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BEST CAR GPS for 2012

Ranked #4,241 in Computers & Electronics, #77,778 overall | Donates to Food for Everyone Foundation

GARMIN NUVI

Discover the 3 BEST CAR GPS systems as rated by Consumer Reports, Amazon & Myself as of January 1, 2012.

Make sure you Don't Purchase one before you read what I have to say on each one's Features, and both their Positive & Negative Consumer Reviews.

Your next update will be on June 1, 2012.

CONSUMER REPORTS #1 GPS PICK

GARMIN NUVI 3790T

Garmin 3790TFEATURES

  1. The Garmin Nuvi 3790T has Lifetime map & traffic Updates
  2. Voice Command
  3. Hands free calling
  4. Blue Tooth compatible
  5. Building & terrain view are in 3D
  6. Map zooming
  7. Preloaded St. maps for Canada, Mexico & U.S.
  8. Has 6 million points of interest
  9. Can calculate most fuel efficient route
  10. Weighs 4 oz & it's dimensions are 4.8 wide x 3.9 tall

POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 3790T


  1. Bright & clear screen
  2. Great user interface
  3. Locates satellites fast
  4. Screen rotates
  5. Picks up commands with radio playing or windows open
  6. 3D display zooms in & out smoothly
  7. Picks up commands with radio playing or windows open
  8. Charging is done from the base

NEGATIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 3790T


  1. Fingerprint magnet
  2. Gets warm while charging
  3. Can't get traffic updates if holding it in your hand
  4. Speaker is tiny & hard to understand caller
  5. Using the traffic feature causes small adds to pop up once in awhile (must turn this off manually)

CONSUMER REPORTS #2 GPS PICK

GARMIN NUVI 3790T

GARMIN 3760TFEATURES

  1. The Garmin 3760T has free lifetime traffic updates
  2. Lane assist & junction view
  3. Eco Route
  4. Preloaded maps for Canada, Mexico and U.S.
  5. Blue Tooth comparable with built-in microphone and speaker
  6. Includes traffic trends & my trends
  7. Has world travel clock with time zones, currency converter, measurement converter & calculator
  8. Pedestrian navigation capabilities
  9. Hands free calling
  10. 43 LCD screen
  11. Measurements are: 4.8 x 0.4 x 2.9; 1 pound

POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 3760T:

  1. Large bright screen
  2. Easy to read
  3. Screen doesn't glare in the sun
  4. Easy menus
  5. Locates satelites quickly
  6. Can use it vertically or horizontally
  7. Has red light camera alert
  8. Displays speed limits
  9. Can use it while walking
  10. Auto zoom feature

NEGATIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 3760T


  1. Long download time for updates
  2. The built in speaker is poor
  3. It doesn't have an exit guide

CONSUMER'S REPORTS #3 GPS PICK

GARMIN NUVI 3750

GARMIN 3750FEATURES

  1. Measurements: 5.3 x 5.3 x 2.6; 1 pound
  2. 4.3" screen - 800 x 480 Pixel display
  3. White Backlight
  4. 9mm thick
  5. Preloaded St. maps for Canada, Mexico & U.S.
  6. Nu Route & Eco Route
  7. Includes traffic trends & my trends
  8. Photo navigation
  9. World travel clock with time zone, currency converter, measurement converter & calculator
  10. Anti theft feature

POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 3750:

  1. Can use it horizontally or vertically
  2. It's easy to use
  3. The charging is done from the base
  4. It's easy to see on a sunny day
  5. The speaker is clear with no hissing sound

NEGATIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 3750


  1. It doesn't have hands free calling
  2. There's no exit guide
  3. It doesn't include a traffic receiver
  4. Glare is a problem if the sun is behind you

AMAZON'S #1 GPS PICK

GARMIN nUVI 1300

As of the time of this writing, 1679 people rated the Garmin Nuvi 1300LM and Amazon gave it a 4 star rating. Also, this Nuvi is #52 on the best sellers list for Electronics in Amazon.

FEATURES:

  1. Life Time Map Updates
  2. Spoken turn by turn directions
  3. Has Pedestrian Navigation capabilities
  4. Contains millions of points of interest
  5. Has Eco Route and many Travel Tools
  6. This Nuvi has a Widescreen touch display that's 5.3x5.3x206" and weights 1 lb.
  7. The maps are in 2D or 3D
  8. It's preloaded with City Navigator for Hawaii, Peurto Rico and the U.S. or 1 European Region

POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 1300LM

  1. Bright screen with no problems reading in bright sunlight
  2. Has good volume control
  3. Has excellent navigation
  4. You can download your own voice for free
  5. Has a long power cord
  6. Mount works well

NEGATIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 1300LM

  1. Isn't Blue Tooth compatible
  2. Power plugs into the rear
  3. Software updates aren't bundled together --- must download each one separate

GARMIN NUVI 1300LM COMES WITH:

  1. Quick start menu
  2. Suction cup for car
  3. Power cable
  4. Dashboard Disc

AMAZON'S #2 GPS PICK

GARMIN NUVI 1350LMT

As of the time of this writing, this Nuvi wast listed as #56 on the BEST SELLER'S list for electronics in Amazon.

