Sunday, March 18, 2012

Consumer Reports rates GPS navigators

The December issue of Consumer Reports has new ratings for GPS units, including many newer models they haven’t reviewed before. 49 models were tested; the top 14 are listed in the magazine.

The voice command Garmin nuvi 880 was the top-rated unit. The following models were rated Best Buys:

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Garmin nuvi 265T review

Garmin_nuvi_265t_review

UPDATE: The nuvi 2×5 series has been officially discontinued. For current recommendations, see our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nüvi 265T is one of the second-generation nuvi 2×5 series models; I dubbed the first generation the “best entry level GPS on the market.” This newer series offers more mid-line features though — in addition to everything that made the original so popular, the 265T adds lifetime traffic and Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use. It includes pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada, has a 3.5″ wide touch-screen and comes with text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “drive one-half mile, then turn left on Oak Street,” rather than just “drive one-half mile, then turn left.”

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Garmin nuvi 550 review

Garmin nuvi 550

The Garmin nuvi 550 represents Garmin’s foray into the “crossover” GPS market, aiming for a device that functions well whether used for driving, hiking, cycling or boating.

UPDATE: Here’s a post I did about dual-use GPS, and how well they work for both road and trail. read more

Magellan RoadMate 1400 review

Magellan_roadmate_1400

The Magellan RoadMate 1400 is Magellan’s new entry-level 4.3″ navigator. As a low-end unit, it only has 1.3 million POIs, and it comes without text-to-speech, so you’ll just hear “approaching right turn,” instead of “approaching right turn, Maple Street.”  The 1400 does come with pre-loaded maps of the entire U.S.

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Garmin nuvi 275T review

Garmin nuvi 275T review

UPDATE: The nuvi 2×5 series has been officially discontinued. For current recommendations, see our auto GPS buyers guide.

UPDATE 2: The latest trans-Atlantic navigators to be introduced are the Garmin nuvi 2475LT and nuvi 2370LT.
UPDATE 3: The latest trans-Atlantic navigators to be introduced are the Garmin nuvi 2475LT and nuvi 2370LT.

The Garmin nüvi 275T is a 3.5″ touch-screen navigator designed to appeal to trans-Atlantic travelers, with pre-loaded maps of the U.S., Canada and Europe. It is one of the second-generation nuvi 2×5 series models; I dubbed the first generation the “best entry level GPS on the market.”

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Magellan Maestro 4200 review

Magellan_maestro_4200

The Magellan Maestro 4200 is a fairly basic 4.3" navigator. It includes pre-loaded maps of the entire U.S., except Alaska. But as a low-end unit, it has only 1.3 million POIs, and it comes without text-to-speech, so you'll just hear "approaching right turn," instead of "approaching right turn, Maple Street."

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Garmin nuvi 265WT review

Garmin nuvi 265WT review

Hands on with the Garmin nuvi 265WT

UPDATE: The nuvi 2×5 series has been officially discontinued. For current recommendations, see our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nüvi 265WT is one of the second-generation models in the nuvi 2×5 series, which I dubbed the “best entry level GPS on the market.” This series offers more mid-line features though; in addition to everything that made the 2×5 series a hit, the 265WT adds lifetime traffic and Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use. It includes pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada, has a 4.3″ wide touch-screen and comes with text-to-speech, so you’ll hear “drive one-half mile, then turn left on Oak Street,” instead of just “drive one-half mile, then turn left.”

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Garmin nuvi 785T review

Garmin_nuvi_785t

UPDATE: MSN Direct is ceasing operations on January 1, 2012.
UPDATE 2: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nüvi 785T differs from the other units in the new 7x5T series in that it doesn’t offer lifetime traffic. Instead, it comes with a three month trial subscription to MSN Direct. The advantages are that traffic coverage is offered for more cities, and you get extras like gas prices and weather, as well as the “Send to GPS” feature.

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Insignia GPS first impressions

Insignia_nscnv20_gps

UPDATE: Read my full Insignia NS-CNV10 review.

I've been spending the past few days getting to know the Best Buy Insignia NS-CNV10 GPS. This 3.5" model, like its bigger brother, sports text-to-speech, a cellular connection, Google Local search and no connection fees for the first year. The 4.3" model is pictured above, but except for the phone button (Bluetooth is found only on the NS-CNV20) it gives you a good idea of what it looks like.

The Insignia appears to utilize deCarta's Connected Navigation (CNAV) service. So far, the device has been fairly intuitive and has done a good job of navigation, recalculating quickly whenever necessary. And I love having Google Local search at my fingertips. I also like being offered multiple route options, though it sometimes takes a couple of steps to get to them.

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Garmin nuvi 755T review

Hands on with another winner from Garmin

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide.

The Garmin nuvi 755T is a member of the high-end nuvi 7×5 series, a second-generation nuvi 700 line that adds lane assist, 3-D buildings and lifetime NAVTEQ traffic to an already significant feature set. The 755T has a 4.3″ wide touch-screen, pre-loaded maps of the U.S. and Canada, and text-to-speech, so you”ll hear “drive one-half mile, then turn left on Oak Street,” instead of just “drive one-half mile, then turn left.” read more