Verdict: Not Recommended
Panasonic's CN-GP50 Strada is a 5" Widescreen GPS that boasts GPS Assist, Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling, and support for optional traffic services. Given the CN-GP50's relatively hefty $500 suggested retail price, the feature set is lacking, and performance just isn't up to snuff.
Panasonic's Strada CN-GP50 is a surprisingly uninspired GPS that servers as further proof that it takes more than slapping 3rd party software on generic hardware to make a GPS anyone will want to buy.
- Specifications
- Features
- What's in the Box?
- Installing the Strada CN-GP50 in the Car
- Finding An Address
- Finding A Restaurant
- Canceling the Route
- Bluetooth
- Routing Engine Performance
- Pros
- Cons
- Conclusion
1. Specifications
Screen: |
5-inch, widescreen 16:9 TFT Active Matrix touch screen |
Battery: |
Approx 4 hours of continuous use. Takes 6 hours to fully charge via the 12v adapter |
GPS Chipset: |
SiRF StarIII |
Bluetooth: |
Yes. Supports Bluetooth version 1.2 |
Languages Supported: |
US English, Canadian French, Mexican Spanish |
Dimensions (H x W x D): |
3.43'' x 5.08'' x 1.22'' |
Weight: |
0.7 oz |
Operating Conditions: |
-10°C to +60°C (main power on) +10°C to +35°C (battery charging) |
GPS Antenna: |
Internal patch |
Maps: |
North America & Mexico (including Puerto Rico, Alaska, & Hawaii) |
POI Database |
1.8 million |
2. Features
- Large, 5-inch display
- Voice Command
- GPS Assist (electronic compass and "Smart Assist" function compensates for interrupted GPS signals, such as when driving in a parking structure or through a tunnel)
- Photo viewer
- Bluetooth hands-free calling
- SD Memory Card Slot (for map updates and viewing photos)
3. What's in the Box?
Figure 1: What's in the Box
The Panasonic Strada CN-GP50 ships with the following items included in the box:
- Cigarette Lighter Adapter
- Mounting Bracket
- Adapter Plate
- Dash Mounting Plate
- USB cable
- 2GB SD Memory Card
- DVD-ROM (Operating Instruction Included)
Figure 2: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Front
The Strada CN-GP50 vaguely resembles Panasonic's television sets. The glossy black finish frames the large, 5-inch color touchscreen LCD display.
Figure 3: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Front
Except for the power button on the left side of the device, there are no physical controls on the CN-GP50. All operations are performed via the touchscreen display.
Figure 4: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Rear
A single speaker is located on the rear of the device.
The CN-GP50's speaker is very good. During testing the speaker provided clear, undistorted instructions that could easily be heard in the car, even when driving at highway speeds.
Figure 5: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Right Side
An SD Memory Card slot and microphone are located on the right side of the device. Maps are stored on an included 2GB SD Memory Card, and the microphone is used for voice commands and hands-free speakerphone.
Figure 6: Map Memory Card
Strada's maps are stored on the included 3GB SD memory card.
Figure 7: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Top
Figure 8: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Bottom
The main power switch and mini-USB port are located on the underside of the Strada CN-GP50. The USB port is used both for charging the internal battery as well as data transfer between the GPS and a PC.
Figure 9: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Bottom
The power button, accessory connector, and power plug are located on the left side of the Strada.
Figure 10: Protective Flaps
Power and traffic receiver connectors are protected by plastic flaps that swivel open.
Figure 11: Windshield Mount & Cradle
The docking cradle snaps on to the windshield mount, as shown below. Connecting the cradle requires a fair amount of force, so you'll want to connect the cradle to the windshield mount before installing the mount in the car.
Figure 12: Windshield Mount, Assembled
Once the cradle is attached, the mount is ready to receive the GPS.
Figure 13: Panasonic Strada, Docked on the Windshield Mount
Figure 14: Included 12v Power Adapter
The included 12v cigarette lighter power adapter feels sturdy and well made, and the cable is a decent length.
Figure 15: Included AC Power Adapter
Panasonic includes an AC power adapter - a nice addition that lets you charge the Strada outside the car.
Figure 16: Included Mini-USB Data Cable
A USB cable is included in the box, and used for connecting the Strada to a Mac or PC. You'll only need to connect the GPS to a computer if you want to load photos onto the unit, or update the unit's firmware.
