The GPS Store's Guide to Automotive GPS units

There are two different types of Automotive GPS products, Stand Alone auto navigation and PC/PDA based systems.  There are no subscription or monthly fees that are associated with the use of GPS or the GPS satellites.  However there are GPS systems that have other optional features and services that may require a subscription or monthly fee. Examples of those services are real time traffic, real time weather reports and satellite radio.

• Stand Alone Navigation systems
  • Entry Level Navigation systems
  • Advanced Navigation systems
  • Fully Loaded Navigation systems
  • Multi-Purpose Navigation systems
  • Europe Navigation systems
• The PC/PDA based systems

Stand Alone Navigation systems

Stand Alone Navigation systems have the ability to give verbal turn-by-turn directions without the need to be constantly connected to a PC.   These units come Pre-loaded with detailed maps for different regions of the North America and Europe.  These units will provide spoken turn-by-turn directions as well as visual prompts to any address or Point of Interest that is located in the detailed maps that have been loaded to the unit's memory. Below we have broken down the units into several categories that help group the units that have similar features.

Entry Level Navigation Systems- Entry level GPS navigation systems are going to be units that do not have all the bells and whistles. Some of the following systems have mapping for just the lower 48 states and some have all of North America. You may also find that their database of points of interest are not as complete as the more expensive systems.

	Magellan RoadMate 1200- Designed for simple, efficient and reliable vehicle navigation, the affordable Magellan RoadMate 1200 offers full navigation function and an amazingly easy and uncluttered interface. Unlike other navigation devices with complicated lists that require scrolling through menus you can find virtually anywhere in seconds without reading the instructions.
	Magellan Maestro 3200- This new series provides full navigation capability with built-in maps of the 48 contiguous United States and 1.3 million preprogrammed points of interest. It is now an even slimmer design at only 17.8 mm thick and just 82.5 mm tall. Mapping coverage is for the 48 contiguous sates, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
	TomTom ONE 130- With a new streamlined design which includes the new "EasyPort" mount this dependable 3.5" automobile gps with full mapping for the U.S. and Canada is a step ahead of the competition in design and performance at a lower cost.
	Garmin Nuvi 205- Portable and affordable, the Nuvi 205 is your personal travel assistant for life on the go, this navigator leads the way with turn-by-turn directions and optional MSN Direct services to get you there on time and keep you informed. It's packed with millions of destinations and maps for the contiguous U.S.
	Magellan RoadMate 1400- Uniquely stylish, with a 4.3" wide-format, full color interactive touch screen and an ultra-thin design. If you want to stay on the freeway, avoid freeways, travel the shortest distance or arrive in the quickest time, your Magellan RoadMate enables you to navigate the way you want. Built in maps of the continental U.S., Hawaii and Puerto Rico, plus 1.3 million pre-programmed Points of Interest make it easy to travel the country.
	Garmin Nuvi 205W- Portable, affordable and wide, nuvi 205W is your personal travel assistant for life on the go. This navigator leads the way with turn-by-turn directions and optional MSN Direct services to get you there on time and keep you informed. It's packed with millions of destinations and maps for the contiguous U.S.
	TomTom XL 330- A great unit that provides full mapping for the U.S. and Canada with a 4.3" screen. This redesign of the TomTom ONE XL and its vastly improved mounting system is a sound navigational aid at a very reasonable price.

Advanced Navigation Systems- Advanced vehicle navigation systems are units that have additional features to the standard pre-loaded maps and voice directions. These units generally have detailed maps of North America and an extensive amount of POIs. Other features that you will find in some of these models will be Text-to-speech routing which verbally speaks the name of the street that you are turning onto, Bluetooth technology, real-time traffic capability, and MP3 players.

