Best GPS/NAV system for driving

[Mojoe]

Looking for the best, most accurate Nav/GPS out there. Must be portable to come out of the car. May be needed to have directions to the middle of nowhere, and yet still be able to trouble shoot traffic if needed. Looking for use in the US, for those wondering because I'm not there. I don't need to buy this right now, if someone knows of a new "awesome does it all" on coming out.

 

Please post links to what you find. I'm limited, or blocked on some sites I can open here.

 

Thanks

[GRN96WS6]

Are you against using a phone? I loved google navigation when I had my droid pro. I probably won't buy a portable GPS ever again.

 

Of the portables that are made I prefer Tom Tom and Garmin.

[Mojoe]

I'm asking this, using my iPhone4 nav along with it to double check route info. I'm also not sure I will always be in an area with cell service, therefore, I'm looking for a fall back to double check.

[1fast5gp]

All the andriod phones have a real GPS chip in them, so even when you lose cell service, you it still knows where you are. But the con is if you are using the best GPS App on the market, Google Maps Navigation. It doesn't store maps on the phone, so you would need cell reception to use it. I would get a Tom Tom, I think it is more user friendly than a Garmin and a little more accurate as well.

[Mojoe]

Talking to a few people around here, I'm hearing that TomTom is not accurate as others out there. But all hear say until I can find it proven.

[Akula]

I have used TomTom and Android phones for GPS, by far the phone kills the TomTom as it is always updated and TomTom isn't. Having said that, if you go out of range of data, the phone sucks for GPS. As far as ease of use I like the TomTom interface and flexibility for locating things (find a gas station along my route, for instance).

 

The iPhone is the device I would rate absolutely last as far as GPS navigation capability goes.

[Mojoe]

I have had good experiance with the iPhone, but certainly not able to say one way or the other to comapre to other systems. It will be with me so we will be using it. I like the input on the TomTom. keep it coming for info guys. thanks

[Snowflake]

Ive logged almost 19000 miles in the last 3 years on my $100 Garmin. It's gotten me lost a couple times but Id rather not live without it.

[Gergwheel1647545492]

I have a Garmin and the GF has a Tom Tom. I love my Garmin, all the buttons are labelled and what not. When i try to use hers i have to push the map, cause that is one of the main buttons, kind of hard to get used to that. otherwise i think they will all be the same, just make sure you get one with unlimited map updates and traffic info.

[Mojoe]

I'm tracking the the maps and traffic updates is pretty much a must. Some of the traffice updates seem to have advertisements that are annoying from what I have been reading. Any input?

[Not Brian]

My TomTom sometimes shows me as being in the middle of nowhere while driving around a new area. I don't hardly update the software online though.. so that's probably why.

[TTQ B4U]

MotionX Drive. Best out there. Easy to use, fast, integrates with contacts, saves locations and favorites, etc....and while it does use your cell service, there's an option to download your routes and related maps programed in (You can build a route of say 5 stops) all that data ahead of time.

 

I use it like this all the time. Typically as I'm having breakfast at a hotel or restaurant, I plug in my day of say 5-7 stops and pre-fetch it all. It's quite fast and takes maybe 2-3 minutes over a wifi spot.

 

No need to worry if you lose cell service. Turn by turn spoken directions is $20/yr and for the longest time they ran a $10 special...may still be running? You get 30 days of it free to check it out. The app is free too and can be used on all the devices you want. You can share the above turn by turn plan too. Don't cheap out on the few bucks as it's that good.

 

My two cents worth and me and my sales team drive 30-50k per year each and all love it. I don't even use the built in GPS in my car.

[Mojoe]

I'm not looking to plug it in and do update for route that are predetermined. This is for a rally and I will not know the areas i'm going or looking for until the morning of. So I need it to bebest info on the fly, maybe connected to a network as I go.

