GPS on Your Smartphone? 7 Reasons Why a Dedicated Car GPS System is Safer

The GPS navigation system offers a number of compelling safety benefits to travelers venturing into unfamiliar territory, including keeping us from getting lost, guiding us to the nearest service station, rest area or hospital, and allowing us to report our precise location to emergency responders. Though the presence of another electronic device in the car can be a distraction, those of us who remember wrestling with large, unwieldy paper maps while trying to keep our eyes on the road see the in-vehicle GPS revolution as a net benefit, particularly with the addition of voice-guided, turn-by-turn directions.

Now there’s a new revolution afoot, namely the growing availability and sophistication of GPS features on smartphones, such as the iPhone, Android and Google Nexus One. However, from a safety perspective, there are strong arguments as to why the GPS on your mobile phone is best used while you’re stopped or sitting in the passenger seat and a dedicated in-vehicle GPS unit remains a better choice:

1. Eyes Forward – Read With Your Ears: One of the principal dangers of electronic devices in the car is the fact that they draw your eyes away from the road ahead. Virtually all dedicated in-car GPS navigation systems include spoken turn-by-turn directions (”in one mile, turn left”). The best units also include text-to-speech capability, i.e., they read the street names aloud (”in one mile, turn left on Main Street”). Mobile phone apps don’t always include these features and the speaker volume and sound quality is usually much better on dedicated GPS units, which have larger speakers. Read more

TomTom XL 340, 340S, 340S LIVE: REVIEW

TomTom’s value-packed XL 340 and XL 340S (wide-screen versions of the TomTom ONE 140 and 140S) offer an attractive upgrade to the XL 330 and 330S, competitively positioning them in the entry-level category of in-vehicle GPS systems, which includes Garmin’s popular 2×5 series. Most significant, TomTom has now included its Advanced Lane Guidance feature into the XL 340 series, a feature until now seen only on midrange and top GPS units. The new XL 340S LIVE includes a built-in receiver for TomTom’s LIVE Services, including live traffic, weather, fuel prices and Google Local Search. Cnet states,"The TomTom XL 340 S introduces a few advanced features to TomTom’s midrange lineup, while staying well below the premium price bracket."

 

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Garmin nüvi 755T, 765T, 775T, 785T (7×5) – REVIEW

Garmin’s nuvi series has been all about constant innovation and improving on what just a few months ago seemd to be as top-of-the-line as the series could get. Hence, dozens of nuvi models and many with top 4.5- and 5-star ratings. The 7×5 series, which includes the 755T, 765T, 775T and 785T does it again, with the addition of some compelling "gotta have" features and smaller touches that continue to refine this excellent product without undermining its performance. The nuvi 755T earned PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award, and its praise, including, "…features that the 755T offers, including the Lane Assist view, 3D Landmarks, and Garmin Connect Photos, make an excellent navigation experience even better."

 

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Garmin nuvi 265T, 265WT, 275T, 285WT Vehicle GPS: REVIEW

Garmin’s popular 2×5 series, building on the success of the 200 series, designed as a budget-friendly GPS, continues to blur the lines between "entry level" and mid-level with the 265T, 265W, 275T and 285WT models which sit at the upper end of this category. (These models are not fundamentally different from the other models in the 2×5 series but include richer feature sets, maps and other included options.) As we pointed out in our review of Garmin’s first models released in the 2×5 series (the 205, 205W, 255 and 255W), the result is a product that is marketed as an entry-level system but in fact has a solid mid-level feature set under the hood. Not surprisingly, the 265, 275 and 285 have won accolades from editorial reviewers and owners alike, the latter especially pleased at the perfomance per price. In its review of the 265T, PC World notes this, indicating, "…a reasonable price for a full-featured GPS–especially when you factor in the lifetime traffic service."

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TomTom ONE 140, 140S GPS: REVIEW

TomTom’s value-packed ONE 140 and ONE 140S offer an attractive upgrade to the ONE 130 and 130S, competitively positioning them in the entry-level category of in-vehicle GPS systems, which includes Garmin’s popular 2×5 series. Most significant, TomTom has now included its Advanced Lane Guidance feature into the ONE 140 series, a feature until now seen only on midrange and top GPS units. In its Editor’s Choice 4-star review, PC Magazine states, "TomTom’s One 140-S has more features than you’d typically expect from a $200 GPS device from a top manufacturer."

