GPS Reviews

Fast Facts:

  1. GPS = Global Positioning System
  2. Official name: NAVSTAR GPS
  3. NAVSTAR = NAVigation Satellite Timing And Ranging
  4. Developed by U.S. Dept. of Defense
  5. About 24 satellites
  6. Cost about $750 million annually

The Mahalo Top 7

  1. CNET: GPS Reviews
  2. PC Magazine: GPS Reviews
  3. GPS Magazine: GPS Reviews
  4. ConsumerSearch: GPS Reviews
  5. Consumer Guide: GPS Reviews
  6. Consumer Reports: GPS Reviews  WARNING: Paid subscription required
  7. LAPTOP Magazine: GPS Reviews

Garmin GPS Reviews

  • CNET Editors' Top Picks:
    • Garmin Nuvi 350 (8.3/10 Rating)
      • "No bigger than a deck of cards, the Garmin Nüvi 350 is more than just another voice-guided GPS device, packing in travel tools, entertainment features, and good performance; just be prepared to pay a price."
    • Garmin Nuvi 660 (8.3/10 Rating)
      • "If you can afford the hefty price tag, the Garmin Nuvi 660 is a solid-performing and versatile GPS device that offers all the navigation basics, tools for the world traveler, Bluetooth, and more."
    • Garmin StreetPilot c580 (8.0/10 Rating)
      • "In addition to accurate driving directions, the high-end Garmin StreetPilot c580 provides a number of useful tools to the driver, such as real-time traffic data and local gas prices, thanks to the integration of MSN Direct services."
  • GPS Magazine Editors' Top Picks:
    • Garmin Nuvi 760 (95/100 Rating)
      • "The Best nuvi Yet."
    • Garmin Nuvi 680 (90/100 Rating)
      • "If you're in the market for a new GPS, the nuvi 680 is a great GPS that offers first rate navigation, hands-free speakerphone, a built-in FM transmitter, real-time traffic, movie, weather, and gas pricing information, as well as text-to-speech and over 6 million Points of interest -- all in an easy to use package with a bright 4.3" wide display."
    • Garmin Nuvi 350 (85/100 Rating)
      • "If you're looking for a solid, reasonably priced, GPS for every day use and don't need a wide screen display, the nuvi 350 is the best deal in town."
  • PC Magazine Editors' Top Picks:
    • Garmin Nuvi 680 (4.5/5 Rating)
      • "Garmin leads the other GPS manufacturers with the introduction of real-time location-based services that go beyond traffic reports."
    • Garmin Nuvi 360 (4.5/5 Rating)
      • "The nüvi 360 adds a Bluetooth interface to one of our favorite products, the nüvi 350. If you want a hands-free Bluetooth speakerphone, the $100 premium is a small price to make an excellent product even better."
    • Garmin Nuvi 350 (4.5/5 Rating)
      • "Excellent GPS sensitivity and function coupled with new Travel Kit features make the nüvi 350 an excellent electronic travel companion."
    • Garmin StreetPilot 2720 (4/5 Rating)
      • "It's hard to find fault with the 2720; an impressive screen, live traffic alerts (optional) and text-to-speech, among many other things, make this a compelling product."
  • Consumer Reports' Top Picks: WARNING: Paid subscription required

TomTom GPS Reviews

  • CNET Editors' Top Picks:
    • TomTom Navigator 5 (8.0/10 Rating)
      • "With great mapping features and advanced services, TomTom's latest navigation kit for PDAs and smart phones approaches GPS greatness."
    • TomTom GO 720 (8.0/10 Rating)
      • "The TomTom GO 720 delivers with sleek looks, good performance, and a full set of features that includes a map-sharing function for the most up-to-date maps and a helpful safety tool."
    • TomTom GO 910 (7.7/10 Rating)
      • "For early adopters, the TomTom GO 910 is the GPS gadget du jour, offering the latest and greatest in portable navigation systems. That said, we wish it had a better mounting system and a more up-to-date POI database."
  • GPS Magazine Editors' Top Picks:
    • TomTom GO 720 (65/100 Rating)
      • "If TomTom spent as much time on software development as they clearly spent on hardware design, the GO 720 would be a fantastic GPS indeed."
    • TomTom ONE XL (60/100 Rating)
      • "With the ONE XL, TomTom has delivered a GPS that's heavy on style and light on navigation."
    • TomTom GO 910 (55/100 Rating)
      • "TomTom's customer support needs improvement, and many of the GO 910's advertised features are still not available, even 12 months after the product's initial release."
  • PC Magazine Editors' Top Picks:
    • TomTom GO 720 (4/5 Rating)
      • "The TomTom GO 720 boasts a host of premium GPS features at a pretty good price. It's especially nice if you've got a phone with a data plan on AT&T/Cingular or T-Mobile that supports the GO 720's extra abilities."
    • TomTom ONE (4/5 Rating)
      • "The TomTom One is a value-packed shirt-pocket GPS that has the right features at the right price."
    • TomTom ONE XL (3.5/5 Rating)
      • "The TomTom ONE XL is essentially a widescreen version of the TomTom ONE. Though it has the largest screen in TomTom's lineup of products, it lacks the text-to-speech conversion found in competing GPS devices with 4.3-inch screens, such as the Mio CN520, the Magellan Maestro 4040, and the Garmin nüvi 600 series."
  • Consumer Reports' Top Picks: WARNING: Paid subscription required

Magellan GPS Reviews

  • GPS Magazine Editors' Top Picks:
    • Magellan CrossoverGPS (75/100 Rating)
      • "The CrossoverGPS is an excellent choice for someone looking for a good in-car GPS that can make occasional excursions outdoors (on foot, skis, ATVs, etc.) or on the water."
    • Magellan Maestro 3140 (75/100 Rating)
      • "Overall, Magellan's Maestro 3140 does a nice job offering a broad range of features while still maintaining an easy-to-use interface."
    • Magellan Maestro 4050 (75/100 Rating)
      • "[T]he Voice Recognition and traffic features didn't work reliably enough to warrant the additional cost of the 4050, and I therefore recommend the less feature-rich (though equally capable for basic navigation) Maestro 4040."
    • Magellan RoadMate 6000T (60/100)
      • "The 6000T isn't technically end-of-life yet, but it's a pretty safe bet it will be soon."
  • PC Magazine Editors' Top Picks:
    • Magellan Maestro 4050 (3.5/5 Rating)
      • "Magellan's top-of-the-line GPS, the widescreen Maestro 4050, adds voice recognition and live traffic reports to the already solid Maestro 4040. But you can't control the device's every action with vocal commands alone, and its Bluetooth-connection skills need work."
    • Magellan Maestro 4040 (3.5/5 Rating)
      • "A large screen, fresh new user interface, AAA's TourBook functionality, and a great price make the Maestro 4040 a compelling in-car navigation device."
  • CNET Editors' Top Picks:
    • Magellan Maestro 4000 Series (7.7/10 Rating)
      • "Sporting a sleeker design and interface, the affordable Magellan Maestro series offers drivers an accurate in-car GPS device with useful trip information, thanks to its partnership with AAA."

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