Best GPS Buys
When searching for an in-car GPS device, you don't have to spend a fortune to get a good product. Prices on these navigation aids have dropped dramatically in the past year, but even so, some offer better deals than others. Take these five portable navigation systems, for example. For the GPS newbie, the TomTom One and the Mio DigiWalker C230 offer the essential navigation tools and excellent performance at an affordable price point. As an added bonus, they include some nice extras, such as the option to add traffic services on the TomTom One and text-to-speech functionality on the C230.
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1. TomTom One
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The good: The TomTom One features a sleek design and is simple to use. It offers accurate text- and voice-guided directions and is affordably priced.
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The bad: The TomTom One's points-of-interest database is a bit outdated and doesn't support text-to-speech functionality.
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The bottom line: Offering just the navigation essentials and accurate directions, the TomTom One is an affordable and easy-to-use in-car GPS device for first-time buyers or anyone who wants a no-frills nav system, all of which makes it one of the best GPS buys.
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2. Mio C520 Navigation Receiver
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The good: The Mio C520 GPS device offers a thin and sleek design with a spacious touchscreen. The system also has text-to-speech functionality, integrated Bluetooth and multimedia capabilities.
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The bad: The C520 was slightly off the mark when tracking our location and route recalculations weren't always efficient. In addition, the Bluetooth and multimedia features are slightly limited in functionality.
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The bottom line: The sleek Mio C520 is a good-value GPS device, packing in advanced navigation features, a large screen and other extras for an affordable price. However, you can get a better user experience and smoother performance from competing systems.
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3. Magellan Maestro 3100
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The good: The Magellan Maestro 3100 has a simple and compact design, and it offers the navigation basics at an affordable price.
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The bad: The system froze on a couple of occasions and route recalculations can sometimes be slow. It's also difficult to remove the device from the vehicle mount.
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The bottom line: The Magellan Maestro 3100 is an affordable, simple and basic portable navigation system for first-time buyers, but you can get better performance from other similar systems.
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4. Mio DigiWalker C230
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The good: The Mio DigiWalker C230 portable navigation system offers text-to-speech functionality and an affordable price tag. Its screen is much improved over its predecessor's.
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The bad: The onscreen keyboard is a bit cramped and we wish there was an easier way to adjust the volume.
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The bottom line: With an improved display and the addition of text-to-speech functionality, the Mio DigiWalker C230 is a solid and affordable entry-level portable navigation system for newbies, which is a boon for its entry on our list of best GPS buys.
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5. Garmin Nuvi 660
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The good: The Garmin Nuvi 660 offers an accurate GPS receiver, text-to-speech functionality and traffic capabilities. The versatile system also features a gorgeous display, integrated Bluetooth, travel tools, and multimedia functions.
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The bad: The device is expensive and there are no external volume controls. The system also doesn't support multi-destination route creation.
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The bottom line: If you can afford the hefty price tag, the Garmin Nuvi 660 is a solid-performing and versatile GPS device that offers all the navigation basics, tools for the world traveler, Bluetooth, and more.
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