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Auto GPS buyers guide

Quite often, I am asked to recommend a GPS receiver. The answer typically is, it depends — primarily upon the price you can pay and the features you want. So here is an auto GPS buyers guide that runs the gamut, identifying some key features along the way. I’€™ll make a recommendation in each price category, based upon value and feature set.

A few notes first:

Budget auto GPS receivers

Our choice:
The Garmin nuvi 40 is a newer model with a 4.3″ screen that is loaded with features like lane assist, junction view and speed limit display. Currently available for around $100.

Alternative recommendations:

The Garmin nuvi 1200 has a 3.5″ screen, text-to-speech (calls out street names for upcoming turns) and maps of the entire U.S., except for Alaska. Like all the nuvis, the 1200 has around 6 million points of interest (POIs). The nuvi 1200′s retail price is $119.99, but as of this posting it can be found for around $80.

The TomTom EASE comes with pre-loaded maps of the entire United States and offers text-to-speech, calling out street names on turns. The big draw here though is the inclusion of TomTom’s historical traffic speed database, making the EASE an excellent choice for folks living in areas with routine traffic problems. The TomTom EASE is often available in the $60 to $80 range.

Mid-range auto GPS receivers

Our choice:

The Garmin nuvi 2455LT is a new 4.3″ model, loaded with features including lifetime traffic; at the time of our last update, this unit was running around $160.

  • The 4.3″ Garmin nuvi 1300LM comes bundled with lifetime map updates; as of this posting the nuvi 1300LM can be found for about $130.
  • The TomTom VIA 1505TM gives you a lot of bang for the buck — a 5″ screen and lifetime map updates and traffic

High-end auto GPS receivers


Our choice:

This 5” ultra-widescreen model is loaded with great features like custom avoidances and advanced detours. It also sports lifetime map updates and traffic, voice commands and the best sounding Bluetooth I’ve ever heard on a GPS navigator. It’s new though, so expect to pay pretty close to the $249 MSRP. Alternative recommendations:

  • Garmin nuvi 3490LMT – Looking more like an iPhone than a GPS, this recently released model has more eye candy (3D terrain view and 3D buildings) and comes with an ad-free HD traffic receiver. And it’s running around $150 more than the 2495LMT.
  • Garmin nuLink 1695 – Offers connected services like Google Local Search, gas prices and weather; currently priced at about $250

More resources:

Image courtesy Reedz Malik

Comments

262 Responses to “Auto GPS buyers guide”
  1. Sam says:
    December 14, 2011 at 9:24 pm

    Hi, I am looking for a GPS (partial to Garmin) that I can use on both my bicycle and car. These are the most important features I am looking for:
    -Fast, Fast, Fast! map drawing while scrolling/zooming through the maps
    -Creating custom routes on the fly (with multiple via points) with ease, by either touch points on the map or searching for them
    -Saving custom routes
    -Ability to make a custom route on a computer and upload it
    -Voice command for inputting addresses would be nice, if it actually works.

    I guess this list shows you where my priorities are. Especially on the bike, I want to be able to quickly and easily re-route myself.

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      December 15, 2011 at 9:46 am

      I’ve noticed occasional lags with all models I’ve tested. Most newer high-end models have multi-destination routing although some folks don’t like the way its set up in recent models.

      For the best custom route capability, I’d go with the 24×5, 25xx or 34xx series.

      Voice command was very good on the 2495LMT and 2595LMT.

      As far as using it on a bike goes, you know these aren’t ruggedized or waterproof, right?

      Reply
  2. Matt says:
    December 31, 2011 at 10:53 pm

    Rich…I need some help! I want a GPS unit to use 85% of the time in the car and 15% of the time in the boat. I don’t need fishing features or anything like that. Just want to navigate the lakes. I live in Kansas and boat in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. I know the nuvi 500 and 550 exist but the screen is too small. Features that I badly want include it being waterproof, tuff, fast (not really a feature but it’s important to me), mac compatible, speaking street names, lifetime map updates, really good bright screen display so I can see it in the sun on the boat, flawless operation (no crashes or glitches), and lane assist. In addition, I would like to have a powered mount, qwerty keyboard, speed limit display and voice command. I know, I know…I want a lot. What’s your thoughts?? And THANK YOU for this site and your input.