 

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Vehicle GPS: Top Picks & Reviews

Our Top Picks: The Best of the Best. If you don’t have the time to invest reading reviews and comparisons, consult our Top Picks below for our top recommendations in each of four categories. Since all of the GPS units we feature are rated 4 stars or higher, our Top Picks truly are the "best of the best.". If you’d like to do some more research, consult our GPS Buyers Guide which will give you an in-depth look at GPS features to look for and, of course, our GPS Reviews to find the top-rated GPS with the features you’re looking for. Remember: All the GPS units we feature are rated 4 stars or better. We’ve done the homework for you.

Garmin nüvi 765T Read Our Review 1. Easiest to Use Mid-Range GPS for the Car Garmin’s nuvi series has been all about constant innovation and improving on what just a few months ago seemed to be as top-of-the-line as the series could get. The 7×5 series, which includes the 755T, 765T, 775T and 785T does it again, with the addition of some compelling "gotta have" features and smaller touches that continue to refine this excellent product without undermining its performance. The nuvi 755T earned PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award, and its praise, including, "…features that the 755T offers, including the Lane Assist view, 3D Landmarks, and Garmin Connect Photos, make an excellent navigation experience even better." Any of Garmin’s nüvi series is perfect for someone who’s easily intimidated by complicated devices, driving, or both! It’s small, portable, completely touch-screen controlled, and takes simplicity to a new level. No confusing buttons — just a touch screen with two options: “Where To?” and “View Map.” The unit guides you each step of the way, providing spoken turn-by-turn directions to your destination. If you miss a turn, no worries — the unit will instantly recalculate your route and get you back on track. Want to add live traffic updates? Many of the Garmin nuvi series are live traffic-capable, including the 765T, which includes a traffic receiver and a free lifetime traffic subscription. The nüvi 7×5 Series: More about the Garmin nuvi 755T More about the Garmin nuvi 765T More about the Garmin nuvi 775T More about the Garmin nuvi 785T Is this the best price? Is this the best price? Is this the best price? Is this the best price?

Garmin nüvi 880 Read Our Review 2. Best Fully-Featured GPS for the Car Looking for the best top-of-the-line, fully-featured GPS? It’s Garmin’s nüvi series again, which has taken its blending of form and function to a new level, offering an elegant yet essential travel tool to the traveler. Building on the the overwhelming success of Garmin’s nuvi line, which both dominate U.S. sales and consistently garner the highest owner satisfaction ratings, the nuvi 880 brings the strong nuvi heritage forward with a breakthrough in voice-recognition technology. At last you can talk back to your GPS and it will listen! According to CNET reviewers, "…we were blown away at its accuracy…Even with the radio in the background, the system was able to understand and compute all our voice commands and more importantly, perform them accurately." Want some coffee? Simply say, "Find place, Starbucks." That’s much easier than hunting and pecking on a touch screen in freeway traffic. The fully-featured 880 earned PC Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award and calls the nüvi an “indispensable travel companion…a portable GPS navigator, traveler’s reference, and digital entertainment system, all in one.” Garmin’s 800 series offers multi-destination routing — which offers you the optimal route when you need to make many stops — along with Garmin’s “Where Am I?” safety feature. The nüvi sports Garmin’s top-end GPS features, such as a brilliant touch screen, pre-loaded maps for North America, text-to-speech, which reads street names out loud when announcing turns, automatic rerouting if you miss a turn or encounter a detour, and live traffic updates. Update: In 2009, the nuvi 880 was replaced with the 885, which adds Lane Guidance, among other features. We’ve found the 885 in better supply and available at lower prices than the 880 with no sacrifice in quality and a net gain in features: The nüvi 8×5 Series: Is this the best price? Is this the best price?

Garmin GPSMap 60csx Read Our Review 3. Best Handheld GPS for the Back Country, Boat, or Vehicle For the hiker, hunter, fisherman or anyone who likes to explore the back country, the 5-star Garmin GPSMap 60csx is powerful handheld unit that’s all about versatility and ruggedness. It’s waterproof and is an ideal choice if you’ll be in the field, on the water, and need a unit that is packed with features yet portable and durable. It also provides turn-by-turn driving directions for use in the car. It even has a “geocaching” mode. A great single unit solution to a wide range of navigation challenges. There are newer and more powerful handhelds available since the 60csx was introduced, namely Garmin’s Oregon and Colorado series (see below), but we still have great admiration for the 60csx. Winner of Outside Magazine’s “Gear of the Year” award.   More Top Handheld GPS Gift Choices: Read Our Review – Read Our Review Is this the best price? Is this the best price? Is this the best price?

