Bonnie Cha,
Senior Associate Editor
April 1, 2009
In theory, driving from point A to point B shouldn't be a difficult task, but sometimes you miss exits--and sometimes you're just plain lost. Do yourself a favor and get a little roadside assistance from an in-car GPS device. If you've been reluctant to invest in one of these navigation gadgets because they're too complex or expensive, its time to give in. These six systems are affordable and easy to use right out of the box, but more important, they provide text and voice-guided directions (some even with text-to-speech functionality), automatic route recalculation (in case you veer off course), and a healthy points-of-interest database. See if one is right for you.
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| Product name | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $149.99 | $108.98 | $79.99 to $353.99 | $199.99 | $119.99 to $140.54 | $98.00 to $158.99 |
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| Review date | May 23, 2007 | November 14, 2008 | March 12, 2008 | January 18, 2008 | February 06, 2009 | March 18, 2009 |
| The Bottom Line | The Garmin Nuvi 200 series offers drivers and travelers a more budget-friendly version of the popular portable navigation devices, but we think the price is still slightly high for what you get. | The Sony NV-U44 offers a few useful features that competing manufacturers have not yet implemented on their entry-level models. | Despite ease of use and an affordable price tag, the entry-level Magellan RoadMate 1200 portable navigation system suffers from various performance issues. | Despite ease of use and text-to-speech functionality, the Pharos Drive GPS 250 falters somewhat in the performance department. | The Navigon 2200T takes some time to warm up but the GPS offers a lot of bang for your buck, including free traffic updates for life. | Though we miss text-to-speech functionality, the TomTom One 125 is an easy-to-use, accurate, and affordable GPS for first-time buyers. |
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| Features | ||||||
| Included GPS accessories | Car power adapter Automotive windshield mount | USB cable Car holder Car power adapter | Car mount Memory card Rechargeable lithium-ion battery SD Card Wall charger | Stylus USB cable Carrying pouch AC power adapter Car power adapter Automotive windshield mount | Car holder Dashboard disc Car power adapter | USB cable Dashboard disc EasyPort mount Car power adapter |
| Audible assistance | Navigation instructions | Navigation instructions | Navigation instructions Warnings | Audible signal(s) | Navigation instructions Street name announcement | Navigation instructions |
| GPS PC connection | USB | Hi-Speed USB | Hi-Speed USB | USB | USB | USB |
| Antenna | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in | Built-in |
| Weight | 5.2 oz | 5.5 oz | 4.94 oz | 7.2 oz | 4.3 oz | 6.1 oz |
| System features | Calculator Custom POIs Garmin Lock Preinstalled POIs JPEG photo playback 2D / 3D map perspective | Text-to-Speech (TTS) 2D / 3D map perspective | 2D / 3D map perspective Automatic routing Clock Touchscreen | Built-in speaker Text-to-Speech (TTS) | Emergency Help Built-in speaker Automatic routing Preinstalled POIs SiRF InstantFixII Speed limit warning Text-to-Speech (TTS) 2D / 3D map perspective Automatic day/night mode | Info unavailable |
| Destination | Automotive | Automotive | Automotive | Automotive | Automotive | Automotive |
| Data memory type | SD Memory Card | Memory Stick Duo | SD memory card | SD Memory Card | microSD | Info unavailable |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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