	TomTom ONE 130s- Value in a great new design for a 3.5" screen that offers U.S. and Canadian mapping and "Text to Speech" this unit from TomTom offers outstanding value and performance for an economical price. This is a no frills gps that just performs.
	Garmin Nuvi 255- This affordable navigator leads the way with voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names and optional MSN Direct services to get you there on time and keep you informed. It's packed with millions of destinations and maps for North America.
	Magellan RoadMate 1412- For the budget conscious a 4.3" touch screen with complete mapping for the U.S. and Canada with the expanded 6 million points of interest, and text to speech. The Smart Detour feature actually prompts you to route around heavy or stopped freeway traffic. It even spell checks your entry of addresses.
	TomTom XL 330S- Text to Speech, 4.3" screen, mapping for the U.S. and Canada, not much more a non-technical person would need. The unit functions flawlessly in providing accurate driving directions to your destination.
	Garmin Nuvi 255W- Go wide and get peace of mind with nuvi 255W. This affordable, widescreen navigator leads the way with voice prompted turn-by-turn directions that speak street names and optional MSN Direct services to get you there on time and keep you informed. It's packed with millions of destinations and maps for North America.
	TomTom 730 - Tom Tom continues to improve the line, and the addition of the 730 is certainly in line with what has been going on. BlueTooth, Text to Speech, 4.3" touch screen, a high sensitivity receiver, plus the redesigned mounting system continue to build on the platform of the older 720.
	Garmin Nuvi 750- Sleek and wide, nuvi 750 leads the way with advanced navigation features, a colorful widescreen display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter, a travel kit and more. Like the rest of the wide nuvi 700-series, its premium navigation capabilities, like route planning and a handy locator, give you peace of mind on the go.
	Garmin Zumo 450 - The Garmin Zumo units are designed and made specifically for motorcycles. The Zumo 450 offers pre-loaded maps of North America; 3.5" touch screen display, large buttons for use with gloves and buttons on the left side. The Zumo 450 includes the motorcycle mount.
	Garmin Nuvi 755T- A definite enhanced version of the earlier 700 series Nuvis. The Nuvi 755T comes with all the features you have been accustomed too, like Full mapping, text to speech, 4.3 inch screen, and the Where Am I feature. Add to it the new Lane assist, Bluetooth and Photo navigation and here is a feature packed gps.

Fully Loaded Navigation -. The systems that appear in the fully loaded section are units that are able to receive premium services in addition to your standard features. The premium services include real-time traffic alerts, MSN Direct service, and XM radio, these service come with a trial period but require a monthly or yearly subscription. Real Time traffic units are able to receive traffic alerts in select cities across the country and the GPS unit will route you around those delays. MSN direct works similar to the real-time traffic, but adds real-time fuel prices, real-time weather, and current movie showings. The units that are XM ready require the purchase of a GXM-31 antenna. These units are able to receive XM radio, as well as real-time traffic and weather.