TomTom ONE 140S Read Our Review 4. Most Economical GPS for the Car TomTom has managed to bring entry-level to, well, a new level with the latest offerings of its popular ONE series. TomTom’s value-packed ONE 140 and 140S offer an attractive upgrade to the ONE 130 and 130S, competitively positioning them in the entry-level category of in-vehicle GPS systems, which includes Garmin’s popular 2×5 series. Most significant, TomTom has now included its Advanced Lane Guidance feature into the ONE 140 series, a feature until now seen only on midrange and top GPS units. In its Editor’s Choice 4-star review, PC Magazine states, "TomTom’s One 140-S has more features than you’d typically expect from a $200 GPS device from a top manufacturer." Though you might miss some higher end features,the TomTom ONE 140S won’t disappoint as a reliable traveling companion. The 140S includes text-to-speech, an important safety feature. Consider also the widescreen versions of the ONE 140 and 140S, the XL 340 and 340S, along with the XL 340S LIVE which also includes TomTom’s LIVE services for traffic, Google local search, fuel prices, weather and more.     More Top Economical GPS Gift Choices: Read Our Review Read Our Review Read Our Review Is this the best price? Is this the best price? Is this the best price?

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Garmin nüvi 1300 Series – REVIEW (1300, 1350, 1350T, 1370, 1370T, 1390, 1390T)

FIRST LOOK: Garmin remains at the top of its game with constant innovation that is keeping the manufacturer solidly on top in sales and customer satisfaction for vehicle GPS units in the U.S. What we’re especially intrigued by is how the pace of innovation continues to accelerate and just how quickly yesterday’s luxury feature becomes today’s essential "must-have." With prices remaining competitive, the number of features per dollar gives you, the consumer, the best value ever, and those features are fitting into more and more compact units. Garmin’s nuvi 1200, 1300 and 1400 series introduce the thinnest, most pocketable units yet as the new CityXplorer feature brings a wealth of new GPS features to the pedestrian, navigating an unfamilar city by foot or mass transit. CNET says, "Even if you don’t opt for the CityXplorer route, the new GPS offer plenty of other navigation features and for reasonable prices." Garmin has also added ecoRoute™ to its nuvi line, allowing you to select the most fuel-efficient route to your destination.

 

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GPS for Geocaching: Top Picks & Reviews

The immensely popular sport of "geocaching" (pronounced "JEE-oh-cashing") is essentially an outdoor treasure hunt game in which participants containers (called "caches" or "geocaches") anywhere in the world. While the origins of the sport are attributed to the 150-year-old sport known as "letterboxing," which uses references to landmarks and clues hidden in stories, the 21st-century geocaching uses a web site to provide clues and latitude/longitude coordinates, and most of its participants use handheld GPS systems to find their cache.

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Garmin nuvi 500, 550 Crossover GPS: REVIEW

We get many questions about finding a single GPS that does it all, taking you from car to trail to the lake or offshore. Oh, and geocaching would be nice, too. And, of course, it needs to be waterproof and have great battery life…oh and how about a removable battery to boot? Well, Garmin’s been busy on your behalf and the nüvi 500 series may be the ideal solution in the emerging "crossover" class of GPS systems. Like its nuvi relatives, the 500 and 550 models are sleek and easily fit into your pocket or pack as well as your hand for comfortable handheld operation with an impressive battery life of 8 hours.

 

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Garmin nuvi 205, 205W, 255, 255W Vehicle GPS: REVIEW

If you’re a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices — really good choices — in the top-rated nuvi line, Garmin’s not about to make your decision any easier. The 2×5 series, including the 205, 205W, 255 and 255W adds so many features to the 200 series that the term "entry level" just might not cut it any more. In fact, the 205/205W and 255/255W incorporate both higher-end features as well as features not even seen in some of their higher-end siblings. The result is a product that is marketed as an entry-level system, but in fact has a solid mid-level feature set, earning the 2×5 series even stronger marks than the popular 200 series.

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