Is Garmin the Best? GPS Navigation Comparison Test

You’ve got a busy summer ahead. Before setting out on that road trip out West or back East, you’ll have to find time to download some travel music. (We recommend new releases from Common, My Morning Jacket and Weezer.) After that, we’ve got another assignment for you that promises to make your summer trip easier and may enhance your listening habits, too: Get a portable navigation system. Of course, we wouldn’t dream of leaving you out in the cold on such an important decision, so we’re updating last year’s portable navigation system roundup with four new or newly improved portable systems. Since our last portable navigation review, a few of the units we sampled have changed significantly, plus there are two all-new units that seem promising on paper — the Dash Express and Becker Travel Assistant. More Than Just Directions Although most navigation systems have the same map data provided by one of two companies, all units are not the same. The interface, computing time and features vary greatly. One thing to keep in mind when shopping for a portable navigation device is that price isn’t a good indicator of quality. Some of the poorest-performing devices can also be the most expensive. On the other hand, even midprice brands offer tons of features, including a way to play those downloaded Weezer tracks. Another notable feature is real-time traffic — all the units featured here have it. If you don’t need features like traffic and the ability to play music …

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