Note: There's no mp3 or video playback capability on the Strada.
4. Installing the Panasonic Strata in the Car
Figure 17: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Mounted in the Car
Mounting the Panasonic Strada in the car is a simple procedure that takes a few seconds and doesn't require any professional installation.
Before attaching the mount, clean and dry the windshield as well as the suction cup on the base of the mount.
I prefer to mount the in the center of the windshield, half-way between the dashboard and the rearview mirror.
Figure 18: Connecting the Cradle to the Windshield Mount
Attach the cradle to the windshield mount by sliding the cradle onto the mount until it snaps into position.
Figure 19: Connecting the Mount to the Glass
Once you've determined where you want to mount the GPS on the Windshield, press the mount against the glass and push the locking lever into position to secure the mount, as shown below in figure 20.
Figure 20: Securing the Mount to the Windshield
To secure the mount to the windshield, push the locking lever towards the windshield. As you push, you'll hear clicking sounds as the lever gets closer to the glass, tightening the suction cup's grip to the windshield glass.
To release the mount from the windshield, pull the lever away from the glass and remove the mount.
Figure 21: Adjusting Strada's Windshield Mount
Panasonic's windshield mount is large, clumsy to operate, and requires users to use four levers and a twist dial to get the mount into the desired position.
I also found it difficult to dock and undock the Strada from the flimsy cradle, which has a tendency to bend as you push or pull on the mount. It's practically impossible dock or undock the GPS with one hand.
Panasonic should consider a more efficient mount design that's easier to use and less bulky.
Figure 22: 12v Power Adapter, Connected to the Cigarette Lighter
Connect the 12v charger to your vehicle's cigarette lighter adapter.
Figure 23: Connect the Power Cable
Peel the protective cover away and connect the power cable to Strada's DC power connector.
Figure 24: Docking the GPS in the Mount
Docking the Strada GPS to the Windshield mount involves lining up the holes on the bottom of the GPS with the notches on the mounting cradle, and then pushing forward towards the windshield glass until the top of the GPS snaps into the cradle.
Getting the GPS to snap into place requires a significant amount of force, and I frequently had to use two hands to get the Strada successfully docked.
Figure 25: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Mounted in the Car
Panasonic's windshield mount isn't powered, so you have to connect the 12v power cable directly to the GPS.
Figure 26: Panasonic Strada CN-GP50, Mounted in the Car
The included mount does a good job holding the GPS securely in place while driving. However, docking and undocking the Strada from the GPS is clumsy, and you have to fuddle with levers, a push slide, and a screw knob to adjust the mount's angle.
A powered windshield would have also been nice, as it would allow you to connect the power cable to the mount rather than the GPS, making docking and undocking the Strada a quicker procedure.
5. Finding an Address
Figure 27: Main Menu
Begin entering an address by tapping Destination from the Main Menu, shown above.
Figure 28: Destination Type
The Destination menu, shown above, asks if you want to enter a street address (Address), search for a business, such as a restaurant (POI), go to the saved Home address, choose a destination from the saved address book (Favorites), go to the most recently used address (Last Dest.), or use a stored voice command to input a destination.
In this example I'll be entering a street address, so I'll tap Address to continue.
Figure 29: Street or City Name First?
The Strada lets you choose whether you prefer to enter the street name, or city name first. I'll choose City First to continue.
Figure 30: Select the State or Country
The first time you enter an address on the Strada CN-GP50, the device asks what country your destination address is located in.
Using the on-screen keyboard, spell the name of the country (United States, in this case). Strangely, this screen appears to mix countries with States and Cities. Notice the scroll box of names in the upper-right portion of the screen is displaying "UT - Utah" and "NB - New Brunswick" as available selections for the State or Country.
As you spell the Country name, Strada attempts to autocomplete the name, and begins listing possible matches. Once the correct Country name is entered, tap the yellow checkmark to continue.
Figure 31: Entering the City or Zip
Use the on-screen keyboard to spell the city name of your destination. This is one of the most frustrating aspects of using Panasonic's Strada: You can't simply choose a City name, but instead HAVE to choose a specific zip code within a city. For example, it's not possible to choose "New York" as the City. Instead, you have to scroll through an endless list of zip codes in New York and choose one.
