The baby of the Garmin DriveSmart family, the DriveSmart 55 looks from the front like a chunky, old-school phablet sans bezels, with a 5. Buy the more expensive Full Europe version and you also get full voice commands.
Moving up the DriveSmart range bags you more features, including live traffic, live parking and weather updates through your smartphone, plus hands-free calling and onscreen notifications.
Key specs — Screen: 5. Buy now from Argos. Real Directions that reference landmarks are included, and instructions are delivered in a clear and timely fashion. Like the more expensive DriveSmart models, it features points of interest from Tripadvisor and Foursquare, as well as live traffic alerts, speed camera warnings and weather forecasts.
There are some compromises on usability, however. Key specs — Screen: 5in resistive; Navigation features: Live traffic data, lifetime map updates, speed camera alerts, POI from Tripadvisor and Foursquare. Key specs — Screen: 6in resistive; Navigation features: Live traffic data, lifetime map updates.
The TomTom Go Essential adds some bells and whistles to the navigation basics, particularly when paired with a smartphone.
You can make hands-free calls or ask your satnav to read out incoming messages — you can even call on Siri or Google Assistant for help, although in practice this is touch and go.
Buy now from Amazon. A sleek metal body gives the Garmin a premium look, and we liked the magnetic mount, which makes the device easy to install. The touchscreen is extremely responsive and we found its menu layout the best on test. The live weather alert was also a helpful addition. It will connect to your phone via Bluetooth or WiFi to ensure it has the latest updates on new roads, traffic conditions and even fuel prices.
A vertical strip along the right-hand side of the screen shows a linear representation of your journey, including icons for junctions, fuel stations or charging points for electric car drivers and speed cameras.
If you happen to be in an average-speed zone, the bar switches to show you if you are going to exceed the limit over the distance, giving you a chance to slow down and prevent a speeding ticket. Once the unit is directing you it works brilliantly, but it can be hit-and-miss entering an address, whether through voice recognition or the touchscreen.
Buy now from TomTom. The 52 has traffic alerts, although the TomTom was more accurate, with better alternative routes. Voice instructions were clear and the map easy to follow, even on the smaller screen, while handy danger zone warnings included the likes of schools and speed cameras. The DriveSmart does without pre-installed traffic updates, requiring users to pair their phone with the device to receive these.
The menu interface was still easy to use and we liked that it also came with the easy-to-understand Real Directions instructions. Buy it from Amazon here. This 6. Route choice was good, apart from sticking to main roads during busy periods and missing key roadworks. Voice instructions were decent, but again slightly behind the other units on test. Buy now from eBay. With its Real Directions voice guidance, the budget non-live Garmin impressed. Its turn-by-turn instructions use landmarks, traffic lights and buildings as cues for directions.
Plus, the Garmin alerted us well ahead of speed cameras and areas with hazards like animal crossings. And if you connect your phone to the Drive 51, you can install traffic alerts on the device. Buy now from Currys PC World. 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.
If the DriveAssist detects a crash it automatically saves the video and can send a text message and map link to a preselected contact. But if you want the functionality of both devices in one body, this is still worth considering. 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. 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.
However, unlike other units, the Speak needs to be paired with a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone via Bluetooth to function at all. The Klashwerks Raven is a multi-function device that combines a dashcam with navigation, security, and vehicle tracking.
Our pick. Also great. Budget pick. Garmin Drive 52 If you want a basic navigator with fewer features Like the DriveSmart 55, this budget model gives you a best-in-class user interface and points-of-interest database, and top-notch directions, but it lacks its high-resolution display, Bluetooth connectivity, voice commands, and Wi-Fi updating.
Everything we recommend. Why you should trust us. Who should get this. How we picked. Voice control: A good voice-control system can make it quicker and easier to input a destination, control volume and screen illumination, get traffic and weather updates, and cancel a route by speaking a command.
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