FEATURES

  1. The screen is 5.3x5.3x2.6 and weights 1 lb.
  2. Has free Lifetime Maps and Traffic Updates
  3. It's preloaded with City Navigator for the lower 48 states and contains 6 million Poins Of Interest
  4. Has Turn by Turn Directions with Lane Assist & Eco Route
  5. Includes several Travel Tools

POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 1350LMT

  1. Touch Screen works great
  2. Has a clear picture
  3. Easy to read even in sunlight
  4. Locates a satellite quickly
  5. Good sound
  6. Has on screen help

NEATIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 1350LMT

  1. the power plugs into the GPS & not the mount
  2. Doesn't have a satellite display on the unit
  3. There's no truck mode
  4. Doesn't have a headphone jack

GARMIN NUVI 1350LMT COMES WITH:

  1. Suction cup mount
  2. USB cable
  3. Car charger

 

AMAZON'S #3 GPS PICK

GARMIN NUVI 1390LMT

FEATURES;

  1. The screen is 5.3 x 5.3 x 2.6" and weights 1 pound
  2. Comes with free lifetime maps & traffic updates
  3. It's preloaded with city navigator for Canada & the U.S.
  4. Has Lane Assist, Junction View, Eco Route and Voice Turn by Turn Directions
  5. Comes equipped with Bluetooth & build in mic &n speaker

POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN NUVI 1390LMT

  1. Picks up a signal fast
  2. Has a fast route correction alert
  3. The touchscreen is very easy to use
  4. The text and Speech are excellent
  5. Bluetooth is loud & clear

NEGATIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN NUVI 1390LMT

  1. The pop up adds are annoying
  2. You have to install new software on your computer to update the maps
  3. There's no battery indication

MY PICK

GARMIN NUVI 1490LMT

GARMIN NUVI 1490LMT


    Amazon gives the Garmin Nuvi 1490LMT a four star rating out of 1609 reviews. That's as of the time of this writing. Consumer's Reports, & C/Net haven't rated this one yet but when they do I will update this lens. Because it's not all that expensive, it would make a great GIFT for anyone that's hard to buy for.

    FEATURES

    1. Free life time maps available for download 4 times per year
    2. 5" screen, dimension are: 5.3 x 5.3 x 2.6; 1 pound
    3. Already loaded with: City Navigator for Canada, Puerto Rico and U.S.
    4. Bluetooth Compatible
    5. Touch Screen Display
    6. Eco route, Lane assist, Junction view, Photo Navigation
    7. Anti theft feature
    8. Picture viewer and world travel clock with time zones
    9. Currency Converter, measurement converter & calculator

    POSITIVE CONSUMER REVIEWS FOR THE GARMIN 1490LMT


    1. Has big letters and is easy to read while driving
    2. The volume is loud so you have no trouble hearing it
    3. Quickly locates a satellite
    4. You can disable the side tabs to have a bigger screen area
    5. The junction feature is impressive
    6. The blue tooth works great blocking traffic noise from your caller
    7. Map update is easy to download
    8. Window suction cup works great
    9. It's quick to recalculate time

    NEGATIVE CONSUMER REVIEW FOR THE GARMIN 1490LMT

    1. It doesn't suggest U-Turns
    2. Tone of the voice could be better
    3. It takes a long time to update the maps
    4. The power cord has several cables that run up your dash
    5. Has advertisements that pop up once in awhile

     

GPS NAVIGATION POLL

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Guestbook Comments

  • rachelscott May 2, 2012 @ 6:07 am | delete
    GPS is required for cars
  • rachelscott May 2, 2012 @ 6:04 am | delete
    Wow your lens is awesome
  • raitoavi Apr 30, 2012 @ 5:46 am | delete
    Awesome lens, I tend to agree with amazon's first pick, thanks for sharing!
  • NightMagic Apr 30, 2012 @ 1:24 pm | delete
    Thanks, raitoavi. Hopefully the review will be helpful to people wanting to buy one and not knowing which one to pick.
  • mihgasper Apr 28, 2012 @ 9:55 am | delete
    Well done presentation... Don't have a GPS yet but i think it will become a must in very near future. I have already seen lots of good uses!
  • NightMagic Apr 30, 2012 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    I'll have to agree with you, mihgasper. I think I will get a brad new one before I leave on holidays. It'll definitely be a lot less frustrating for me to find a place.
  • naheedahsan Apr 12, 2012 @ 3:56 am | delete
    Garmin is a good one,
  • NightMagic Apr 12, 2012 @ 11:50 am | delete
    Out of all the reviews I've read, Garmin seems to come out on top.
  • AnnieMoril Apr 5, 2012 @ 12:17 am | delete
    You presented the facts really well. This will really help me when I shop for a GPS.
  • NightMagic Apr 12, 2012 @ 11:49 am | delete
    Thanks,AnnieMoril. I'm glad I could be of some help
  • sabrebIade Jan 13, 2012 @ 5:25 pm | delete
    I LOVE our Garmin!
  • NightMagic Jan 13, 2012 @ 7:39 pm | delete
    They sure come in handy.
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REVIEW SITES

Do you still want to take a look at other brands of GPS Navigation Systems? The following, in my opinion, are the best review sites to use. What you want in a review site is an unbiased opinion which the following three will give you.
C/NET
They provide you with information and advice on the best products to purchase. C/Net also provides you with unbiased reviews, videos & podcasts.
Consumer Search
Here's another great site to get an unbiased review.
Consumer Reports
Another Unbiased Review Site. This one you do have to subscribe too. For what you get, the cost is reasonable.

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NightMagic

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