I have many people asking me what kind of GPS they should get.  So I have put together a little crash course and some tips on how to choose the right one for you.

Function:

Text to speech: it’s the ability to pronounce the name out loud while doing navigation. So instead of say turn left here, turn right there (for some reason, we always miss the turn), it tells you “turn right on main steet in next 20 meters” only higher end models have this function, but I think it’s definitely worth the money

Ease of Use:

Some brand tends to pack many functions in the GPS and give you many many ways to pick a destination.  It’s a good thing – as long as it’s easy to use.  Let’s face it, when do we usually use the GPS? Unavoidably, it’s always in the car and when we are driving.  So the most important thing is to be able to press as less buttons as possible to start navigation.  So make sure you find a unit that’s VERY EASY to use a 7 year old can use it.

Maps:

2 big players in this field, doesn’t matter what company (tomtom,  garmin, magellan) they all buy maps from “Tele Atlas”, and “Navteq”.

Naveteq maps are generally more accurate in North America. Garmin and  magellan buys map from this company.

Tele atlas is more accurate in Europe, so if you do a lot of traveling in Europe, then it might be a good idea to stick with Tomtom.

Home:

Also, make sure your GPS can find where you live. The maps are said to cover 99.9% of north America. But there is always that 0.1%. And how good is it if the GPS can’t take you home.

Reliability:

From my experience, GPS rarely break down, most common problem are bad reception, or can’t turn on.

In my opinion, Garmin has least return due to malfunction. I have yet to see a truly faulty unit from Garmin in my 2 years working for Bestbuy. I think one reason is because it’s still made in Taiwan. Unlike tomtom and magellan, which are made in China.

Bluetooth:

Some higher model GPS now are equipted with bluetooth function so when someone calls you on your bluetooth enabled phone, you can pick up the phone and start talking directly from GPS.  The biggest advantage of this is you don’t have to hold the phone while you are talking anymore.  So if you do alot of talking while driving, it’s a good idea to have it.