Navigation GPS Review

Why Buy A Navigational GPS Receiver?

For many consumers, there will never be anything better than a sophisticated navigation GPS unit, even as smartphones get smarter and more able to perform many of the tasks that were formerly the exclusive domain of GPS receivers. GPS navigation receivers are able to track your current position anywhere on the globe with amazing accuracy. They direct you, turn by turn, from anywhere to anywhere, and allow you to be on autopilot in certain ways, collecting information for you about speed limits, traffic, lane changes and much more on one screen.

They calculate how long it will take to reach your destination, and some even recognize your voice and will search for the location you need at any given moment with nothing more than a spoken command. They can instruct you on the best lane to use at any given moment in order to reach your destination as quickly as possible.

Most receivers will have millions of built-in POIs, or points of interest. These points of interest can be as big as national parks, or as small as your local taco stand. They will allow you to search for the nearest Thai restaurant, or the closest ATM. Not only will it tell you where it is – it will guide you right to it.

The displays of today's navigation GPS units will astound you if you've only seen older devices. Many now have three-dimensional graphics and the ability to zoom or change the map’s orientation by maneuvering your fingers on the screen's surface.

Our favorite navigation GPS receivers – Garmin Nuvi 3590LMT, Garmin Nuvi 3760LMT and Garmin Nuvi 2595LM – include a combination of those qualities as well as other features that will help you reach any destination with ease.

In this site, you’ll find articles related to navigation GPS units, as well as comprehensive reviews and a side-by-side comparison to help you make an informed decision on which one is right for your needs.

Specific attributes we looked for in navigation GPS units include:

Dimensions
We looked for navigation GPS products with screens that are large enough to see lots of detail but not so large that they bulk up the unit too much with extra weight. We also considered each unit's ability to pinpoint your location with accuracy, and long battery life.

Navigation
The best navigation GPS products offer a collection of features that will get you to your destination with ease. They offer lots of ways to organize and define the places you go the most and the way you prefer to get there, whether it is the best route for avoiding traffic or the most fuel-efficient route. Our favorite products make navigation easy by offering spoken directions so you don't have to look at the screen constantly. Some even operate based on verbal commands.

Ease of Use
Navigation GPS products are easiest to use when they offer Bluetooth technology so you don't have to pick up the phone while you are driving. You can simply make and take calls using your GPS unit's speaker. We also like units that offer easy ways to manipulate the images displayed on your screen and high resolution.

Help & Support
Our favorite products always come with great customer support and we looked for that during our comparison of navigation GPS products. We considered whether the makers of these navigation GPS products provide easy ways to get help, whether by phone, email or live chat.

The best navigation GPS units have a great combination of all these features, so great that you will forget all about the GPS capabilities of your smartphone. You will find a GPS system that will make the road ahead much smoother, getting you from A to B in style.

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Electronics » GPS » Navigation GPS
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Rank #1#2#3#4#5#6#7#8#9#10
10-9  Excellent
8-6    Good
5-4    Average
3-2    Poor
1-0    Bad
Garmin Nuvi 3590LMT Garmin Nuvi 3760LMT Garmin Nuvi 2595LMT Garmin Nuvi 2460LMT TomTom GO 2535 TMWTE TomTom Go 2535 M Live Garmin Nuvi 50LM Magellan Roadmate 3055-MU TomTom XXL 540 S Garmin Nuvi 550
Garmin Nuvi 3590LMT Garmin Nuvi 3760LMT Garmin Nuvi 2595LMT Garmin Nuvi 2460LMT TomTom GO 2535 TMWTE TomTom Go 2535 M Live Garmin Nuvi 50LM Magellan Roadmate 3055-MU TomTom XXL 540 S Garmin Nuvi 550
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Ratings
10.00
9.40
9.15
9.00
8.43
8.20
7.85
7.30
7.00
6.88
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
10.00
10.00
10.00
10.00
9.75
9.75
8.75
8.75
9.38
8.75
8.75
10.00
8.75
9.75
7.50
10.00
8.75
8.50
7.50
8.75
8.75
8.13
6.88
8.75
8.13
7.50
6.25
10.00
8.25
6.75
6.25
7.50
8.25
6.00
5.00
8.75
7.75
5.00
5.75
10.00
 
Dimensions
Screen Size (inches) 5 4.3 5 5 5 5 5 4.7 5 3.5
Depth (millimeters) 13 8.89 15 15.24 19 19 18 16 25 22.86
Width (inches) 5.4 4.8 5.4 5.4 5.6 5.6 5.5 3.3 3.14 4.21
Height (inches) 3.4 2.9 3.3 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.4 5.3 4.6 3.3
Weight (ounces) 7.2 4 6.8 6.8 9.17 9.2 6.3 5.8 6.4 7.6
Accuracy (meters) 7.62 - 15.24 7.62-15.24 7.62 - 15.24 7.62-15.24 30 10 7.62 - 15.24 3-5 30 7.62-15.24
Battery Life (hours) 4 4 2.5 2 3 3 2 2 3 8
Expandable Memory
 
  
 
Navigation
Waypoints 1000 100 1000 100 none 3 1000 none none 10
Programmable Routes 6 million 6 million 6 million 6 million 7 million 7 million 6 million 6 million 7 million 6 million
Points of Interest
Custom POIs
 
  
Photo Navigation
  
Lifetime Map Updates
 
 
Lifetime Traffic Updates
  
 
Traffic Route
  
 
Personalized Route
  
Automatic Re-route
Voice Prompts
 
Lane Assist
 
Voice Recognition
 
 
 
Eco Route  
 
      
Route Choice  
 
 
Ease of Use
Bluetooth
 
  
Speed Limit
 
Picture Viewer
     
Pinch
 
    
Zoom
 
   
3D View
    
 
  
Audio Book Player
 
       
Screen Resolution 800 x 480 800x480 480 x 272 480 x 272 480 x 272 480 x 272 480 x 272 480 x 272 480 x 272 320 x 240
Help & Support
Warranty 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
Website Usability (percentage) 100 100 100 100 75 75 100 50 75 100
Online Manual
Phone
Email