Most people probably won't know the zip code of their destination, and this type of address entry is more baffling than helpful. What do you do if you don't know the exact zip code of your destination address? In my testing I was able to choose any zip code in New York, and still enter a street and house number that wasn't actually located in that zip code.
The ability to use zip codes instead of City names could be a handy feature for many drivers. However, the REQUIREMENT to use zip codes is anything but helpful. Even though it's possible to enter an address after choosing an incorrect zip code, it's still a confusing system that adds time and complexity to the address entry process.
Figure 32: Entering the Street Name
Just as with City names, entering Street names requires that you navigate the muddy waters of zip codes. For example, after entering "Central Park West" as the Street name, the Strada presents a long list of all the zip codes that exist on Central Park west, and asks that we choose one of the many "Central Park West" listings.
As long as you know the correct house number, you can actually choose any of the zip codes listed, and Strada will correct the zip code later after you enter the house number. Still, this is an unnecessarily complex method for entering an address, and I quickly grew frustrated with Strada's software.
Figure 33: Entering the House or Building Number
With the City and Street names entered, Strada asks for the house or building number of the destination address. Use the on-screen keypad to input the house number.
Strada doesn't display a list of valid house numbers, as some other GPS units do. Displaying the valid range of house numbers for a given street can be useful if you don't know the exact street address of your destination.
Figure 34: Selecting a House Number
After entering the city, street, and house number, Strada presents a short list of possible destination addresses to choose from. I'll choose the third choice "135 Central Park W" to continue. Notice that the Strada displays the zip codes underneath each possible address, and shows the correct zip code for our destination, 10023.
Figure 35: Address Entry Complete
The address is now fully entered. However, the GPS is still displays "NEW YORK 10007" as the City, despite having chosen 10023 as the correct zip code in the previous step.
I'll tap Start Navigation and hope the destination address is correct, even though the zip code appears to be wrong.
Figure 36: Calculating Route
Route calculation was a little slower than Garmin or Magellan or TomTom, but was still acceptable. On average, routes took between 5 and 15 seconds to calculate.
From this screen you can view a turn-by-turn list of all maneuvers along the route by tapping Route List, or start driving to the destination by tapping Start Navigation.
Figure 37: Viewing the Turn-by-Turn List
The turn-by-turn "Route List" displays a list of all upcoming turns along with the distance between each turn, and the direction of the turn.
Specific roads or segments can be excluded from the route by tapping on the checkmark for that turn.
Figure 38: Navigating to the Destination
Once the route has been calculated, tapping on Start Navigation begins navigating to the destination.
Figure 39: Night View
Strada can automatically switch from day to night mode, adjusting the color scheme and brightness so the map is easier on the eyes when driving at night.
Enabled by default, the Strada switches to night mode based on the time of day.
Figure 40: Trip Options
Tapping the Options button on the Map Screen brings up the trip options screen, shown above. This menu lets you toggle between 2D and 3D map display, insert a stop along the route, exclude a specific road from the route, force the GPS into day or night mode, or find a POI along the current route.
6. Finding A Restaurant
In GPS speak, a "Point of Interest" is a business address saved on the GPS. You can think of the POI database as a digital yellow pages stored on the GPS. Most modern GPS devices come pre-loaded with a Points of Interest database, allowing you to find nearby businesses, such as restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and more.
The Strada CN-GP50 ships with a paltry 1.8 million Points of Interest. By comparison, Garmin's nuvi models have around 6 million POIs, and Magellan's Maestro GPS units have around 4.5 million.
Figure 41: Main Menu
To begin searching for a restaurant, tap Destination from the Main Menu.
Figure 42: Choose A Destination Type
Tap POI from the Destination menu.
Figure 43: Telling Strada Where to Search for A POI
Strada lets you search for POIs near your current location (Nearby), in a specific city (in a city), or across the entire USA (Nationwide).
There's also three "Direct Access" shortcut icons located on this screen for quickly location nearby gas stations, parking garages, and restaurants.
Figure 44: Searching for A POI In A City
Searching for a POI in a specific city suffers from the same confusing zip code debacle as the address entry system: when entering a city name, you're forced to search within a specific zip code instead of being able to select an entire city.
Figure 45: Choosing A POI Category
When searching for a Point of Interest (POI), you need to tell the GPS what type of business you're looking for. The most common business types are displayed at the top of the scrollable list (Gas Station, Restaurant, Hotel or Motel), or you can scroll through the entire list of available POI categories and select one.
