Garmin’s Nuvi GPS navigation units are one of the most successful GPS devices on the market. The Nuvi 255W is an upgrade to the popular entry level model Nuvi 205W. To stay current with the other GPS devices on the market, Nuvi 255W adds few features on top of the already capable Nuvi 205 unit such as the text-to-speech and pre-loaded maps.

Screen

Garmin Nuvi 255W boasts 4.3 inch touchscreen with anti-glare coating. The color profiles can be changed for day or night driving. This allows for easier viewing in any light condition. The overall screen size does make it easier to operate. The screen was very responsive to touch with minimal delay. The display quality in 2D and 3D was easy to read. Overall, the screen is easy to read and easy on the eye.

Ease of use

The interface is extremely easy to use. You simply enter the destination or Point of Interest for driving instruction. Some navigation units suffer from frustrating interface and complicated operation. The Nuvi 255W’s interface is refined and easy to understand. The unit comes preloaded with map from NavTeq that includes all of North America, Puerto Rico, and 6.5 million POIs. The mounting kit is not as sturdy or well made as some of the others but it does its job well enough. Overall, the unit is ready to use with minimal effort.

Reliability

The most important part of the GPS navigation unit is its accuracy and reliability. With added text-to-speech capability, the navigation is easier and more reliable than the previous model. You don’t get the “turn left” or “turn right” instead, you get the full street names in relatively accurate manner. It did have some problem with harder street names in Tampa area but overall, the street names were understandable and accurate. The route calculations were up to date and the ability to avoid highways or toll roads were useful in Tampa where there are a lot of toll roads. The signal stayed strong even among the high rise buildings. The rerouting calculations were pretty spot on. I did not try the live traffic feature as I did not buy the optional receiver.

Battery life

The battery lasts close to the advertised time of 5 hours. It was closer to 3.5 hours but that was with heavy usage. With normal usage, you will most likely get close to 5 hours on full charge.

Features

The Nuvi 255W is feature rich navigation unit for an entry level model. The HotFix allows the device to remember the last known position of the satellite. When the device is turned on, it calculates the probably location and finds the satellite signal faster. Also, the 255W can show the topographic view of the area showing hills and valleys. This is not very useful in city driving but could be useful in area with steep driving conditions. As stated earlier, live traffic is possible with optional receiver and subscription to MSN Traffic at $49.99 per year. The ability to send addresses and POI directly from Google Maps or Mapquest is another convenient feature. You can always upgrade your maps or add photo media files via SD card slot. These sets of features should cover most of the needs required by most consumers.

Expandability

Garmin continually updates the maps and firmware. The live traffic service is optional.

Pros

• 4.3 inch touchscreen
• Accurate and reliable
• Plenty of POI
• Easy to use
• Battery life

Cons

• Mounting kit
• Maps little out of date

Want to compare this model to other Nuvi models? Click here to download the spreadsheet.

	Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator List Price: $219.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $77.77 Average Rating:

	Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator List Price: $219.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $77.77 Average Rating:

Navigon is a GPS navigation maker that started out in Europe before entering the North American market. Widely known in Europe, Navigon is a brand that most might not be familiar with in North America. However, Navigon has very solid reputation for producing great GPS navigation units in Europe. The Navigon 2100 MAX a step above an entry level GPS navigation unit at an entry level price. The unit includes many features that are absent on entry level units.

Screen

The 4.3 inch displays crisp and vibrant colors. The touchscreen sensitivity could have been better. I had to tap the screen few times to get the touch to register on some occasion. Screen works well in any light condition. I had no glare problem with the unit.

Ease of Use

The user interface is very intuitive. Like most other GPS navigation units, it is easy to set destination via screen or simply set POI as destination. Navigon 2100 MAX can be used right out of the box without having to consult manual. You do need to register via Navigon if you want to use the live traffic feature. The text-to-speech makes it really easy to navigate without having to stare at the screen. The pronunciation of street names were fairly accurate.

