Unbiased GPS Reviews of the Latest Car GPS
Navigation Systems
Global positioning systems devices or more commonly known as
GPS have enjoyed tremendous sales growth,
particularly in the automotive market. In the last two years,
sales of in-car GPS units have grown at least two times over.
What just a few years ago was a pricey gadget for the
enthusiast is now an affordable must-have companion for the
masses. According to Yahoo! Tech news' latest tech trends and
predictions for 2009, GPS is going to explode in 2009 and
you'll see GPS move more and more into other gadgets like cell
phones, cameras, MP3 plyers and other hybrid devices. There is
one fundamental reason for the popularity of GPS. It help
drivers and anyone on the move make informed travel
decisions.
There are many types of GPS like Handheld GPS, Outdoor GPS,
Motorcycle GPS, GPS for marine crafts and Car GPS being the
most popular with the widest range.
CarGPSreviews.net aims to provide
unbiased reports and reviews of the best auto
GPS units to help you make informed decisions by
constantly updating the latest Top 10
GPS for cars.
 Progressive innovation has been the hallmark of
increased GPS use. They now feature brighter,
higher-resolution screen displays, highly accurate maps,
more points of interest, and convenient turn-by-turn
directional guidance. They can provide real-time traffic
information and can be linked to a cell phone to allow
hands-free use.
More elaborate models can be tapped to control other
systems, such as air-conditioning, heating, and stereo systems.
Other GPS devices can playback movies on DVD while your vehicle
is parked, remotely unlock car doors and activate the horn and
lights, and provide you with news and e-mail.
Many companies produce GPS receivers, but three makers
corner the lion's share of this rapidly expanding market:
Garmin, TomTom and
Magellan. Other notable manufacturers include
Navigon, Lowrance, and
Mio. The majority of users favor Garmin, but
TomTom and Magellan have their own core of rabid
supporters.
July 2009
update: Garmin remains the most popular GPS by
brand. The popular Garmin nuvi 760 retains its
top spot again for the 6th month running. There is a resurgence
of older models like the TomTom GO 720 and
TomTom ONE XL-S due to massive price
reductions. And the spanking new Garmin nuvi
1350 also made its way up the list for the first
time.
Important
notice: Please be aware that a recent firmware
update by Garmin is causing nuvi 7x5 series
and nuvi 8x5 series units to fail. These
products will not be available for purchase until further
notice.
Here are the Top 10 GPS units ranked by
weighted average of sales at major retailers, expert and user
reviews and search popularity:
-
 Garmin
nuvi 760 - Combining a very affordable
asking price with the latest features, including
text-to-speech technology and a superb user
interface, the nuvi 760 also added a feature we
haven't seen on any other model - the ability to
transmit sound via a built-in FM transmitter. This
means the unit can send sound wirelessly through
your car stereo, avoiding the common occurrence of
missing directions due to low volume levels. It
comes with a large 4.3 inch touch screen. With a
480 x 272 pixel resolution, the display is bright
and east to read. The nüvi 760 also has integrated
traffic receivers and Bluetooth capability for
hands-free calling. Like the rest of the wide nüvi
700-series, its premium navigation capabilities,
like route planning and a handy locator, give you
peace of mind on the go. The nüvi 760 includes
almost every extra feature Garmin has to offer, but
is still easy enough for a novice to use.
Click Here to View Latest
Offer on Garmin nuvi
760
-
 Garmin
nuvi 255W - Garmin's nüvi 255W
improves upon its 200-series predecessors by adding
top-of-the-line features such as FM traffic updates
or MSN Direct content to an entry-level line. But
Garmin is also introducing some significant
improvements with this new series, like a
predictive technology that provides faster
satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more
information, terrain maps, and an exciting new
photo navigation feature. The 255W adds complete
maps for North America and Text-to-Speech, so you
get turn by turn spoken directions with the real
names of streets. The 255W also offers a wide
4.3-inch screen that displays 70% more of the road
around you. The nüvi 255W is really slim and fits
comfortably in your pocket. A rechargeable
lithium-ion battery makes it convenient for
navigation by car or foot. It also comes with
useful travel tools like a JPEG picture viewer,
world travel clock with time zones, currency
converter, measurement converter and calculator
functions.
Click Here to View Latest
Offer on Garmin nuvi
255W
-
 Garmin nuvi
265WT - The 4.3" widescreen nüvi 265WT
adds free real-time traffic updates from Navteq
designed to receive alerts about traffic tie-ups
and road construction that might lie ahead on your
route. Other significant improvements include a
predictive technology that provides faster
satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more
information, terrain maps, and an exciting new
photo navigation feature. The 265WT provides
complete maps for North America and the handy
Text-to-Speech feature, so you get turn-by-turn
spoken directions with the real names of streets.
This model also includes useful travel tools like a
JPEG picture viewer, world travel clock with time
zones, currency converter, measurement converter,
bluetooth connectivity and calculator.
Click Here to View Latest
Offer on Garmin nuvi
265WT
- Garmin nuvi
1350 - The Garmin 1350 GPS navigator
features a widescreen, ultra-slim design (approximately
25% thinner than previous models), enhanced user
interface, ecoRoute, public transit mode, and
text-to-speech on all models. The nüvi 1350 is the first
nüvi to offer pedestrian navigation capability enabled
through optional CityXplorer maps, which are available
for select tourist destinations in North America and
Europe and can easily be downloaded directly to the
nüvi. Its enhanced user interface features improved
graphics and a new slide control for menu operation,
while ecoRoute suggests fuel-efficient routes to save
drivers money and fuel. Also, Garmin's new public
transit mode allows you to navigate using buses,
tramway, metro, and suburban rail systems. Pre-loaded
with City Navigator North America NT.