Figure 46: Choosing A POI Sub Category
Some POIs, such as Restaurants, have Sub Categories available. For example, when choosing a Restaurant as the main POI category, a specific cuisine can be selected as a sub category.
Figure 46: Start Navigation
Once a Restaurant has been found, tap Start Navigation to begin navigating to the restaurant.
The two biggest problems with Strada's POI database are the reliance on zip codes, and the relatively small size of the database. The first time I searched for restaurants in "Manhattan", Strada returned zero results. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the first "Manhattan" listed on the cities screen had an usual zip code. Scrolling through the list of dozens of "Manhattan" entries (one for each valid zip code in New York City), I finally ended up choosing a zip code I knew to be valid. There appears to be no way to search across all zip codes within Manhattan, making the POI database almost useless.
Also annoying is the overall sluggishness of the device. There's a noticeable delay of about 1-2 seconds as you tap letters on the screen, slowing down almost all aspects of using the device, and making text entry frustratingly slow.
7. Canceling the Route
Figure 48: Exit Navigation
When navigating to a destination, the current route can be cancelled by tapping Menu from the map screen, and then tapping Exit Navigation, as shown above.
Figure 49: Confirm Canceling Navigation
Strada asks you to confirm that you want to cancel the route. Tap Yes to cancel the route and return to the Main Menu.
8. Bluetooth
Figure 50: Main Menu
Once paired with a compatible Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, Panasonic's Strada CN-GP50 can be used as a hands-free phone.
To access Strada's Bluetooth phone functions, tap Phone from the Main Menu.
Figure 51: Phone Menu
Strada needs to be paired with your cell phone via Bluetooth before the GPS can make use of the hands-free calling functions. Tap Find Other Phone from the Phone menu to begin the pairing process.
Figure 52: Device List, Searching
Searching for Bluetooth devices within range of the GPS takes about a minute. Any devices found will appear in the device list.
Make sure your phone's Bluetooth is turned on, and is set to "discoverable", otherwise Strada won't be able to find it.
Figure 53: Device List, Found
Once the search for nearby devices completes, tap on the device you want to pair with the Strada. In this example, I'll tap on "Fletch's iPhone" to begin pairing my iPhone with the Strada.
Figure 54: Registering the Mobile Phone
When the Strada attempts to connect with your mobile phone, you'll need to enter the password displayed on the Strada's screen on your mobile phone. This ensures that random devices cannot connect to your phone without your knowledge and permission. Enter the password when prompted on your phone.
Figure 55: Registration Successful
Pairing the Strada to my iPhone was quick and easy. I also tested pairing the Strada with 2 different Blackberry devices, both of which were able to pair with the GPS without issue.
Figure 56: Importing the Address Book
The Strada can import your cell phone's address book by tapping Import Address after the pairing process finishes. The Strada can import the address book, but it cannot automatically sync the GPS with your phone, so you'll need to re-import the address book every now and then to update the GPS with the most current version of your address book.
Figure 57: Successfully Imported Address Book
Importing the address book takes anywhere from a few seconds to close to a minute, depending on the number of entries contained in your address book.
Figure 58: Contacts
After importing the address book from your cell phone, entries can be viewed and dialed directly on the Strada. There's also a handy icon for deleting the entire address book (handy when you want to delete the address book and re-import a newer version).
Figure 59: Keypad
The on-screen keypad can be used to dial numbers not stored in the address book, or to navigate automated systems like voicemail boxes.
Panasonic's Strada has good Bluetooth support and was successfully able to pair with every phone I tested. The GPS was also able to import address books, and voice navigation prompts are automatically suppressed when navigating to a destination while using the hands-free calling feature.
It's not possible to dial Points of Interest (POIs) from the POI search menu, since the Strada's POI database doesn't include telephone numbers. The ability to dial restaurants and other POIs is a handy feature that is typically found on other Bluetooth-enabled GPS devices, and an omission on Panasonic's part.
9. Routing Engine Performance
All the bells and whistles aside, what really matters on any GPS is the quality of the maps, and how intelligently the GPS calculates the path from point A to B..
Without question the most common GPS complaint I hear is "the GPS took me on a crazy route", followed closely by: "that definitely was not the best/shortest way."
