Auto GPS: Reviews

The Garmin nuvi 265T comes loaded with features that were impossible to find on a $200 GPS receiver a year ago, including text-to-speech (it speaks street names instead of just "turn left in 200 feet") and free traffic… information for the life of the GPS unit. Tests show it navigates just as well -- and is just as easy to use -- as pricier Garmin GPS receivers. However, you'll have to step up to a midpriced auto GPS like the Garmin nuvi 765T (*Est. $270) if you want niceties like lane assist, 3-D building view and the ability to save your favorite routes.

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The Garmin nuvi 765T adds useful features you won't find on budget automotive GPS units like the Garmin nuvi 265T (*Est. $185). Although it doesn't have the latest high-tech features -- voice-command operation or an… Internet connection -- experts say the nuvi 765T navigates expertly, with the ability to sort multiple destinations into one efficient route and to save your favorite routes. The Garmin nuvi 765T is loaded with extras, including 3-D building view and an MP3 player. This car GPS receiver can even tell you which lane to be in at an interchange or help you find your car in a crowded parking lot. Like its budget-priced counterpart, the nuvi 765T also includes text-to-speech capability (so turns are announced by street name) and free traffic information for the life of the unit.

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Experts say voice command makes auto GPS receivers easier and safer to use. Hands-free operation means no more typing while driving -- something GPS makers and safety experts warn against, but some people do anyway. The… Garmin nuvi 855 really can be commanded almost entirely by voice, tests show. A pricier version, the Garmin nuvi 885T (*Est. $420), adds Bluetooth and MSN Direct service, but reviews say these aren't very big advantages. These voice-command units lack free traffic for life and a few of the other useful features on the Garmin nuvi 765T (*Est. $270).

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