	Sanyo EasyStreet 4370- From a recognized leader in navigation technology solutions, SANYO's Easy Street NVM-4370 offers the latest features like BlueTooth, Traffic, MPEG and JPEG player and Viewer plus a Video Input for Rear View Cameras and other Video Sources add a user friendly interface to make your life on the go enjoyable and convenient.
	Garmin Nuvi 265T- This unit crosses the line for features at a very reasonable price. Text to Speech, Traffic, BlueTooth and its a Garmin. 3.5 inch display, completely touch screen this gps is value priced and full of all the hi-tech goodies todays consumer is looking for.
	Garmin Nuvi 265WT- A great value in a large screen that provides features found in much more expensive units. This gps offers you text to speech, 4.3 inch screen, integrated traffic receiver, and bluetooth, for hands free cell phone communication. It also offers the "Where Am I" features that will display your location, Hospitals, Police, and Fuel.
	Garmin Zumo 550 - The Garmin Zumo units are designed and made specifically for motorcycles first. The Zumo 550 has all the same great features as the 450, but adds Bluetooth Technology, Tex-to-speech routing, and XM Radio capabilities. The Zumo 550 ships with complete Automotive and Motorcycle mounts.
	Magellan Maestro 4350- The new OneTouch from Magellan is loaded with features like, BlueTooth, Text to Speech, full Mapping, 3D mode, Smart Detour, QuickSpell, Lane Guidance. Now add to it a resyled slimmer Maestro design with the ability to customize the menu with your own preferences you now have the capability to set up a gps to display just the options you wish to see.
	Magellan Maestro 5130- The latest entry with a 5" screen, Magellan's Maestro 5130 shows you more. The bigger display means larger fonts and easier to read buttons, helping to simplify the user interface. The full color, anti-glare 5" display is viewable in any lighting condition. The Maestro 5310 is not all about the big display; it has a boat load of other features. Included is a Magellan FM traffic receiver for real time traffic updates.(Subscription required, available in limited cites) With the traffic subscription the Maestro 5310 will keep you out of any delays or traffic tie-ups and even road construction.
	Garmin Nuvi 760- Loaded and wide, Nuvi 760 has it all; advanced navigation features, a widescreen display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter, hands-free calling, traffic alerts and more. Like the rest of the wide nuvi 700-series, its premium navigation capabilities, like route planning and a handy locator, give you peace of mind on the go.
	Garmin Nuvi 765T- Now we go really upscale in a gps. Top of the line verbal, text to speech directions now add to it lane guidance, 3D building views, and photo navigation it just gets easier and easier to find your desination. It is still loaded as a bluetooth gps, with traffic and Where Am I like earlier 700 series gps.
	Garmin Nuvi 850- nuvi 850 not only tells you where to turn but listens to your spoken commands. With nuvi's innovative speech recognition, you safely control nuvi's interface with your voice - allowing you to keep both hands on the wheel. Simply press the button on the remote (which attaches to the steering wheel) to activate speech recognition and begin speaking menu options. nuvi even recognizes shortcut phrases for popular functions. Tell nuvi "Find Address" and speak an address to start navigating.
	Garmin Nuvi 5000- Get big-time navigation and mapping with the large screen nuvi 5000. This super-sized navigator is designed for RV and truck drivers and gives a big picture of the route ahead without obstructing your view. It features a whopping 5.2 inch display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter and lots of entertainment features for fun on the open road.
	Garmin Nuvi 780-Go wide and get MSN Direct with nuvi 780. This navigator has it all, advanced navigation features, a widescreen display, preloaded maps, an FM transmitter and hands-free calling, plus real-time local weather, traffic, movie times, stock information, gas prices and news and local events.
	Garmin Nuvi 785T- The new bad boy in the 700 series. Here is a list of just some of the 785Ts features, Text to Speech, BlueTooth, Full mapping, Where Am I feature, 3D building views, Lane Assist, Photo Navigation, Route Avoidance planning, and now add the MSN Traffic Receiver that comes with it and you have a top of the line gps that will last for years and still give you quality directions to your destinations.
	Garmin Nuvi 880-Speak commands and get on-demand travel info from MSN Direct with nuvi 880. This widescreen navigator features speech recognition (SR), preloaded maps, hands-free calling and an FM transmitter - plus real-time local weather, traffic, movie times, gas prices, stock information, local news and events.
	Garmin Streetpilot 7200- The Streetpilot 7200 is considered the top of the line in the Garmin Automotive line. The 7200 features a 7-inch diagonal display. You have the option for XM Radio and XM Weather with the optional GXM-30 receiver. This same receiver is capable of traffic updates as well. (Both services require subscription.) The Streetpilot 7200 will come equipped with an AV port for a video, SD card slot for additional storage and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Not to be overlooked the 7200 will provide turn by turn directions with Text to Speech, there is also a remote control to program the gps without removing it from its mount.

Multi-Purpose Navigation -. The units in this category will not only provide turn-by-turn directions, they can also be used in different applications. We have some units that have marine functions and other units that can be used outdoors, hunting or hiking.

	Garmin Quest- The Garmin Quest is the smallest and least expensive turn-by-turn system with voice guidance. The Quest is a handheld GPS with a color screen and the capabilities of the larger units. The 115 megabytes of memory will hold on average 2-3 states of detailed maps. It can also run Garmin's Topo and Bluechart software.
	Lowrance XOG- The Lowrance XOG is an innovative unit that has the features of 3 different GPS units in One. It is great for Auto, Marine and hiking. Pre-loaded street maps, downloadable Marine and topo maps, make this unit unique. The XOG also plays MP3 and has a photo viewer.
	Garmin Nuvi 500- Gone are the days of the Crossover we are now entering into the new Hybrid world take it anywhere the Nuvi 500 features driving, walking, bicycling and boating modes which customize your nuvi specifically for your method of travel, it also includes preloaded U.S. topographic maps and accepts optional mapping for all of your outdoor adventures. Conveniently plug in BlueChart g2 Vision and Inland Lakes Vision marine maps on a microSD card for a great day on the water. The user-replaceable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets nuvi navigate you on roads or off.
	Garmin Nuvi 550- Adding on the Nuvi 500's versatility the Nuvi 550 comes with mapping for the U.S. and Canada. This portable hybrid combines the advanced navigation features and large, color display found in automotive units with the durability of an outdoor handheld. Sleek and slim, you can slip nüvi 550 into your pocket or backpack. The user-replaceable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery lets nüvi navigate you on roads or off.
	Garmin 478C- The 478C is the perfect package for Coastal boating/angling and automobile navigation. The 478C has a 3.8" display and comes preloaded with City Navigator NT detailed street maps of the United States and Canada as well as the Bluechart data for the coastal US and Great Lakes. The 478 also has XM Weather and Radio capabilities with the optional GXM-30 receiver.