Reliability

Out of the box, the unit took close to 10 minutes to acquire satellite. I had no problem with satellite acquisition after the initial start. The routing calculation seems to take longer than most navigation units. But, the routing and directions were accurate most of the time. The real problem seems to be route recalculation. After missing a turn, the unit kept asking to go in an illogical direction. This happened several times throughout the usage. I'm not sure if map update or firmware update could fix this problem. The overall routing and directions are accurate. The lane assist function is pretty helpful on the highways when you need to anticipate exits. There were no problem with rebooting or crashes. With exception of route recalculation, the unit was solid in its performance.

Battery life

The Navigon states the battery life at 3 hours. In real world usage, it lasted little more than 2 hours. The unit can not be completely turned off which can be battery draining. The unit comes with automobile power supply so the battery life should not be an issue.

Features

The Navigon 2100 MAX comes with great many features seen on high end models. The 2100 Max comes with life time traffic and optional FreshMap updates. The unit comes pre-loaded with POI and United States map. The predictive text complete is also useful when entering a street name. The text-to-speech was clear and understandable. The Lane guidance feature was pretty useful on the highway driving. Otherwise, mostly forgotten feature in city driving. You have option to purchase Zagat survey and ratings review package. I did not purchase this option so I can not give assessment on its usefulness.

Expandability

Navigon does offer map updates for a price. It seems like most manufacturers have chosen to charge for map updates. At 79.99 it's almost 1/2 the price of the unit itself. It could be cheaper but not having offering any update would be worse.

Pros

• 4.3 inch touchscreen
• Text-to-speech
• Lane assistance
• Easy operation
• Speed limit indicator
• Free live traffic
• Cost

Cons

• Out of date Point of Interest database
• Bad rerouting logic
• Have to purchase map updates

Want to compare this model to other models? Click here to download the spreadsheet.

	Navigon 2100 max 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Text-to-Speech List Price: $299.99 Sale Price: $149.99 Used From: $98.99 Average Rating:

TomTom Go 720 is a step above an entry level model with better features and higher price. TomTom is one of few GPS navigation unit manufacturer that has dominated the GPS market. TomTom Go 720 offers proven reliability and quality that has been the hallmark of any TomTom GPS navigation units.

Screen

Like similarly priced GPS units, the TomTom Go 720 comes with 4.3 inch touchscreen. The touchscreen is coated with anti-glare material that shows off a very crisp and clear screen in any light condition. You can change the brightness according to your preference or light condition. The touchscreen is very responsive to touch and don’t require too much force before it registers an input. It is a very high quality screen.

Ease of use

One of TomTom’s strength is its easy to use interface. Without having to read manual, you can start figuring out the overall operation without too much problem. The device comes preloaded with maps on its 2GB internal hard drive. Once it booted up, it took about 3 minutes to acquire satellite. Once locked in, the device is extremely easy to use. You can input destination via onscreen keyboard. From start to finish, it only takes few inputs including the address.

Reliability

Previous TomTom model we’ve reviewed had no problem with accuracy and reliability. As stated earlier, the TomTom Go 720 took around 3 minutes to locate the satellite. The satellite tracked the GPS unit very accurate as I drove around. Some units have significant lag that is very apparent and annoying. The overall route calculation was spot on with accurate routing. The destination did not involve incorrect or unnecessary travels. The rerouting worked perfectly once I missed a turn. The overall routing and reliability was very good. However, the unit kept dropping satellite signal throughout the testing. This was particularly frustrating as there were no high rise buildings or tunnels during the test route. I’m not sure if the unit was bad or there were some interference.

Features

The TomTom Go 720 boasts impressive set of features. The list includes the standard text-to-speech, Bluetooth, real time traffic, and media playing capabilities. The turn by turn with street name is very easy to understand and the visual representation is clear and easy to understand. The call quality through the device was crystal clear and easy to understand. The help function on the device is pretty helpful if you get stuck on usage or programming. The preloaded maps and POI were fairly up to date. Few of the new hotels in the city did not show up. With media player feature, you can stream mp3 music through your car speaker from the GPS unit. You can get live traffic updates with TomTom Plus service. This includes the up to date weather information. The TomTom Go 720 should satisfy most users looking for feature packed GPS unit.

