How we tested
Each of the devices we?ve tested will get you to your destination by providing accurate turn-by-turn directions, and most of the better units include all of the options listed above. The differences often come down to the way you interact with the device: The best models make it easier to navigate by offering more precise visual and verbal directions, clearer lane guidance through tricky intersections, a more driver-friendly screen layout, and easier methods for inputting destinations. So for each update to this guide, we sought out the latest models from the major brands, set up each in a car, and put them through their paces in environments ranging from rural countrysides to the urban depths of New York City.
We surveyed each unit?s features and assessed its overall ease of use. https://prestbest.com/best-garmin-nuvi-57lm . 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.
The competition
If you want all of the features of the Garmin DriveSmart 5or the TomTom Go 520 with a larger display, look for the Garmin DriveSmart 6(6.9inches) or TomTom Go 620 (inches), respectively. While they display bigger maps, the Garmin DriveSmart 5provides a sharper screen and a better overall balance; it?s easy to read without taking up too much room on the dash or windshield.
Our previous upgrade pick, the Garmin DriveAssist 5LMT-S, has many of the same features as the DriveSmart 55, but includes a dashcam that continuously records what?s happening in front of the vehicle. If the DriveAssist detects a crash it automatically saves the video and can send a text message and map link to a preselected contact. The DriveAssist ?s camera also enables visual and audible forward-collision warnings and lane-departure alerts, which can be an extra hedge against distracted or drowsy driving. The dashcam?s video, however, is not up to the quality of today?s best models, and the DriveAssist lacks the 55?s super-crisp display and Garmin?s latest points-of-interest collections. But if you want the functionality of both devices in one body, this is still worth considering.
The TomTom Go 5is nearly identical to the TomTom Go 520 and is usually priced a little lower. But it doesn?t include free access to world maps or the 520 model?s handy magnetic mount?features that make the Go 520 one of our picks.
The TomTom Via series is a selection of lower-priced navigators with resistive screens; maps of the US, Canada, and Mexico; and free lifetime map updates. The series includes the 5-inch Via 1525M and Via 1525TM, and the 6-inch Via 1625M and Via 1625TM; the TM models give you free lifetime traffic alerts. None provide Bluetooth connectivity, so you can?t pair them with a smartphone. They?re worth considering only if all you want is basic smartphone-free navigation.
At only about 1½ inches in diameter, the Garmin Speak is smaller and more discreet than a typical GPS device. Instead of a map, the Speak relies heavily on Garmin?s clear voice directions while displaying basic visual guidance for upcoming turns and multilane situations. As you approach your next turn, a green perimeter light starts illuminating at the bottom of the display and gradually rises up the sides, completing a circle at the top just as you reach your turn. We found this visual cue to be surprisingly effective, especially in dense areas with lots of streets close together, and we were impressed with the Speak?s navigational capabilities, considering its size and lack of a screen.
The Klashwerks Raven is a multi-function device that combines a dashcam with navigation, security, and vehicle tracking. But we weren?t impressed with is navigation functions. Destinations need to be input through a Bluetooth-paired smartphone app, and the unit?s display provides only basic visual guidance. (You can see a full map on the phone?s app, but that requires having another device on your dash.) When paired, voice directions can be heard through the car?s speakers, but when we left the Raven?s app to do something else with the phone (such as stream music), the navigation stopped completely..
Each of the devices we?ve tested will get you to your destination by providing accurate turn-by-turn directions, and most of the better units include all of the options listed above. The differences often come down to the way you interact with the device: The best models make it easier to navigate by offering more precise visual and verbal directions, clearer lane guidance through tricky intersections, a more driver-friendly screen layout, and easier methods for inputting destinations. So for each update to this guide, we sought out the latest models from the major brands, set up each in a car, and put them through their paces in environments ranging from rural countrysides to the urban depths of New York City.
We surveyed each unit?s features and assessed its overall ease of use. https://prestbest.com/best-garmin-nuvi-57lm . 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.
The competition
If you want all of the features of the Garmin DriveSmart 5or the TomTom Go 520 with a larger display, look for the Garmin DriveSmart 6(6.9inches) or TomTom Go 620 (inches), respectively. While they display bigger maps, the Garmin DriveSmart 5provides a sharper screen and a better overall balance; it?s easy to read without taking up too much room on the dash or windshield.
Our previous upgrade pick, the Garmin DriveAssist 5LMT-S, has many of the same features as the DriveSmart 55, but includes a dashcam that continuously records what?s happening in front of the vehicle. If the DriveAssist detects a crash it automatically saves the video and can send a text message and map link to a preselected contact. The DriveAssist ?s camera also enables visual and audible forward-collision warnings and lane-departure alerts, which can be an extra hedge against distracted or drowsy driving. The dashcam?s video, however, is not up to the quality of today?s best models, and the DriveAssist lacks the 55?s super-crisp display and Garmin?s latest points-of-interest collections. But if you want the functionality of both devices in one body, this is still worth considering.
The TomTom Go 5is nearly identical to the TomTom Go 520 and is usually priced a little lower. But it doesn?t include free access to world maps or the 520 model?s handy magnetic mount?features that make the Go 520 one of our picks.
The TomTom Via series is a selection of lower-priced navigators with resistive screens; maps of the US, Canada, and Mexico; and free lifetime map updates. The series includes the 5-inch Via 1525M and Via 1525TM, and the 6-inch Via 1625M and Via 1625TM; the TM models give you free lifetime traffic alerts. None provide Bluetooth connectivity, so you can?t pair them with a smartphone. They?re worth considering only if all you want is basic smartphone-free navigation.
At only about 1½ inches in diameter, the Garmin Speak is smaller and more discreet than a typical GPS device. Instead of a map, the Speak relies heavily on Garmin?s clear voice directions while displaying basic visual guidance for upcoming turns and multilane situations. As you approach your next turn, a green perimeter light starts illuminating at the bottom of the display and gradually rises up the sides, completing a circle at the top just as you reach your turn. We found this visual cue to be surprisingly effective, especially in dense areas with lots of streets close together, and we were impressed with the Speak?s navigational capabilities, considering its size and lack of a screen.
The Klashwerks Raven is a multi-function device that combines a dashcam with navigation, security, and vehicle tracking. But we weren?t impressed with is navigation functions. Destinations need to be input through a Bluetooth-paired smartphone app, and the unit?s display provides only basic visual guidance. (You can see a full map on the phone?s app, but that requires having another device on your dash.) When paired, voice directions can be heard through the car?s speakers, but when we left the Raven?s app to do something else with the phone (such as stream music), the navigation stopped completely..