- TomTom ONE
XL-S - The TomTom ONE XL-S is the high end
of TomTom's ONE line of basic portable gps navigators.
The ONE XL-S adds to the basic GPS features a wider set
of traffic options, with the immensely convenient
RDS-TMC system providing real-time information about
traffic situations. Both the ONE XL and ONE XL-S are
complete with all necessary features, albeit without the
luxury frills, of a reliable car navigation system. The
difference is the text-to-speech feature in the ONE
XL-S, which means you get voice directions. The unit
carries complete TeleAtlas map data for the whole of
Canada and all states in the U.S. View all data stored
in its 1GB memory on its viewer-friendly 4.3-inch
widescreen display.
- TomTom GO
720 - The 4.3" widescreen TomTom GO 720 is
an amazing GPS device that offers plenty of high quality
features without breaking the bank. Features a
high-quality finish with an extremely elegant and slim
design that allows it to not only complement any car's
interior, but also fit perfectly and easily in your hand
or shirt pocket so it can go anywhere you do.
- Garmin nuvi
780 - The Garmin nuvi 780 portable GPS
navigator goes above and beyond what's usually expected
from a GPS offering an innovative design, easy to use
interface, and just about everything you'll need while
in your car and on the go. It comes with a rich array of
features including spoken directions in real street
names, integrated traffic receivers, MP3 player and
photo viewer, and an FM transmitter that will play voice
prompts, MP3s, audio books directly through your
vehicle's stereo system.
- Garmin
nuvi 205W - Garmin's nuvi 205W improve upon
its 200-series predecessors by adding top-of-the-line
features such as FM traffic updates or MSN Direct
content capability to an entry-level line. But Garmin is
also introducing some significant improvements with this
new series, like a predictive technology that provides
faster satellite lock, a redesigned screen with more
information, terrain maps, and an exciting new photo
navigation feature. The 205W also offers a wide 4.3-inch
screen that displays 70% more of the road around you. It
also sports the slim design that Garmin introduced with
the 200-series last year, so it will fit comfortably in
your pocket or purse, and a rechargeable lithium-ion
battery that makes them convenient for navigation by car
or foot.
- Garmin nuvi
885T - The Garmin nuvi 885T is a successor
to the aging 880 which has satisfied many with all the
included features. These features are preserved in the
new 885T so expect some of the favorites like the MSN
direct service which serves as a personal travel
assistant and the innovative voice commands. The nüvi
885T offers full coverage mapping for the United States,
Canada and Puerto Rico. The preloaded map data features
nearly six million points of interest, including hotels,
restaurants, gas stations, ATMs and attractions. The map
data is provided by NAVTEQ, a world leader in
premium-quality mapping.
- Garmin
Nuvi 360 - The Garmin nüvi 360 is a GPS
navigator, personal translator, multi-media entertainer
and tour guide all wrapped into one. In addition to all
the advanced features of the Garmin nüvi 350 - including
automatic routing, turn-by-turn voice directions, an MP3
player and audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, and
much more - this pocket-sized personal travel assistant
comes with hands-free Bluetooth wireless technology. In
addition to its first-rate maps, it provides extensive
travel information (restaurants, museums, galleries, and
more) from Fodor's travel guides.
New Product Launches
Garmin annouced that it is launching new products
in its nuvi series at the CeBIT
2009 trade show. They will be available in June / July
2009. See latest updates below:
Latest GPS Reviews
Top 3 GPS Brands - Short Overview
Garmin
- Since 1989, Garmin has provided GPS
receivers for a wide range of users, from soldiers in the
U.S. military to the automotive market to aircraft systems.
The automotive market accounts for one-third of the
company's consumer products sales. The company provides
original-equipment GPS systems to Chrysler vehicles, BMW,
Harley Davidson and Honda Motorcycles; detachable units are
also available, for use in cars or when going hiking or
biking.
Garmin also produces GPS navigation systems for the
recreational market. In addition to surface navigation
capabilities, its marine products provide information on wind
speeds, weather forecasts, tides, and charts of the coastlines
in the continental U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. Garmin GPS systems
for aviation include panel-mounted units (for the retrofit
market and older aircraft) and portable units used in general
aviation aircraft.
TomTom -
The Netherlands-based company, TomTom NV,
started in 1999 as a supplier of mobile phone software
applications. In 2001, it began partnering with PALM,
Microsoft and HP to produce the TomTom Navigator system for
PDAs and smartphones. The TomTom GO family of GPS navigation
systems was launched in 2004 for cars, later followed by its
variant TomTom ONE. The TomTom RIDER line was developed for
motorcycles and scooters and TomTom PLUS was designed to
provide traditional navigation capabilities in combination
with a host of web-based subscription services.
Magellan
- Magellan (formerly Thales Navigation) is
an industry leader in navigation and positioning systems for
consumers, surveying, GIS, and the OEM markets. Its product
line includes the award-winning RoadMate portable car GPS
series, the eXplorist handheld GPS for hikers and outdoors
types, the Hertz NeverLost car GPS, and the best-selling
ProMark surveying GPS. Its consumer products also include
marine GPS devices for boaters and address navigation
add-ons to car GPS. Professional products serve surveying
needs in land and marine applications, mobile mapping, and
original-equipment units for various industries, including
aviation.
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