Battery

The rated battery life of 5 hours was not very accurate. The normal usage only yield about 3 hours without having the unit plugged into the automobile. This shouldn’t be a problem if you leave the unit plugged into your automobile.

Expandability

TomTom is very good with their updates and you shouldn’t worry about the map or firmware being outdated. The downside is that these upgrades tend to come with service fees that might be free on another GPS manufacturer.

Pros

• 4.3 inch touchscreen
• Text-to-speech
• Fast GPS fix
• Accurate direction

Cons

• Poor satellite signal
• No free map update

Want to compare this model to models? Click here to download the spreadsheet.

	TomTom Carrying Case and Strap for the GO 720 and 730 GPS List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $1.99 Used From: $13.99 Average Rating:

	TomTom Carrying Case and Strap for the GO 720 and 730 GPS List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: $1.99 Used From: $13.99 Average Rating:

Magellan Maestro 4250 distinguishes itself from crowded GPS navigation market with voice command and AAA TourBook reviews and ratings. The GPS navigation market leaves little room to separation as the core function of navigation varies very little from one unit to another. The accuracy of the GPS navigation devices are fairly similar from major manufacturers. The companies have added extras such as Bluetooth, media playback, and text-to-speech to entice consumer to buy their products. The voice command and AAA TourBook reviews and ratings add two features not found on most other GPS navigation units.

Screen

Magellan Maestro 4250 boasts 4.3 inch WQVGA touchscreen with anti-glare treatment. The screen was legible in any lighting. There were no problem reading the display in sunlight or dark environment. The touchscreen was not overly responsive. The touchscreen needs minimal effort to register touch. 4.3 inch area is nothing to write home about as it is fairly standard size for mainstream unit. But, it is very crisp with good color displays.

Ease of Use

The user interface is very simple and intuitive. You can use the unit right out of box without having to read the manual. Maestro 4250 has text auto completion which makes entering address easier. The included database automatically predicts the street address you are entering. The Point of Interest database makes for quick navigation to various destination. The voice command is fairly limited in functionality as you can't enter street names via voice command. Simple functions like navigating home or looking for POI is the limit of voice command function.

Reliability

The routing and directions were fairly accurate. As with other GPS units, it does suffer from occasional odd routes it calculates. There were some illogical routing on few occasion. The rerouting calculation was little off few times as well. Overall, the routes and directions were accurate even with some weird routing. There were some delays and longer than expected response time when inputting the destination or looking up POI. Nothing too worrisome but the delays were noticeable.

Battery Life

Magellan lists battery life at 4 hours at full charge. The tested unit held on for close to 3 hours on normal usage without power source. It should not matter to most people who plan to use it primarily as automobile GPS navigation unit. For those that want to use it another vehicle might want to consider another car adapter.

Features

Magellan Masetro 4250 is a full feature GPS unit. Masetro 4250 comes with Bluetooth, text-to-speech, integrated live traffic, voice command, AAA TourBook, 6 million plus Point of Interest database, SD card slot, and pre-loaded North American map. The text-to-speech was fairly easy to understand with clear pronunciation. It had little difficulty with most street names. The voice Command feature is nice bonus. But, as you can't enter destination via voice command, it renders it as an afterthought most of the time. The live traffic feature is free for the first three month. After the trial period, you must subscribe to the service. Make sure you are in the covered area for the traffic updates.

