GPS Navigation
System
Aftermarket companies that offer in-car GPS navigation systems that fit into the dashboard include Alpine, Pioneer, Kenwood, Clarion and Dash Navigation. Some companies that offer portable GPS units that can be taken from car-to-car include TomTom, Garmin and Magellan.
The companies listed above are all well-regarded and their products are safe to consider. Considering systems offered by all of these companies will give you a good selection of both permanently mounted in-car systems and portable systems. The prices can range from as little as $100 to thousands of dollars.
In general, you will want a system that offers these features:
- Voice Prompts
- Real Time Tracking
- Real Time Traffic Reports
- Alternative Route Calculation
- Millions of Points of Interests
- A good size monitor or screen
- An easy way to input data
- Ability to receive downloaded updates
The points of interest refer to historical sites, businesses, restaurants, gas stations, etc.
Other things to consider are reliability and monthly fees for the system.
The place to start is to visit the websites of the major manufacturers of GPS systems, such as the ones mentioned earlier. Carefully read the features of each of the units those manufacturers offer and print out the descriptions so that you can compare them with units made by other manufacturers.
Once you have decided on a number of units you want to take a look at, visit specialty retail stores that carry those products. These stores should have GPS navigation products accessible for testing. Don’t be afraid to play with each unit to determine which is most comfortable for you to use. Also, if the system you are considering is mounted into the dash of your car, take the salesperson and installer to your car and discuss with him the location in which the unit will be mounted. If the unit is a portable, discuss with the salesperson the best places on which to mount the unit. These units include a suction cup or other contraption that will mount the portable securely to the top of the dashboard or to the windshield. Make certain that the unit fits properly in that location and does not block your view of the road and yet is still easy enough for you to refer to.
After you have visited all the stores and tried out each unit, then decide on the product you want to buy. When making your final decision be aware that these products are becoming more sophisticated over a short period of time. So it is important to pick a unit that has the ability to download updates so that your product doesn’t quickly become obsolete.