The two most important components of any GPS navigation system are the routing engine and mapping accuracy. The routing engine is the software that lets the GPS decide which route it should choose to get from point A to point B. Many people falsely assume that simply having the same maps installed on two different GPS devices will result in the same routing choices. Not so, as there is a great deal of math, personal preferences, and economics involved when your GPS begins calculating the "best" route.
Not surprisingly, this also one of the most difficult and complex aspects for GPS manufacturers to get right, and is the aspect of GPS navigation that is least well understood by consumers. Nevertheless, routing engine quality should be at the top of any GPS buyer's checklist.
The two largest mapping data providers are NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas . NAVTEQ used to have the advantage in mapping quality in North America. However, Tele Atlas has recently improved its US database, and both companies are now roughly equal in quality. The mapping provider shouldn't be a determining factor in routing quality (FYI, the Strada uses NAVTEQ maps), as both NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas provide excellent maps. However, it IS important to consider how often a GPS manufacturer releases map updates. Garmin and TomTom release yearly map updates, while Magellan, LG, Navigon, and others release mapping updates on a much less regular basis.
However, there is a lot more to a routing engine than just the mapping data provider. How a given GPS will determine the "best" route is not only the result of the mapping data, but is also the result of a given manufacturers decision on how many additional data points, or attributes, to factor into the calculation. For example, does the GPS know if certain roads closed after hours or on the weekend? That information is available to GPS manufacturers, but at an additional cost. Similarly, does the GPS know what the average rate of speed is for a given road? That information will also cost a manufacturer more to include.
Statistically speaking, more accidents happen when making left turns as opposed to right turns -- is the GPS unit factoring that into the route? Each company takes all this data and compiles it in different ways, making unique decisions about what data is more important than others. The number of attributes used varies depending on how much money the manufacturer is willing to spend on their mapping data. For example, a full NAVTEQ map database that includes all available attributes can cost the manufacturer twice as much as a basic set of attributes.
All Magellan and Garmin GPS units use NAVTEQ mapping data, as does the Panasonic Strada, while TomTom uses Tele Atlas.
To test the Strada CN-GP50's routing engine, I entered three different trips of varying distance in three different regions of the United States and compared the results to a Garmin nuvi 780 and a TomTom GO 920. All three test units had the latest available maps installed, and the most current firmware as of this writing.
Our first test took us along the Northeast, starting in Southbury, CT and ending in New York City:
ROUTING TEST #1 |
||
WINNER: Garmin nuvi 760 |
||
| Start: 14 Oak Tree Road, Southbury CT. Destination: 135 Central Park West, NY, NY | ||
Strada CN-GP50 |
Garmin nuvi 760 |
TomTom GO 920 |
►200ft Main St S |
►300ft Main St S ►300ft Main St N ►0.1mi Keep right onto I-84 W to Danbury ◄14mi Keep left on I-84 I-84 W ▲4.1mi Keep right onto I-84 W to NY State ►6.5 Exit 20 right to I-684 to New York City/White Plains ◄0.1mi Keep left onto I-684 to New York City/White Plains ▲28mi Exit 1 left to Hutchinson Pkwy to Whitestone Br ▲9.1mi Exit 15 left to Cross County Pkwy to George Washington Br ▲2.7mi Keep left on Cross County Pky W ▲2.0mi Exit 2 left to Saw Mill Pkwy South to New York City ▲0.2mi Keep left onto Saw Mill River Pkwy South ▲2.0mi Keep right onto Henry Hudson Pky South ►10mi Right to 79 St Boat Basin ►500ft Take roundabout to 3rd exit ►400ft 3rd exit to 79th St ►0.2mi Right on Broadway ◄0.3mi Left on 74th St ►0.4 Right on Central Park W ►120ft Arrive at 135 Central Park W on right |
►40yd Main St S |
Total: 80 miles / 1hr 25 minutes |
80 miles / 1 hour 19 minutes |
79.2 miles / 1 hour 30 minutes |
Panasonic's Strada CN-GP50, Garmin's nuvi 760, and TomTom's GO 920 all successfully get us to our destination address, but Garmin's nuvi 760 chooses a slightly faster route, provides more detailed navigation instructions, and is also the only GPS to announce what side of the street our destination address is on.
TomTom's GO 920 faired the worst in this particular test, routing us in such a way that the destination address is actually on the opposite (left) side of the street. We would then either have to make an illegal U-turn or go around the block to arrive at 135 Central Park West on our right. TomTom also has less detailed navigation prompts than the Garmin. TomTom also uses yards instead of feet, which is less commonly used here in the United States.