Expandability

The SD card allows for additional maps and contact lists. Magellan offers firmware and map update via their website. You can purchase various other services and softwares via their website

Pros

• Nice vibrant screen with good anti-glare treatment.
• Easy and intuitive user interface
• Good text-to-speech
• Good Point of Interest database
• Voice command is nice bonus
• SD card slot
• Mostly accurate routes and directions
• Fast satellite acquisition time

Cons

• Re-routing tends to give some problem
• Few random crashes
• Some delays in interface
• Some problem with power button response

Want to compare this model to other Maestro models? Click here to download Excel spreadsheet.

	Magellan Maestro 4250 4.3-Inch Widescreen Bluetooth Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished) List Price: $299.00 Sale Price: $159.95 Used From: $175.00 Average Rating:

What do you get when you put GPS technology and social networking together? The answer is the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger. Recently I was given an opportunity to test this handy little gadget, and it just so happens that I will be travelling to China and South Korea to visit my friend. Here at gpselite.com, I don’t normally review anything outside of GPS navigations for automobiles, but this particular device piqued my interest. Not only does this handy gadget automatically tracks your location via GPS, but also allows you to share your travels with friends and family through social networking sites such as A-Trip or Flickr. How cool is that?

Without further ado, let’s get to the meat of my review on the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger from Mobile Action.

Design

Oftentimes simple design offers better usability, and aesthetically speaking, this gadget accomplishes that easily. The i-gotU GT-120 size is no bigger than typical box of matches with one circular button in the middle to power the device on, and an outlet port that will let you connect to PC. Moreover, it comes with a silicone case that protects the gadget and weighs only 20 grams; a very lightweight indeed!

Features

The ability to track and log your location is one thing, but allows you to share your trips with the world defines this gadget as next “social networking gadget”. The i-gotU GT-120 is feature rich given its size. I was able to easily import traveling logs from the device and display them on 3D Google Maps and Google Earth. Also don’t let a rainy day discourage you from using this little handy gadget, because it is water-resistant. The entire duration of my trip consisted of rainy and cloudy days, but this gadget still performed exceptionally. I think perhaps the best feature is the ability to geotag your photos from the trip. Just upload your photos and travel data to the software that comes with the device, and it will accurately tag your pictures based on timestamps. You can then upload these photos to your favorite sites such as A-Trip or Flickr or Picasa. If you happen to travel a lot, you can even start your own travel blog or write amazing photo essays!

Ease of Use

The i-gotU GT-120 is very easy to operate. You’ve got 2 LED buttons indicating what’s going on with the device. If the red LED is on, that means the device is charging which I advise you to do when using it for the first time. By pressing the circular button down for about 1.5 seconds, the logger will turn on. How do you know? When you see the blue LED light up. You are now ready for the next step. Once the device has been turned on, you have to sync it with the satellite. When the device has been synched, both of the LED will blink at the same time. However, I had a little trouble synching it with satellite maybe because I was inside of a building or perhaps it was due to cloudy weather. Other than that, once it was synched properly, I was ready to use it.

Reliability

The i-gotU GT-120 was very accurate in tracking and logging my location. Once I arrived in Shanghai, China, I immediately turned it on and began to use it. When I flew to Beijing then over to Seoul, South Korea, its tracking was precise as shown on the pictures below. Moreover, the battery life was superb and I did not have to charge it frequently during my entire travel.

Overall

Whether you plan to travel a lot or already a travel warrior, the i-gotU GT-120 is a gadget to consider on your next trip. Its simple and small design allows you to take it anywhere.
The i-gotU GT-120’s software will help you share your trips with friends and family via social networking sites, and also incredibly easy to operate. All in all, I was satisfied with the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger. The only problem I had was using the software for the first time. The learning curve can be steep for those who expect the software to be very user friendly. I also had issue with the software constantly crashing when I tried to import data from the logger. But that problem went away as soon as I updated to the latest software. If you are interested, the i-gotU GT-120 USB GPS Travel Logger retails for around $69.99.

