vehicle mounted GPS appliances are now able to assist and are very affordable for most commuters. It is very sensible to bring a GPS device on road trips to ensure that the most direct route is identified. The usefulness of particular GPS devices varies with different makers. To attract customers and attention, extra features are offered with certain models to keep consumers interested and increase the fun factor. Here are some of the less extravagant ones that deserve a closer look. A nice option is the Garmin Nuvi 1350 Portable GPS Navigator.

Garmin Nuvi 265W

The problem with quite a few of the lower priced Car GPS appliances is that their range of applications is so limited that you’ll question whether the design is actually finished. The Garmin Nuvi is a very basic model, although it manages to retain all the essentials and level of performance one would expect from its more expensive colleagues – the 705 and 805 series. A speech function is included so you shouldn’t be required to read the screen while driving and this model will be quite simple to install out of the box. The cost might not complement everyone’s cash reserves, but thanks to its powerful features and minimal issues, a Garmin Nuvi is a great value at any price.

TomTom ONE Classic and Routes edition

TomTom ONE models look to have purchase prices that are too good to be true, but this product’s features and applications show you exactly why Tom Toms ONEs are dirt cheap. The Tom Tom’s navigation performance is abysmal and some of the performance features like Bluetooth and text-to-speech won’t be available in most of the models. Even though the older models weren’t very popular among value seeking consumers, new ONE systems were introduced, including one or two with widescreens and different models with convenient functions such as advanced lane guidance, which is only found in the Routes edition. This brand’s classic edition comes without this function, but the price should be tempting enough to help you get over that. A good item to consider is Garmin Nuvi 1350 Portable GPS Navigator.

Magellan Roadmate 1212

The Magellan Maestro products continue to be the more recognized Magellan products thanks to the fact that they hit the market first, although the Roadmate 1212 should soon take center stage on account of its slender dimensions and also its tiny price tag. The respectable performance combined with the simple user interface obviously makes this an intelligent purchase so long as you are willing to put up with the protracted menu button function. The text-to-speech function is even available, but using it too much will quickly drain the battery with the result that you will likely find yourself charging the battery within 3 hours.

Bottom Line

With regards to reasonably priced Car GPS units, you might continue to be torn between affordability and performance. Garmin Nuvi easily dominates with its few annoyances, but the other brands discussed here don’t cost as much. The most practical option for you is to save up for a Garmin Nuvi unless you won’t mind having the GPS device take control of your driving. You might also want to look at the Garmin Nuvi 1350 Portable GPS Navigator.