GPS Buyer's Guide

Welcome to the GPSmagazine Buyer’s Guide. Confused about which GPS to buy? You’ve come to the right place! GPSmagazine has reviewed every product listed in the guide, and is the Internet’s #1 destination for in-depth, unbiased GPS reviews.

Quick Recommendations | How We Tested | Units to Avoid  

    Excellent  Excellent
  Very Good  Very Good   Good  Good   Fair  Fair   Poor  Poor
 
 Model
 
Street Price
 Overall Score
 
 Ease of Use
 
 Features
  Price
          Address Entry (How easy is it to enter a street address?) POI Search (How easy is it to search for a Point of Interest?) Routing Options (How flexible is the GPS in terms of letting you customize the route?) Routing Intelligence (How smart is the GPS at finding the "best" route?) Screen Readability (How bright and clear is the screen? Can you easily read it even in sunlight?) Speaker Loudness / Quality Map View (How well designed / easy to understand is the Map?) Voice Quality (How natural sounding are the voice instructions?)   3D Lane Guidance Map Coverage Screen Size Bluetooth Traffic Text to Speech Customer Support  
  Garmin nuvi 785T Buy this GPS from Amazon.com
95%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
NA or Europe
4.3"
Routing Engine: Excellent
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Price: Fair
  GPSmagazine Editor's Choice for Best All Around GPS
Garmin nuvi 765T
Buy this GPS from Amazon.com
95%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
NA or Europe
4.3"
Routing Engine: Excellent
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
  Price: Good
  Garmin nuvi 755T GPS from Amazon.com
90%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
NA or Europe
4.3"
N
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
  Price: Good
  Garmin nuvi 885T GPS from Amazon.com
85%  
 
Very Good
Ease of Use: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
NA or Europe
4.3"
Voice Quality: Very Good
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
FM Transmitter: Fair
  Garmin nuvi 265WT GPS from Amazon.com
80%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA & Europe
4.3"
Routing Engine: Excellent
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Very Good
  Magellan RoadMate 1470 GPS from Amazon.com
78%  
 
Ease of Use: Excellent
Bluetooth: Good
Physical Design: Very Good
Bluetooth: Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Map Quality: Very Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA & Canada
4.7"
N
N
Y
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
GPS Sensitivity: Excellent
  Magellan Maestro 4350 GPS from Amazon.com
75%  
 
Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
North America
4.3"
FM Transmitter: Fair
Y
Y
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
GPS Sensitivity: Excellent
  Garmin nuvi 205 GPS from Amazon.com
74%  
 
Very Good
Ease of Use: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Voice Quality: Very Good
Bluetooth: Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Voice Quality: Very Good
-  
No
Lower 48
3.5"
N
N
N
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
GPS Sensitivity: Excellent
  Magellan Maestro 4250 GPS from Amazon.com
72%  
 
Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
North America
4.3"
FM Transmitter: Fair
Y
Y
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
Price: Excellent
  Magellan RoadMate 1430 GPS from Amazon.com
70%  
 
Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Physical Design: Very Good
Voice Quality: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
US, Canada
4.3"
N
Y
Y
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
POI Content: Good
  TomTom GO 930T GPS from Amazon.com
65%  
 
Ease of Use: Good
Ease of Use: Good
Ease of Use: Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Good
 
Physical Design: Excellent
NA & Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Fair
Y
Y
POI Content: Good
 
Bluetooth: Fair
  TomTom GO 930 GPS from Amazon.com
60%  
 
Ease of Use: Good
Ease of Use: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Good
 
Map Quality: Excellent
NA & Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Fair
N
Y
POI Content: Good
 
Price: Good
  TomTom GO 740 LIVE GPS from Amazon.com
60%  
 
Ease of Use: Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Windshield Mount: Good
Physical Design: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Good
 
Map Quality: Excellent
US, Canada
4.3"
Bluetooth: Fair
Y
Y
POI Content: Good
 
Bluetooth: Fair
  TeleNav Shotgun $$$
  40%
 
Ease of Use: Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
Bluetooth: Poor
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
 
No
US, Canada
4.3"
N
Y
Y
Very Good
 
Bluetooth: Fair
  Discontinued Models
  Garmin nuvi 880 GPS from Amazon.com
85%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Excellent
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Price: Good
  Garmin nuvi 780 GPS from Amazon.com
80%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Excellent
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
  Good
  Garmin nuvi 760 GPS from Amazon.com
78%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Excellent
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Very Good
  Garmin nuvi 750 GPS from Amazon.com
75%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
No
NA or Europe
4.3"
N
N
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
Excellent
  GPS from Amazon.com
70%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Very Good
Y
Y
FM Transmitter: Fair
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Very Good
  GPS from Amazon.com
68%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Very Good
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Excellent
  Garmin nuvi 350 GPS from Amazon.com
66%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
3.5"
N
N
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Excellent
  TomTom GO 920T GPS from Amazon.com
63%  
 
Ease of Use: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Voice Quality: Very Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Good
 
No
NA & Europe
4.3"
Bluetooth: Fair
Y
Y
Good
 
Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
63%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
-  
No
North America
4.3"
N
N
N
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
60%  
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
-
No
North America
3.5"
N
N
N
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Fair
 
GPS from Amazon.com
60%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
-  
No
USA & EU 3.5"
N
N
N
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
55%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Ease of Use: Fair
Voice Quality: Very Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Ease of Use: Fair
Voice Quality: Very Good
-  
No
Region 3.5"
N
N
N
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Fair
  Garmin StreetPilot c550 GPS from Amazon.com
53%  
 
