Dear Tom and Ray:
Do the different car companies offer GPS units that give different styles of navigation? I have a 2013 Nissan Rogue and have used the factory-installed GPS, but I find that it gives strange directions. I've tried changing the route selection to "economy," "shortest" and "quickest," to no avail. I never had this problem with my brand-name portable GPS. Please help.
- Susie
TOM: Different manufacturers absolutely use different GPS systems, and some are much better than others. The maps themselves, the software they use to operate and the user interfaces all are different.
RAY: Traditionally, the built-in GPS systems were the best. They're well-integrated into the car, they override the sound system when necessary, and they're usually displayed on a large screen.
TOM:The biggest disadvantage of the factory-installed systems is that they've been very expensive. So lots of people opted instead to buy portable, stand-alone GPS units that could be attached to the windshield with a suction-cup-based mount. These are made by companies like TomTom, Garmin and Magellan.
RAY: These portable units cost as little as $100, and they vary in quality, too. But a good one with a larger screen, like the highly rated Garmin 3490 or 3450, can be had for a few hundred dollars.
TOM: So a few carmakers, especially on some of their less-expensive models, decided to do what consumers were doing. Instead of installing the more-expensive, larger, integrated units, they incorporated these cheaper, smaller, less-sophisticated GPS boxes. That's what you got in your Rogue, Susie. You got a cheap little GPS.
RAY: A final option on the market now is your smartphone. A lot of people are abandoning GPS units altogether now in favor of their phones. Google Maps, which is available for free on most smartphones, generally provides excellent directions. In general, though, these days we'd recommend a highly rated portable unit for most people. So if you're not happy with the cheap GPS system that came with the Rogue, Susie, just don't use it. Buy one of the Garmin Nuvi 3000 series (or 2400 series) units from someplace that gives you 30 days to return it, and try it out. If you don't like it, try another one. Happy navigating!
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