Pros

• Simple to operate
• Small in design
• Water resitant
• Accurate and reliable
• Battery life
• Social networking features

Cons

• Synching with satellite
• Software learning curve

	i-gotU GT-120 Travel Blog Master (USB GPS, Data Logger, SiRF III Chipset) (Bumper Case, Data Cable and Software Included) (GT-120) Sale Price: $69.95 Used From: $59.95 Average Rating:

Navigon has worked itself into a fairly well known brand in United States. While not as widely recognized as Garmin or TomTom, it has good reputation in Europe and is enjoying a better brand recognition today. The 2100 model offered more feature and bigger screen compared to Garmin and TomTom at cheaper price. However, its performance was not quite up to Garmin’s or TomTom’s standard. The Navigon 7200T is intended to challenge higher end Garmin and TomTom models.

Screen

Navigon 7200T comes with 4.3 inch widescreen. The touchscreen is very crisp and vibrant. The auto Day/Night mode adjusts your screen’s brightness according the ambient light. I had no problem viewing the screen in bright day light. The touchscreen is more responsive than the 2100 model which had some lagging and lack of sensitivity problem with its touchscreen.

Ease of use

The interface is easier and more intuitive than the 2100. The predictive text helps tremendously when completing an entry into the unit. The non QWERTY keyboard is a small downside to inputting an address into the unit. As with 2100 model, there are four options from the start up. New Destination, My Destinations, Take Me Home, and Voice Entry are self explanatory options. The Voice Entry option was pretty accurate on most cases. I only had to repeat few street names that were very simple. Otherwise operating the GPS unit is very straight forward. I would have liked to see more shortcuts so I didn’t have to navigate the submenus.

Reliability

The 2100 suffered from time lag between cold boot to initial satellite acquisition. On some occasions, it took close to 10 minute to acquire satellite signal. The 7200T took less than 5 minutes to acquire satellite signal from the cold boot. The entering address for destination was easy and convenient with the auto complete feature. The Voice Entry had some problem with certain street names but was overall accurate and very useful. The overall routing was accurate with no unnecessary routing. The preloaded map was very up to date with exception of few new roads that were not listed during the routing. The rerouting algorithm was spot on as well. Overall, the 7200T is good improvement over the 2100 in terms of reliability and accuracy.

Battery life

The battery life is rated at 2 hour and it was pretty good estimation of real life usage. While 2 hour seems like very small, you get the car charger with the unit. You will most likely never use the unit without having it plugged into the automobile.

Features

This is feature packed GPS unit. It comes with everything the other high end GPS navigation units come with. This includes Bluetooth, text-to-speech and live traffic support. While some manufacturers charge for live traffic updates, Navigon 7200T offers free life time traffic updates for most major cities. The Voice Entry option is nice way of entering destination address with speech. While not perfect, it is better implemented than most other GPS units. Little things like Landmark view and reality view offers different way of viewing the navigation unit. Also, the Lane assistant feature shows you exactly what lane you should be at all times. The Zagat rating and reviews add another nice feature.

Expandability

The map updates are offered for purchase. On the other hand, the live traffics are included with the purchase. The SD card ensures that future upgrades are readily available.

Pros

• 4.3 inch touchscreen
• Text-to-speech
• Voice Entry
• Lane assistance
• Improved GUI
• Free traffic updates
• Cost

Cons

• Have to purchase map upgrades
• Some assembly required for mounting kit

Want to compare this model to other models? Click here to download the spreadsheet.

	Navigon 7200T 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigation with Bluetooth, Text-to-Speech, and Free Traffic Alerts List Price: $499.99 Sale Price: $649.00 Used From: $181.99 Average Rating:

	Navigon 7200T 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigation with Bluetooth, Text-to-Speech, and Free Traffic Alerts List Price: $499.99 Sale Price: $649.00 Used From: $181.99 Average Rating:

In the GPS navigation industry, Magellan sets the gold standard with their range of GPS units. From the feature-packed to the wallet-friendly, Magellan is sure to offer a GPS solution for the needs of every driver. Unlike flashy systems, the Roadmate 1430 is a no-nonsense navigation unit guaranteed to get any driver from point A to point B.

