Garmin nuvi 885T

The Garmin nuvi 885T is Garmin's top-of-the-line, voice-commandable GPS -- with a price tag to match. Garmin does offer a less expensive version, the Garmin nuvi 855 (*Est. $245), which lacks only the Bluetooth and built-in MSN Direct traffic receiver of the pricier version (the cheaper nuvi 855 includes an FM traffic receiver). Reviews say these two bonus features aren't really much of a bonus anyway. The nuvi 885T's speaker is too quiet for Bluetooth calls, according to some users, and Microsoft plans to end MSN Direct service on Jan. 1, 2012, due to lack of subscriptions. However, if voice command isn't your top priority, reviews say the Garmin nuvi 765T (*Est. $270) includes some very useful features that the voice-command Garmins lack, including 3-D building view, a faster map refresh rate and free traffic information for the life of the unit. The competing TomTom Go 740 Live (*Est. $375) can connect to the Internet, allowing Google searches and instant traffic data from other Go 740 Live units on the road, but reviews say its voice-command feature is more rudimentary than Garmin's.

Experts at the GPS enthusiast sites GPSMagazine.com and GPSTracklog.com have thoroughly tested the Garmin nuvi 885T, as has the tech site PCMag.com. ConsumerReports.org's individual write-up of the nuvi 885T isn't as detailed as these, but experts there do rate all major aspects of the unit and rank it against a slew of other models; however, only subscribers can read the reports. User reviews at Amazon.com show how the nuvi 885T performs in real life.