You can’t put a price on being in the place at the right time. With this in mind, Exec picks the best GPS units to get you from A to B
By Rebecca Waters
Bushnell NAV500
The NAV 500 is Bushnell’s first entry into the GPS market and it fares pretty well. This mid-tier unit offers many features found on other navigation devices in its class such as a 3.5 inch touch screen display, pre-installed maps of the USA and Canada, and an MP3 player. Unfortunately, some of these extras fall a bit short – the music player works, but it’s no iPod. On the whole, a solid effort, and one that is satisfyingly easy to use.
price: from $371.79
Buy from www.amazon.com
Magellan Maestro 4250
Thinner and lighter than the Magellan 4050, the new Maestro 4250 definitely stands out from the pack. Still an uncommon feature, voice command is well implemented if somewhat limited, although it does feel slightly bizarre saying “Magellan” in order to switch it on. Elsewhere, the unit scores well across the field, with text-to-speech directions working particularly well, and a widescreen with auto night-dimmer which provides a sharp and clear picture. Overall a reasonably priced, easy-to-use unit packed with features.
price: from $235
Buy from www.amazon.com
Panasonic CN-GP50U Strada
This offering from Panasonic manages to cram a huge amount of data onto its enormous five inch display, including current speed and time to destination, as well as a gratifyingly large map area. Despite this, the CN-GP50U lets itself down slightly when it comes to extras. There’s a built-in Bluetooth to pair with a phone and a photo viewer, but no MP3 player and a TMC unit must be picked up separately for traffic information.
price: $485.69
Buy from www.amazon.com
TomTom GO 920 T (pictured)
TomTom’s new device is fairly similar to the GO 720, but well worth the re-investment. Ignoring the hefty price tag, its scope is as comprehensive as you could wish for – it includes 4GB of internal storage, with complete maps of 41 countries in Europe, the US and Canada preloaded. The ultra-slim unit also features a Bluetooth remote control, TomTom’s new enhanced positioning technology (EPT) and a new metallic design, which, although not strictly necessary, looks very classy indeed.
price: from $467.72
Buy from www.amazon.com
Garmin Nuvi 770
It’s definitely not the cheapest option, but the Nuvi 770 manages to keep the ultra-slim and streamlined form of the 2XX series while combining it with a vivid 4.3 inch widescreen display. It also includes a selection of pre-loaded transatlantic maps that suits it well to frequent travelers, as well as those who want a system that won’t be obsolete in a couple of months.
Also, while the menu system is simple and well laid out, the sheer volume and depth of information and functions is staggering – if you’re the type of person who likes top of the range models with lots of features (and you know you are) then there is very little to complain about.
price: from $532.95
Buy from www.amazon.com
Navigon 7100
Though it comes at a premium, the sleek 7100 does have some unique features, including five Zagat destination guides, text-to-speech functionality and an integrated traffic receiver with subscription-free traffic service. One of the biggest disappointments however, is the touch screen – it’s not very responsive and slow to respond to input. Other than this, it’s an impressive piece of kit with some handy navigation tools.
price: from $284.95
Buy from www.amazon.com
Click here to view Sat-Nav review
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