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 1, 2012 at 9:04 am

      I’d suggest you either look at getting two separate units or consider the Garmin Montana series (but you would need to add City Navigator maps, lifetime updates and a mount to the purchase cost). It doesn’t offer voice command, though it will call out turns.

      Reply
  3. Andrew Wilkin says:
    January 4, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    Excellent site. I appreciate the side-by-side comparison, especially. I wonder how hard it would be to have a search by features.

    Reply
  4. Cheryl says:
    January 7, 2012 at 4:53 pm

    Hi, Rich –

    My husband and I love the mp3 player built into our Garmin – and want to buy our son a unit with the same features. But we want to make sure he has access to updated maps if we buy him a discontinued model. Is this a viable option? Why did Garmin remove the mp3 player from all their units anyway??

    Thanks for your insight.

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 8, 2012 at 8:43 am

      Garmin continues to support older models and make map updates available for them. It’s been a long time since they switched map formats, making older units impossible to update (5 years ago maybe?). But it could happen again.

      I suspect that this just wasn’t that popular of a feature.

      Reply
  5. Greg Corbin says:
    January 7, 2012 at 7:47 pm

    I used to have a Dash Express and as you know they sold the company and of course no more GPS.I wanted to know if there was a GPS on the market,right now that is the closest thing to the dash express,if so what brand and model?

    Reply
    • Rich Owings says:
      January 8, 2012 at 8:45 am

      Nothing that works exactly like it in terms of traffic, if that is what you are asking about, but the HD traffic models by Garmin and TomTom should (theoretically) increase the amount of traffic data received.

      Reply
  6. solomani says:
    January 8, 2012 at 9:55 pm

    Hi all,
    I just bought a 2007 Land Cruiser here in HK where I live (its badged as a Lexus in the USA). I wanted to replace the in-console GPS/stereo etc with a more modern all in one unit. Any advice on what to pick-up? GPS is most important, sound is secondary.

    Thanks in advance

    Reply
  7. John says:
    January 11, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Will price shop the 2595LMT. Too bad not carried at Costco or Sams locally.

    Reply
  8. phyllis nm says:
    January 13, 2012 at 5:07 am

    i have a #200,i am thinking i should buy a new one instead of getting lifetime maps. plus a couple more features. it would cost about $140. i paid about $350 for this one. what do you think?

    Reply
  9. phyllis nm says:
    January 14, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    thank you for your reply.
    i like what i have but it does not find new addresses, or i would not get a new one. on my way to st george our in the middle of no where, my gps all at once told me to turn left. it was a dirt cow trail on someone’s ranch! i put a new address 2 days ago, it was not found. i am thinking i will get a 1450lmt.
    thanks again.

    Reply
  10. Emil says:
    January 15, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    I develop my routes (on and off-road use) on my Mac/Pc and want to transfer them to/from my Garmin units. Works ok with GPSmap 62s, but its screen is too small for automotive use. What other Garmin units allow simple uploadind/downloading? I have researched the Garmin sites and not found an answer on this. I do not need traffic/bluetooth, but do need a micro cad slot.
    Thank you.

    Reply
  11. Bob says:
    January 21, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    Looking for a replacement GPS. Wife has problems with our Tom Tom as audible commands issued for distances to turns, etc. are expressed in yards, ie 400 yards, 800 yards, etc. Wifey doesn’t know a yard from a mile. Do some brands provide better distance commands for upcoming route information? Also, would prefer one with a larger screen, 5″ – 7″. Thanks.

    Reply
  12. Lynn says:
    January 21, 2012 at 5:55 pm

    You could try a Magellan, though their routing is not as good as Tom Tom or Garmin. With Magellan (they have screens up to 7″) I think you still get the “ding” when your turn comes up, which would be nice if the directions were better. They also have the AAA travel guide but I’m not sure how often the hotel ratings and prices are updated. In the end all GPS should get you where you want to go, just some in a round about longer way sometime.

    Reply
  13. Ray says:
    January 27, 2012 at 7:21 pm

    I work for a city bus company. I want to be able to create a bus route (for example, a one-hour route with about 40 turns around neighborhoods in our town) – and then send a driver out with the GPS unit and tell him to “follow the route I’ve created for you”. I am considering a Garmin 2460LMT. Can I create the route on a PC and then transfer that route to the 2460? Or do I have to create the route on the 2460 (by making 38 intersections “via points”?). If I can do it on a PC, do I need to buy MapSource on DVD to do it? Thanks.

    Reply
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