Yahoo! Maps (not shown in the table above) chooses a route identical to Garmin's route, but estimates the trip will take 3 minutes longer (1 hour 22 minutes) than Garmin estimates. Google Maps also chooses the same route as the Garmin nuvi.
Our first test used a trip that was approximately 80 miles in length and took us from Connecticut to New York City.
For our second test, I started out at Fry's Electronics in San Jose, California and entered a destination address at 300 Grove Street in San Francisco (about 46 miles in distance):
ROUTING TEST #2 |
||
WINNER: Garmin nuvi 760 |
||
| Start: Fry's Electronics, 550 E. Brokaw Rd, San Jose CA Destination: 300 Grove St., San Francisco, CA | ||
Strada CN-GP50 |
Garmin nuvi 760 |
TomTom GO 920 |
►0.7mi US-101 |
►0.3mi I-880 S to Santa Cruz |
►0.4mi 880 NB Oakland |
Total: 45 miles / 45 minutes |
47 miles / 43 minutes |
49.3 miles / 52 minutes |
Again Garmin chooses the best route, Panasonic's Strada chooses the second best route, and TomTom's GO 920 chooses the least effective route. While Panasonic and Garmin both route us along the 101 highway from San Jose to San Francisco, TomTom's GO 920 instead routes us along highway 880 North to 80 West -- an odd choice that adds around 4 miles (~6 minutes) to the journey, assuming there's no traffic 880 (which there usually is). Even worse, TomTom again has us arriving on the wrong side of the street, with our destination address on the left.
Both the Panasonic Strada and the Garmin nuvi 760 arrive with our destination address on the right side of the street, but only the Garmin actually announces us what side of the street our destination will be on. Occasionally the Strada unit would verbally announce what side of the street the destination was on, but that was the exception and not the rule.
Garmin's maneuvering instructions are also by far the most detailed.
For the third test, I chose a short, 3-mile trip from Beacon Street in Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts:
ROUTING TEST #3 |
||
WINNER: Garmin nuvi 760 |
||
| Start: 1200 Beacon St, Boston MA Destination: 5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge MA | ||
Strada CN-GP50 |
Garmin nuvi 760 |
TomTom GO 920 |
►0.0mi St Marys St |
►400ft St. Paul St ►0.5mi Commonwealth Ave ►0.3mi Keep right onto Hwy 2 to Cambridge ►0.1mi Mountfort St ◄0.4mi Take roundabout to 1st exit ►200ft Brookline St to Cambridgeport/Central Square ►Massachusetts Ave ◄300ft keep left on Main St ◄0.7mi Arrive at 6 Cambridge Ctr on left |
►80yd Saint Paul St |
Total: 2 miles / 8 minutes |
3.0 miles / 5 minutes |
2.8 miles / 8 minutes |
The results of test #3 are consistent with the previous two tests: TomTom's GO 920 chooses a route that's about 30% longer than the Strada or Garmin's nuvi. Garmin chooses a route that's slightly longer in distance than Magellan's Maestro, but is actually a shorter drive time, and Magellan's Maestro plots an acceptable route that's only slightly worse than Garmin's. It's interesting to see such varied routing results even on a short trip of less than 3 miles; more proof that shows how very different each GPS manufacturer is.
Garmin edged out the Strada in all three tests, choosing slightly more efficient routes with more detailed turn instructions and shorter drive times.
TomTom's GO 920 unit performed least well in all three routing engine tests, producing the longest routes in all three tests, and putting us on the wrong side of the street at our destination address. Only Garmin's GPS unit announced what side of the street our destination address was on.
I've received many questions asking why it's important to arrive on the right side of the street. In more rural areas, it likely won't make much difference if you arrive with your destination on the right or left. However, when driving in cities along wide avenues, such as in New York City, it's very important to arrive on the same side of the street as your destination. Otherwise you'll need to make an illegal U-turn or drive around the block.