[CRed05]

All the andriod phones have a real GPS chip in them, so even when you lose cell service, you it still knows where you are. But the con is if you are using the best GPS App on the market, Google Maps Navigation. It doesn't store maps on the phone, so you would need cell reception to use it. I would get a Tom Tom, I think it is more user friendly than a Garmin and a little more accurate as well.

 

There is a setting in google maps that will prefetch and save the directions in case you lose cell data. It's really the best navigation I've ever used.

[Draco-REX]

I was very impressed with Google Nav on my android phone this weekend. I was driving back from MA and plugged in my destination while I was in PA to see when it thought I'd be home. I knew I was making good time so I was curious. When it calculated it said I'd be home about an hour after I thought I would. I figured it was wrong and would update as it picked up my average speed. It didn't budge. Then, sure enough, I hit snow and traffic near Cleveland.

 

Got home an hour late.

[TTQ B4U]

I figured it was wrong and would update as it picked up my average speed. It didn't budge. Then, sure enough, I hit snow and traffic near Cleveland.

 

I love and hate that about GPS units. You start off on a trip, it says 2:45hrs to destination (cool and good to know, I love it) but then you realize "oh shit" and hope that you can gain some time. (I hate that part)

 

The thing is, you then realize that even putting you driving record on the line and going 85mph, you don't really pick up that much in such a short trip because of traffic and other items out of your control and thus speeding that fast isn't usually worth it. :no:

[Draco-REX]

True. It would have been nice for it to tell me that it was basing the time on traffic instead of clear driving time like my old GPS. But now I know it'll do that.

[iwashmycar]

I absolutely hate my Garmin Nuvi. It has some odd issue with starting up and connecting to the satellites though... I usually have to pull the power chord and then replug for it to get it's bearings correct.

 

I also updated the maps and I think it is still out of date!

[ICEMAN1647545504]

I have had several of these and now I got a Navigon and it works perfectly. It even shows you a picture of the intersection before you need to turn.

[harmonda]

Crapple d-bags will never learn. Google nav or Verizon nav = win. Plus your phone is charged up when you arrive at your destination. Plus Plus...your destination won't be the Crapple store to buy yet a new slight upgrade from the cult of planned obsolescence. Rats...out of apple insults for today...damn.

[TTQ B4U]

Crapple d-bags will never learn. Google nav or Verizon nav = win. Plus your phone is charged up when you arrive at your destination. Plus Plus...your destination won't be the Crapple store to buy yet a new slight upgrade from the cult of planned obsolescence. Rats...out of apple insults for today...damn.

 

• iPhones have a slew of great GPS options just the same
  
• My phone is charged upon arrival too
  
• I'd rather have one location that offers a few solid phones that work vs a choice of a bazillion that are all different as are their OS's and have EOL'd more phones than Apple has since 2007...
  

Off to check out the next round of Android phones trying to imitate the iPhone, cross reference if my apps will be supported, Oh wait is that one isn't supported at AT&T...damn....which OS and Root do I need for this one.....what? You mean I just bought this and the next one is already out? Hey, is that a phone or a camera? What do you mean I can't just plug it in and have it look and feel just like my old one was set up? I have to customize it all over again? That's okay....I'm a techie and love that shit.

 

To each their own. Not everyone wants a techno-weeny like device.

[Tractor]

I drive as a field service tech daily with google maps via my droid x. Not sure what I did without it.

Much better than any gps unit, live traffic, construction, satellite view, can pull addresses from web browser, etc.

 

I also use a backup map that's stored on my sd card incase I'm using it beyond the range of cell service but it rarely happens unless I'm offroading.

[87GT]

Google maps for sure. Both the android and iphone version has an option to pre-cache the map if you need to. Also CoPilot Live works on my android. I bought it when they had a sale for $4.99. You download the whole map of the USA on your SD card. It is close to 2GB. Anyway it works well. I've been in rural ohio with zero cell signal and banjos playing in the background. I had no issues navigating the fuck out of there.

