It doesn't take long to get your head around GPS units and their app equivalents. Using satellite signals, the system keeps track of your position and guides you along the plotted route with visual instructions on the display and verbal instructions via a computer-generated voice.
All you need to do is type in where you want to go and your device plots a route, calculates the travel distance and estimated time of arrival, and displays the route on a map. You can usually choose between the fastest or the shortest route which aren't necessarily the same or specifically exclude toll roads or highways.
Many traditional GPS units and apps offer live traffic updates. These highlight congestion and either:. We found this feature to be consistently decent across all brands and models that offered it. However, apps have one advantage over GPS units:. Apps tend to be a bit better at rapidly updating temporary changes in traffic conditions beyond congestion. Waze is particularly useful in this respect, as drivers can submit updates using the app, to inform other users in the area; a feature that is starting to appear in Google Maps but not to the extent as Waze.
Since smartphone's capabilities extend beyond navigation, they fall under different laws to GPS units, with different rules across states and territories. The laws typically refer to the GPS function as a "drivers aid. Fully licensed drivers can use the smartphone as a drivers aid. Smartphone must be securely mounted in a bracket without obscuring your field of view. Drivers can use voice commands to make or answer a call or use the audio functions e.
Learner, P1 and P2 drivers can use a "GPS enabled device" but the legislation doesn't specify if smartphones are an accepted device.
Drivers can use voice commands to make or answer a call and use the audio functions e. Learner, P1 and P2 licence holders are not permitted to use a mobile phone at all while driving, which includes GPS functions read more.
Drivers can use voice commands to make or answer calls too but you can't touch the phone while driving. Learner and P plate licence holders are not permitted to use a mobile phone at all while driving, which includes GPS functions read more - fully licensed , L and P. Fully licensed, and P2 drivers over 25, can use the smartphone as a drivers aid. Drivers can legally use the phone to make or answer calls too but you can't touch the smartphone while operating your vehicle. Toyota Tundra vs Ford F Ford F vs Chevrolet Silverado Back To Forbes.
Wheels Accessories. Rik Paul. Updated: Feb 28, Forbes Wheels independently tests and reviews cars and automotive accessories. We may earn an affiliate commission from links on our site.
The analysis and opinions are our own. Read More. Read Less. Any of these five tested models provide Best Overall.
Garmin DriveSmart 55 And Traffic. Why We Picked It. Its 5. Best Value. Garmin Drive Very good visual and audible navigation at a lower price. Like the DriveSmart 55, it also gives you several handy navigational extras, like driver alerts, TripAdvisor ratings, FourSquare data, US National Park info, and a guide to historic sites. Garmin DriveSmart 65 with Amazon Alexa. With the large 6. The larger screen takes up more room on your windshield or dashtop.
Best for Navigating Overseas. TomTom Go Supreme 6. Most others charge extra for maps outside North America. Has Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi updating, a slick powered magnetic mount and a multi-touch display. Has real-time traffic info via the TomTom smartphone app.
It has a lower-resolution display and a more basic voice control system than the Garmin DriveSmart It lacks many of the handy nav extras of the Garmin models. Best Value from TomTom. TomTom Via M. Its 5-inch touchscreen is easily readable. This basic model lacks many handy extras like traffic info, voice control, Bluetooth connectivity, and a multi-touch display.
No Wi-Fi updating,. Bestseller No. ZHNN Android 9. We evaluated the driver-friendliness of the screen layout, the accessibility of the menus, and how quickly we could input a destination and get a route—both by entering it on the screen and, when possible, by using voice commands.
We tinkered with the settings, evaluated the routing, assessed how easy it is to update the map and POI data, and judged the sturdiness of the included mount and simplicity of installation and removal of the device.
We also paired each unit to a smartphone, when possible, to see what advantages that provided. This latter feature results in a larger, 5. As with your smartphone, the 55 allows multi-touch gestures, such as pinching or spreading for easier zooming on a map. This is a clear step up from the resistive displays of less expensive units, which allow only single-finger gestures and require you to tap on the plus and minus buttons to zoom in or out. Like some TomTom models, the DriveSmart 55 and its larger sibling, the DriveSmart 65 also now include 3D mapping; in some major cities, it shows familiar buildings and landmarks as recognizable 3D images, which can help you more easily orient yourself with your surroundings in an unfamiliar area.
This made us more aware of those unexpected changes where police often like to park themselves with radar guns. Each alert is accompanied by a small icon, which pops up in the lower left corner of the screen, and a soft chime, which you can turn off individually for each type of alert.
The feature is particularly convenient while driving, because, by default to reduce driver distraction, Garmin blocks you from inputting destinations or changing settings on the screen while the car is moving. Repeating the same destination in Google Maps resulted in nearly instant directions. The DriveSmart 55 provides traffic alerts along your route using data from the Here traffic network, which is updated roughly every five minutes via an FM radio signal.
Alerts pop up on the screen and are accompanied by spoken warnings for example, that traffic is causing a five-minute delay along your route. However, traffic alerts are available only on interstates and other major highways near major metro areas. Connecting the DriveSmart 55 to the Drive app adds features in other areas, as well. We could input a destination on our phone, press Go, and then have the navigator instantly calculate a route to it, which is very convenient. You can also get weather updates, see nearby parking prices and locations provided through Parkopedia in many US cities, and view live traffic-camera images.
If having comprehensive traffic data is important to you, we recommend using a smartphone instead of a GPS navigator. You can also download maps of other countries from the Garmin website or order them on SD cards, but they can be pricey. The TomTom Go , with free lifetime access to world maps, is a good alternative if you want a GPS device that you can easily use in countries outside of North America. It also comes with a handy powered magnetic mount that lets you easily attach the TomTom to the windshield and remove it without having to mess with connecting and disconnecting a power cord each time.
TomTom says that you can use Siri and Google Assistant through the Go , but when we tried it with our Android test phone our directions came through in Google Maps on our phone.
It provides the same reliable directions, intuitive user interface, extensive points-of-interest database, and helpful driver alerts for a lower price. The Drive 52 comes with free lifetime map updates, which include the US, Canada, and the same Caribbean locales as the 55, but not Mexico.
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