Aesthetics

With a non-descript all-black design, the Roadmate 1430 fits perfectly with nearly any interior. In addition, the flat-black case is resistant to fingerprints. Plenty of real estate is available as the 1430 comes with a 4.3” color touch screen with WQVGA resolution to pick out the smallest details. While some devices may use a wide array of physical buttons, the 1430 is limited to a single power button; every function performed via the screen.

Durability

The Roadmate 1430 uses the Centality AtlasIII chipset, a well-designed platform that performs very similar to the higher-end SiRF StarIII GPS framework. While the AtlasIII may suffer from the occasional recalculation, glitches are rarely noticeable. During our tests in urban traffic and bad weather, the unit provided excellent routes and did so relatively rapidly. We also tested the device against the Garmin nuvi 660, and found that the nuvi acquired its initial position slightly faster.
Any GPS unit is only as good as its mounting system and the Roadmate 1430 leaves nothing to chance. While the mount is hand-operated, we found the GPS unit was held securely. In addition, the unit did not vibrate when we took it on the freeway.

Battery Life

The battery life on the 1430 is decent, coming in at 3 hours. However, this isn’t a big issue given the unit is packaged with a car adaptor for continuous use. The Roadmate 1430 also lacks media-playback capabilities, so this limited charge will go farther. For those who want media playback, the Magellan Maestro line is well-suited to the task.

Features

Even though the 1430 doesn’t have the bells and whistles associated with higher-end models, the features offered with this unit are sure to improve overall user satisfaction. Perhaps the most useful feature offered on the 1430 is the text-to-speech capability. While most units mutilate names and locations, the Roadmate is able to synthesize speech in a natural, easy-to-understand fashion. Unfortunately, the speaker can be tinny, especially when the volume is turned up.

The live traffic feature is a new feature to the 1430. To receive updates, the device uses an FM transmitter to relay the information over the Radio Data System. The FM Radio Data System is the same platform used to send station IDs and song information. Each unit comes with three free months of service and regular price is $39.99. If an alert is sent out, the device will display detailed information and offer a choice to reroute and avoid the problem. However, we noticed a number of times when the device displayed false alerts.

When it comes to finding a restaurant or gas station, the 1430 is sure to please with its database of six million points of interest (POI). On top of this, the unit has an exit POI feature that shows points of interest at highway exits.

Expansion

The Magellan Roadmate 1430 can be updated annually for a fee. Due to the long update time, road changes can become an issue. For those who want current data, TomTom offers updates on a much more frequent basis.

Pros

• Quick startup time
• Fast routing engine
• Slim design
• Arrival time updates on-the-fly
• Multi-destination routing
• Route exclusion capability
• 3D rendering of upcoming turns

Cons

• No voice recognition
• QuickSpell not included on POI searches
• Daytime screen persists in menus while in night-mode
• False traffic alerts

Want to compare this model to other Magellan models? Click here to download Excel spreadsheet.

	Magellan RoadMate 1430 4.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator with Traffic List Price: $449.99 Sale Price: Too low to display Used From: $79.99 Average Rating:

A leader in the field of navigation, Harmon Kardon continues to impress with its unique, powerful line of GPS units. Offering a wide range of functions from the flashy to the necessary, most of the devices in Harmon’s lineup are a joy to use. However, we were slightly disappointed with the 310, a no-frills device geared towards the budget-conscious.

A Dull Window

The Harmon Karmon GPS 310 starts out with a 4-inch color WQVGA (480 x 272) resolution touch screen display. The color left a lot to be desired, as we found ourselves occasionally having to discern among reds, yellows, and oranges.
The unit enclosure is designed fairly well, roughly one-half inch thick, or slightly thicker than the average Smartphone or PDA. This discouraged us from carrying the device in a pocket, but any spills in the car were easily tolerated. There are no buttons on the device save for a recessed power switch on the top. We were impressed by the display brightness setting mounted as jog wheel on the top of the unit, rather than having to manipulate it via the menu interface.