Regarding the estimated drive times, some readers have commented that these tests unfairly penalize TomTom for more conservatively estimating the drive time, and reward Garmin for unrealistically aggressive (short) drive times. I disagree with these assertions, as I have actually driven many routes with all three devices connected and compared the routing choices made by each. Further, only the Garmin nuvi "learns" from your own specific driving behavior, and adjusts estimated arrival times accordingly. That means that the longer you drive with a Garmin nuvi GPS, the more accurate the arrival times will become. TomTom and Panasonic's devices, however, will always product the same estimated trip times.
All three tests show Garmin currently has the strongest routing engine. Panasonic's Navigon-powered unit performed admirably, coming in second place. TomTom's GO 920 (with TomTom's newest maps installed) came in 3rd place in all three routing tests.
10. Pros
- You can preview distances and travel times, and plan your route without receiving GPS signals. Handy if you want to plan a trip from your hotel room, for example.
- Crisp, loud speaker
- Ability to exclude specific roads from the route
- Supports text-to-speech voice prompts in US English, Canadian French, and Spanish
- SiRF StarIII GPS chipset provides excellent GPS reception
11. Cons
- Map screen is cluttered with too much information and written in text too small to read from the driver's seat
- Paltry 1.8 million POIs (similarly priced units have between 4.5 and 10 million POIs)
- Poor screen resolution
- Address entry and POI search functions rely on zip codes, making it almost impossible to specify a city instead of a zip code within a city
- Screen not as bright as it should be
- Poor software support from Panasonic
- No video input. Can't use the 5-inch display as a video screen for a DVD player or backup camera, for example.
- Panasonic's website is a mess
- Optional traffic receiver costs additional $130, plus annual subscription fee
- Big, clumsy windshield mount
- Viewing photos involves removing the SD memory card that contains the maps and inserting a different card with your photos stored on it.
- No FM transmitter
- Lacks mp3 player
- Cluttered, complicated to use
- Buggy: device crashed on me twice
12. Conclusion
Panasonic's Strada CN-GP50 is a decent looking piece of hardware that is undermined by the clunky and unrefined software, and lackluster feature set. Powered by Navigon's software, the CN-GP50 is as uninspired as it's name sounds. The Strada CN-GP50 is little more than generic hardware running a stripped-down version of Navigon's software on generic hardware. The screen resolution isn't great, and the software feels sluggish all around. When spelling out street names, or scrolling through lists of Points of Interest, the CN-GP50 is consistently 2 seconds delayed in responding to touchscreen input. I also experienced frequent crashes and software bugs, including the "Fatal Application Error" screen shown in the above screenshot. Despite the CN-GP50's larger-than-average 5-inch display, I found the on-screen text much too small to read in the car. I challenge anyone with normal vision to successfully read the ETA/Miles to Destination area of the map screen while driving. Almost all the on-screen icons and buttons are too small, and using the GPS in the car is a clumsy process that requires frequent use of the delete/backspace key. The windshield mount is difficult to operate, and has four separate levers and dials that must be pulled or turned in order to get the mount into the desired viewing angle. That's a lot of tinkering compared to TomTom and Garmin's mounts, which have no levers or knobs at all. I expected Panasonic to make more use of the Strada's large 5-inch display. However, there's no video input on the CN-GP50, so you won't be able to use the unit as a video unit for a DVD player or backup camera. Also surprising was the lack of a music player. Viewing photos on the Strada requires that the SD memory card containing the maps be removed, and a new SD card containing the photos be inserted. Entering addresses and searching for Points of Interest (POIs) can be maddening on the Strada. For example, when entering an address in New York City, you have to scroll through a long list of every valid zip code in New York. Searching for a POI is difficult unless you know the correct zip code for the destination address. Successfully entering an address or searching for a POI on the Strada is more of a test of determination than anything else. Spend a little time using the CN-GP50, and you'll inevitably begin to ask yourself: "why is this thing so slow?" (or possibly looking for the store receipt to check the return policy). The address entry system is so confusing it's almost comical, or at least it would be if it weren't so confusing, and all the GPS is always a second or two delayed. It's hard to imagine anyone at Panasonic used the Strada and was pleased with usability and performance. The CN-GP50 does manage to eek out some successes with its powerful, crisp speaker, multi-language support, and strong Bluetooth support. But the sluggish, cumbersome, and confusing software is a death blow to a surprisingly disappointing GPS that doesn't deserve to bear the Panasonic name. The Strada CN-GP50U has a suggested retail price of $499, and can be found online for considerably less, though you'd be much better off buying a Garmin, Magellan, or TomTom instead. |
