Is Garmin the Best? GPS Navigation Comparison Test

http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/audio/articles/126895/article.html

You've got a busy summer ahead. Before setting out on that road trip out West or back East, you'll have to find time to download some travel music. (We recommend new releases from Common, My Morning Jacket and Weezer.) After that, we've got another assignment for you that promises to make your summer trip easier and may enhance your listening habits, too: Get a portable navigation system. Of course, we wouldn't dream of leaving you out in the cold on such an important decision, so we're updating last year's portable navigation system roundup with four new or newly improved portable systems.

Since our last portable navigation review, a few of the units we sampled have changed significantly, plus there are two all-new units that seem promising on paper — the Dash Express and Becker Travel Assistant.

More Than Just Directions
Although most navigation systems have the same map data provided by one of two companies, all units are not the same. The interface, computing time and features vary greatly. One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a portable navigation device is that price isn't a good indicator of quality. Some of the poorest-performing devices can also be the most expensive. On the other hand, even midprice brands offer tons of features, including a way to play those downloaded Weezer tracks.

Another notable feature is real-time traffic — all the units featured here have it. If you don't need features like traffic and the ability to play music files, you can save some money, as lower-priced units typically don't have those options. Bottom line: Before swiping that debit card at Best Buy, be sure you know exactly what your needs are.

Finally, we've added a new category. Because of several negative experiences with the Magellan call center (located in Manila), we now think it's important to indicate whether the customer call center for a given device is located in the U.S. All the devices featured here have U.S.-based call centers, but we'll include this new category in all future reviews.

Here are four portable nav systems that are new or newly improved:

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Garmin
• Harman
• Kardon
• Dash
• Becker
• GPS
• Navigation
• Edmunds
• Video
• Edmunds.com

[jambalya17]

Chuck Norris doesn't need a GPS: The World orients itself to where he wants to go.

[2000jago]

Gripes about the map are a flaw of the map, not the device. Get a better map.

In Thailand where I live, the Garmin is unsurpassed. Their maps are simply the best, nothing else even comes close.

This (as with most) GPS reviews assumes everyone lives in the USA...

[multimaghrabi]

Telogis 

[AmerAzmiNumbuh478]

WOWWWW!THAT SUCKKKKKK~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



[eskimochild87]

@dellvostro00001 Id perfer the garmin, the tom tom has graphics from like 95

[kalargyi]

paper map is useless, don't be retarded, we all used it before the Germin went crazy, you just dont know how that doesn't mean paper mag is useless, it is great, you can find yourself on it, just know how.

[dellvostro00001]

@eskimochild87 your wrong it has never failed me and it its faster and better

[eskimochild87]

@dellvostro00001 tom tom is not better, the graphics are bad at-least for me, ive always had garmin

[jmariosm]

yo uso un LG