[CRed05]

• iPhones have a slew of great GPS options just the same
  
• My phone is charged upon arrival too
  
• I'd rather have one location that offers a few solid phones that work vs a choice of a bazillion that are all different as are their OS's and have EOL'd more phones than Apple has since 2007...
  

Off to check out the next round of Android phones trying to imitate the iPhone, cross reference if my apps will be supported, Oh wait is that one isn't supported at AT&T...damn....which OS and Root do I need for this one.....what? You mean I just bought this and the next one is already out? Hey, is that a phone or a camera? What do you mean I can't just plug it in and have it look and feel just like my old one was set up? I have to customize it all over again? That's okay....I'm a techie and love that shit.

 

To each their own. Not everyone wants a techno-weeny like device.

 

YAY! Another iphone vs android thread! My fav.

 

First of all, Android was out a WHOLE YEAR before the iphone even came out. Who had multitasking first? Who had copy/paste first? Who had a universal notification system first? who had folders first? Who had a voice search first? who had a cloud first? Who's copying who here? These were things that iphone people were told they did not need, they believed it, yet somehow it eventually made it's way onto it and iphone owners think they were the first ones to have it. Fools

 

To have it look and feel just like your old phone there is no need to plug an Android phone in. A simple log in with your google account and everything is brought over to your new phone over the air. Apps, Contacts, Music, Saved wifi passwords, ringtones, etc. :dumb: Itunes whaaaa?

 

Enjoy always being second, while being brainwashed into thinking your first.

[TTQ B4U]

YAY! Another iphone vs android thread! My fav.

 

First of all, Android was out a WHOLE YEAR before the iphone even came out. Who had multitasking first? Who had copy/paste first? Who had a universal notification system first? who had folders first? Who had a voice search first? who had a cloud first? Who's copying who here? These were things that iphone people were told they did not need, they believed it, yet somehow it eventually made it's way onto it and iphone owners think they were the first ones to have it. Fools

 

The look, feel and handling of the phone is what I'm speaking of. iTunes store and apps too. The features you mentioned weren't a part of the original phone OS true, but no one told consumers they didn't need them. Features like these were rolled out over time just as with any manufacturer or developers product. Apple is by far more in tune with what the market spends their money on. Proof in the fact that while Google/Android had all those features while Apple didn't yet iPhones have always sold in huge numbers. If those things were that important, the product wouldn't be flying off the shelves as it is.

 

Apple markets their features better than Google does their android features so when something like Siri his the market, yes, they appear to have led the way. Don't blame consumers if they credit Apple, blame Google for creating a fragmented and unclear market of their own doing. Just like the devices, Apple keeps them clean and simple to understand. People buy value and value what they understand and can apply to their daily lives, not techno improvements they don't understand.

 

To have it look and feel just like your old phone there is no need to plug an Android phone in. A simple log in with your google account and everything is brought over to your new phone over the air. Apps, Contacts, Music, Saved wifi passwords, ringtones, etc. :dumb: Itunes whaaaa?

Itunes is far more well known and looked upon than you lead it on to be. Again, I'm not arguing that OTA updates and syncing, etc...isn't better, but the public at large was/is more comfortable knowing they have an application on their computer that keeps their devices in sync. Crawl-Walk-Run, now like Google, you'll see Apple move away from it, but they will do so with a following that understands vs trying to dump too much new tech stuff on the masses who have too much going on in their lives to obsess with trying to figure it all out at once. Again, simplicity.

 

Enjoy always being second, while being brainwashed into thinking your first.

What defines being first or second in terms of what device I use or how it functions? What good is coming out with all the cool features first if the market as a whole doesn't give you credit for them? There's no denying the market perception of Apple. The brand speaks for itself and the products are solid. They are even confident enough to have carved out their own niche of customers and don't have to give away phones or shlep tablets at low prices to try and gain market share.