Europe Navigation - The systems that are located in the Europe Navigation category include detailed maps and points of interest for both North America and Europe. There are systems that represent our entry level, advanced and fully loaded categories. These systems are great for users that often travel to Europe.

	Garmin Nuvi 270- The A step above the Nuvi 250, the Garmin Nuvi 270 comes pre-loaded with the Garmin Mapsource City Navigator software for all of North America, as well as the available Europe detail. The Nuvi 270 offers all the same great features as the 250.
	TomTom 930 - an improved version of the 920 and similarily featured with a better mounting system, better graphics, and their new "Advanced Lane Guidance" system that simplifies the old question of "What lane do I need to be In?". Being able to see your estimated time of arrival based on the speed you are travelling is a nice feature too.
	Garmin Nuvi 275T- A new lower cost entry into the Transatlantic navigation market. This compact unit comes with Text to Speech, BlueTooth, and an integrated traffic receiver. It offers Navteq mapping for the U.S. Canada and Europe. The Nuvi 275T also offers the Garmin Locate feature that, by touching the screen on your location, gives you the latitude and longitude and elevation of your position plus the nearest hospitals, police stations, gas stations, as well as the nearest address and intersection.
	Garmin Nuvi 775T- All the standard features like full mapping, text to speech, Garmin locate, plus their new Lane Assist that guides you into the proper lane. New 3-D building Views and Photo Navigation to geotagged photos. There is also a headphone jack/ audio line-out feature not present in some earlier models. This compact Transatlantic beauty will give you dependable navigation assistance on two continents for years to come.
	Garmin Nuvi 770- More maps and wide there's simply more to see with nuvi 770. This personal travel assistant is packed with preloaded maps for North America and Europe, not to mention advanced navigation features, a widescreen display, an FM transmitter, hands-free calling, traffic alerts and more. Like the rest of the wide nuvi 700-series, its premium navigation capabilities, like route planning and a handy locator, give you peace of mind on the go.

The PC/PDA based systems

The PC/PDA based GPS systems like the Garmin GPS 10 Deluxe, Garmin Mobile 10 and 20, Garmin Mobile PC and the DeLorme Earthmate will require a PC, SmartPhone or PDA (Palm/Windows CE device) to guide you.  The PC/PDA products are packages that include both a GPS Receiver and mapping software.  The antenna will use the PC/PDA as its source of power, while the receiver will provide the GPS signal to the PC/PDA. The software will then use that information to show your current location and will contain detailed maps of the United States and major highways throughout Canada.  PC/PDA systems will provide vocal directions via the PC/PDA's speakers. In addition, most of the PC/PDA systems can also re-calculate your directions if you make an incorrect turn.   These systems are recommended for people that already use a Laptop or PDA regularly.

	Delorme Earthmate & Garmin Mobile PC- Laptop systems that are great for a first time user or beginner.  They both include advanced capabilities at a low price.
	Garmin Mobile 10x Bluetooth- Add wireless navigation to your Bluetooth-enabled laptop, smartphone, Pocket PC or PDA with Garmin Mobile 10. The Mobile 10 is Bluetooth GPS tha is wireless, the package includes a portable receiver along with navigation and map software.
	Garmin Mobile 20 - Make your smartphone even smarter with Garmin Mobile 20 a GPS and Bluetooth wireless package that includes a phone mount and datacard with plug-and-play maps and navigation software.