Battery Life: Decent!

The 310 features a five-hour lithium-ion battery, and is in fact able to run for that amount of time at the lowest brightness setting. However, the 310 is geared towards multimedia which can cut down the time to a couple hours when playing music. In addition, the unit lacks a sleep or low power setting. In most cases though, the battery has little impact given the continual use of a car adaptor.

Ease of Use: Needs a Facelift

The interface may seem easy to use at first, given the main menu is divided into four quadrants. However, the uniform quadrant background color (gray) and small font did lead us to make a wrong decision every so often. Each menu was designed in a similar manner as well.
Another drawback was the main screen or home key. The Harmon Kardon 310 labels this button “Source,” causing unneeded confusion. It would have been better if “Home” had simply been used. However, we did find that the transitions between menus and map zoom were fast and reliable. On other units, the animation would hang, requiring a reboot of the device.

Performance: Not Bad

In any GPS navigation system, the goal is to get the user from point A to B as efficiently and quickly as possible. The Harmon Kardon 310 offers the option to navigate by point of interest (such as a gas station), address, postal code, or intersection. The 310 also offers the ability to avoid certain portions of a route, including borders, toll roads, ferries, and unpaved roads.
Once a destination has been selected, the unit offers a few options: shortest distance, maximum freeway use, etc. Should you miss a turn or exit the unit will automatically reroute and set you back on track. The rerouting algorithms worked well and so did the GPS chipset.

Features: Needs Improvement

The 310 uses a text-to-speech engine to relay the directions via voice, but we found that the tone was unnatural and difficult to understand at times. Besides acting as GPS, the 310 includes a multimedia player, but this was also disappointing. The software is only able to play MP3s and the device itself has no internal storage, just an SD card slot.

Few Benefits

• Fast rerouting system
• Smooth menu transitions
• Unit thickness enables it to withstand jolts and bumps

Disappointments

• Unnatural text-to-speech
• Limited multimedia player
• Difficult user interface
• “Source” rather than “Home” button

Want to compare this model to other H.K models? Click here to download Excel spreadsheet.

Garmin navigational equipment has led countless drivers through unfamiliar territory with an unwavering reliability and performance rarely seen in other models. The premier Garmin GPS unit line is the nuvi, currently with over a dozen models to choose from. Today, we reviewed the nuvi 650, a device for the value-minded consumer eager to participate in a share of the bells and whistles.

What a View!

The Garmin nuvi 650 has a 4.3-inch display for easy viewing of maps, photos, and directions in brilliant color. The touchscreen is also easy to view in the sunlight, great for summer driving. Always committed to design, the device is enrobed in a sleek silver exterior that fits well in most cars.

Tough Enough for You?

The nuvi 650 was a supremely durable device in our tests. Rarely will the unit suffer from a lock-up or wild miscalculation, but it can happen on occasion. During normal use, the unit will sync up with the satellites very rapidly, but will occasionally slow down and take a minute or two to complete the process. This is due to the SiRF StarIII chipset, the gold standard among GPS units.
Routing is performed expertly on this device, able to avoid certain routes (such as highways or toll bridges) and rerouting is performed on-the-fly in the event of a missed turn.

Power in the Palm of Your Hand

The battery life on the nuvi 650 is exceptional, with a maximum of 7 hours. However, this could get drained fairly quickly with the built-in media player and varying brightness settings. Even still, the included car adaptor renders the battery unnecessary.

Smooth as Silk

The nuvi 650 comes with an easy-to-use interface that clearly illustrates any upcoming turns, while the arrival timer is highlighted in bold in the bottom-left corner and the distance notifications in the bottom-right. Don’t like getting confused by ambiguous icons? When on the main map menu, the nuvi 650 allows users to set a customized car icon to better identify their vehicle on the screen.

Look at All the Features!

