Personal Picks – Best GPS for the holidays

Dec 8, 2009 11:46 AM

Gadget shoppers have many portable navigation devices (PNDs) to choose from this holiday season. Our GPS product selector tool includes 303 current navigators, with detailed ratings on 99 units that we have bought and run through our test gauntlet. Online subscribers can sort and filter the ratings by the features, price range, and performance that matters most. We have free GPS buying advice available for a thorough look at the features and decision-making process.

Even still, we are often asked for more personal insight into choosing the best unit. With the approaching holidays and all the pressures they bring, the GPS team thought it would be helpful to share our own personal perspectives.

Jeff Bartlett: The trick for getting a great value is choosing a model that is one generation old. It will have seen its price drop due to the introduction of the latest and greatest PND, but it will still offer contemporary features and recent map and points-of-interest database. I’ve been recommending the Garmin Nuvi 2x5 series a lot this season. The lower Nuvi 205W is a great, basic device with a wide screen that is available at door-buster prices. For regular use, the Nuvi 255W is worth the upgrade for spoken street names. And for a driver who wants traffic information, it is the Nuvi 265WT. This is a rare device that features free traffic service (supported by unobtrusive ads that rarely appear). As a bonus, it includes Bluetooth connectivity. Garmin devices have proven to be especially easy to use, making them smart choices as gifts, particularly for first-time GPS owners. (See our full Nuvi 265WT review.)

Frank Rizzi: My pick this year is the Magellan Maestro 4700. It is packed with features like highway lane assist, AAA descriptions for accommodations and restaurants, some voice commands, highway exit search, and Bluetooth capability--all very useful for long trips. It has a 4.7-inch screen (larger than the usual 4.3 inches) yet is still light and slim to carry. I just saw it on Amazon.com for under $200 and you can add a lifetime traffic receiver for $80.

I especially like the grayed-out letters and predictive results making entering a destination very smooth and fast. Also the highway signs come up very often and are easy to read in this larger screen. We just took a Magellan out to Manhattan again this week, and I was impressed with its lane assistance around a very tricky and busy five lanes at Columbus Circle. Its touch screen is a little less sensitive than a Garmin or a TomTom, but I can live with it.

Frank Spinelli: Another year of testing has passed and similar to last year, new models have introduced new features. The long list of available PNDs continues to grow, making it difficult to choose the “perfect” GPS unit. It is no surprise that the top three manufacturers still dominate our ratings (Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan), but Garmin’s approach is still my preference. The Garmin models all have a similar feel, but I prefer the premium models with the latest bells and whistles, and hence my pick is the Garmin Nuvi 1690.

The Nuvi 1690 retains Garmin’s easy-to-use interface, and good navigational guidance that allows their models to excel in our testing. It also includes most uplevel features such as a wide screen, Bluetooth hands-free calling, lane guidance, and reality view; but what really separates the Nuvi 1690 from other Garmin models is the fact that it is a connected device. The connectivity raises the bar by providing a Google-based search for points of interest (POIs) and useful information such as traffic, weather, local events, and flight times on a more consistent basis through Garmin’s nuLink services. (See our full Garmin Nuvi 1690 test drive.)

Jim Travers: Much as it pains me this holiday season, I tend to agree with Jeff – at least in part. The Garmin 265WT remains one of my favorite PNDs, with the features I like, and without ones I don’t need. I like the easy-to-see 4.3-inch touch screen, logical menus, quick processor, and spoken street names. While I’m not a big fan of paying extra for traffic info because I often find it dated, inaccurate, or both, at least it’s included free for the life of the 265WT. And the banner ads that support it are not at all intrusive. As a bonus, we’ve seen the 265WT on sale for as little as $129.99 this season.

For more information on portable automotive GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings, first looks, and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.