Very Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Physical Design: Excellent
Good
Good
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
No
NA or Europe
2.8"
Bluetooth: Good
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Very Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
50%  
Ease of Use: Fair
Windshield Mount: Very Good
Good
Voice Quality: Very Good
Physical Design: Poor
Physical Design: Excellent
Ease of Use: Fair
Good
No
USA
4.3"
N
Y
Y
N
Very Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
50%  
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Physical Design: Good
Good
Ease of Use: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
Street & Topo USA 3.5"
N
N
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Very Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
  48%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Physical Design: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
Ease of Use: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
North Ameica
3.5"
Bluetooth: Very Good
N
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Very Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
  46%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Physical Design: Very Good
Voice Quality: Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
North Ameica
4.3"
Bluetooth: Very Good
Y
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
  45%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Physical Design: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA
3.5"
N
N
Y
Routing Engine: Excellent
 
Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
  45%
 
Ease of Use: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Physical Design: Fair
Routing Engine: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
Good
 
No
North America 4.3"
Bluetooth: Good
Y
Y
Good
 
Very Good
  Magellan Maestro 4040
GPS from Amazon.com
  43%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Physical Design: Very Good
Physical Design: Very Good
Voice Quality: Good
Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
North Ameica
4.3"
Bluetooth: Good
N
Y
Ease of Use: Fair
 
Good
 
GPS from Amazon.com
  40%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA
3.5"
N
N
N
Ease of Use: Fair
 
Very Good
  LG LN740 GPS from Amazon.com
  38%
 
Ease of Use: Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
Windshield Mount: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Physical Design: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA & Canada 4"
N
Y
Y
Poor
 
Good
  Magellan Maestro 3100
GPS from Amazon.com
  35%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Voice Quality: Fair
Physical Design: Good
Physical Design: Very Good
Ease of Use: Fair
-  
No
US (48)
3.5"
N
N
N
Ease of Use: Fair
 
Excellent
  Magellan RoadMate 6000T
GPS from Amazon.com
  35%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Physical Design: Very Good
Physical Design: Poor
Physical Design: Very Good
Ease of Use: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA
3.5"
Bluetooth: Fair
Fair
Y
Ease of Use: Fair
 
Good
  Magellan RoadMate 3000T
GPS from Amazon.com
  32%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
FM Transmitter: Fair
Excellent
Physical Design: Very Good
Physical Design: Poor
Physical Design: Very Good
Ease of Use: Fair
-  
No
USA
3.5"
N
N
Y
Ease of Use: Fair
 
Fair
  TomTom ONE XL
GPS from Amazon.com
  30%
 
Routing Engine: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Voice Quality: Fair
Routing Engine: Good
Physical Design: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
-  
No
USA & Canada
4.3"
Bluetooth: Poor
N
N
Good
 
Excellent
  TomTom ONE
GPS from Amazon.com
  28%
 
Routing Engine: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Voice Quality: Fair
Routing Engine: Good
Physical Design: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
-  
No
USA
3.5"
Bluetooth: Poor
N
N
Good
 
Good
  TomTom GO 910
GPS from Amazon.com
  25%
 
Routing Engine: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Voice Quality: Fair
Physical Design: Very Good
Physical Design: Good
Ease of Use: Fair
Good
 
No
USA & Europe
4.0"
Bluetooth: Fair
N
Y
Good
 
Good
  Navigon 7100
GPS from Amazon.com
  25%
 
Routing Engine: Fair
Windshield Mount: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
Voice Quality: Fair
Physical Design: Good
Physical Design: Good
Physical Design: Good
Good
Map Quality: Very Good
North America
4.3"
Bluetooth: Fair
Y
Y
Good
Fair
  Magellan RoadMate 760
GPS from Amazon.com
  25%
 
Routing Engine: Excellent
Routing Engine: Very Good
Excellent
Routing Engine: Very Good
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Very Good
Ease of Use: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA
3.8"
N
N
Y
Bluetooth: Fair
 
Poor 
 
GPS from Amazon.com
  24%
 
Windshield Mount: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Windshield Mount: Good
Physical Design: Fair
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
No
North America
4.3"
Bluetooth: Poor
N
Y
FM Tranmitter: Fair
Good
  Novogo N100 Pocket LOOX
GPS from Amazon.com
  20%
Ease of Use: Poor
FM Transmitter: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
Ease of Use: Poor
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Good
Ease of Use: Poor
FM Transmitter: Fair
No
North America
2.8"
N
Poor
N
N
Good
  Alpine Blackbird
GPS from Amazon.com
  20%
 
Ease of Use: Fair
Routing Engine: Poor
FM Transmitter: Fair
Ease of Use: Poor
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Very Good
Ease of Use: Poor
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
USA
3.6"
N
Y
N
FM Tranmitter: Fair
 
Fair
  Panasonic Strada CN-GP50
GPS from Amazon.com
  15%
 
Ease of Use: Poor
FM Transmitter: Fair
Routing Engine: Poor
Ease of Use: Poor
Routing Engine: Good
Routing Engine: Very Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
FM Transmitter: Fair
No
North America
5"
N
N
Y
FM Tranmitter: Fair
Fair
  Novogo S700 BT
$$$
  15%
 
Ease of Use: Poor
FM Transmitter: Fair
Routing Engine: Poor
Ease of Use: Poor
Physical Design: Good
Voice Quality: Good
Voice Quality: Good
FM Transmitter: Fair
 
No
NA or Europe
3.5"
Bluetooth: Poor
N
Y
N
 
Poor 
 
    Excellent  Excellent
  Very Good  Very Good   Good  Good   Fair  Fair   Poor  Poor