While the nuvi 650 is a fit for even the discerning budget, the feature selection is comparable to a high-end unit. For starters, the 650 is preloaded with City Navigator NT street maps with over six million points of interest. Users can also load the device with custom points, including red-light cameras and school zones. In addition to custom POI settings, the device also features Garmin Lock, an anti-theft feature to provide that extra layer of security. For the connected individual, the nuvi 650 comes with optional real-time traffic updates via FM transmission. This will provide immediate data for upcoming construction as well.

Media buff? The nuvi 650 comes with a host of media playback options. Indulge with the MP3 player, Audible player, and JPEG viewer. Travel internationally? The unit even has a built-in currency converter.

Expansion: It’s Getting Bigger!

The Garmin nuvi 650 can be updated routinely with the latest maps from the Garmin website for a small fee. In addition, users can purchase add-on SD cards, known as “Garmin Travel Guides” to provide detailed information on attractions and specific locations.

Pros

• Expansion capability via SD cards
• Six million point of interest (POI) database
• Ability to add custom points of interest
• Media player
• SiRF StarIII chipset
• Currency converter
• On-the-fly rerouting
• Big 4.3-inch screen
• Customized car icons for easy screen navigation

Cons

• Battery life can be impacted by media player usage
• Occasional lockups or freezes
• Occasional slow down in satellite synchronization

Want to compare this model to other Nuvi models? Click here to download the spreadsheet.

	Gilsson 12V Cigarette Lighter Adapter for Garmin GPS Nuvi 650 660 750 755 760 765 775 885 855 850 Zumo StreetPilot C550 List Price: $24.95 Sale Price: Too low to display Average Rating:

TomTom is the biggest manufacturer of personal GPS navigation units. As such, TomTom has variety of models to choose from. TomTom 130S is an upgrade to the popular entry level model TomTom 130. The 130S adds text-to-speech feature on top of all the features present on the TomTom 130.

Screen

TomTom 130S features the same screen from the 130 model. The 3.5 inch touchscreen is smaller than most mainstream units. The screen size was intentionally reduced to make the unit as portable as possible. The crisp display makes up for the diminutive screen size. The screen is legible in any light and performs very well under bright sun light.

Ease of Use (User friendly)

As with other TomTom models, the 130S has extremely easy to use interface. The device is ready to use right out of the box. The user interface is very intuitive and requires few taps from start to finish. There's no need to run updates or installation as all the necessary maps and software comes pre-loaded. The fold out mount is extremely easy to set up. You can share this unit between vehicles as the fold out mount makes it possible to share the GPS unit.

Reliability

The route calculation is very accurate. It's easy to enter POI or address as destination. The text-to-speech is very clear and easy to understand. The route recalculation had no problem after missing an exit on highway. Also, missing a turn in street navigation gave good route recalculation. It did not just ask to make random U turns. The unit took less than 5 minute for initial satellite acquisition. I had no problem with signal loss.

Battery Life

TomTom rates the battery life at 3 hours. My unit average well below 3 hours. The actual battery life depends on the usage. You might get closer to 3 hours.

Features

The TomTom 130S comes with great many features. TomTom 130S features QuickGPSfix which allows the unit to acquire satellite faster. TomTom offers life traffic via optional TMC receiver. Also, TomTom offers latest map guarantee which allows for free map update if your map is not the latest version. The device also comes with TomTom Home software. TomTom home allows for customization of the maps and POI database. Also, you can send addresses from Google Maps or Mapquest to your TomTom device via your computer. As with other TomTom units, you can download custom voices

Expandability

TomTom continually updates their software and the map. The map upgrades and various other services cost extra money.

Pros

• Good screen clarity
• Text-to-speech
• Fast GPS fix
• Current map and POI
• TomTom Home software
• Friendly user interface
• "Help Me!" feature
• Traffic capable
• Accurate direction
• Good reroute recalculation

Cons

• Small screen size
• Low volume
• Optional costs
• Cost

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