Do You Want Blutooth?

[Manolo1]

Then buy one of the new portable gps systems with bluetooth and don't even bother to order your car with nav:

save $$$

CR ratings:

Best Overall:

• TomTom Go 910 , $500

• Garmin nuvi 660 , $700 (may be obtained online for ~ $500)

• Garmin StreetPilot c580 , $550

All three models have text-to-speech technology, which means that they say the names of streets rather than simply say "turn left." Each can also of report traffic delays, but the TomTom Go 910 must be paired with a compatible Bluetooth phone to get traffic services. The others have built-in receivers. Of the three, the nuvi 660 is the most compact, yet has a good-sized screen allowing larger icons and keypad letters--a plus for entering addresses. The Garmin c580 performs as well as the nuvi 660, but it has a smaller screen and is a little less portable. The TomTom Go 910 is another strong performer. It is less portable with a screen size between the nuvi 660 and the StreetPilot c580.

Best on a budget:

• TomTom One , $300, CR Best Buy

• Garmin StreetPilot c330 , $300, CR Best Buy

• Magellan Roadmate 2000 , $250, CR Best Buy

These three models are strictly navigators. They don't offer all the bells and whistles like music players or hands-free calling, but they do a good job and are very easy to use. The TomTom One is extremely compact, but it still has a 3.5-inch (diagonal) screen and is capable of traffic updates with a compatible Bluetooth phone.

[njmurvin]

And, you can move it to your other cars. And, you can take it with you on vacations. We took my daughter's Nuvi 360 to Maui and it was a Godsend. They're pretty awesome. I plan to get the Nuvi 660 for my IS350.

[tex2670]

And, you can move it to your other cars. And, you can take it with you on vacations. We took my daughter's Nuvi 360 to Maui and it was a Godsend. They're pretty awesome. I plan to get the Nuvi 660 for my IS350.

Make sure you keep your insurance company's number in your cell phone speed dial, when someone smashes your window looking for the portable nav unit in the car. I used to have a removevable stereo and also a removeable faceplate, as did my roomate at the time--I can't tell you how many times it was stored in the car. Who wants to lug that thing around? Soooo--you take your Garmin in the car with you only when you think you'll need it, and you end up in some huge traffic jam and you need to take another route. Or--you take it with you all the time, but you don't want to carry it around.

While I do think they are great, and much more economical, I'm plenty happy with my factory nav.

[Knightshade]

Or you take the 20 seconds it takes to hide it in your console. Problem solved, and you still saved a couple thousand bucks, don't have a crippled nav system while driving, and can move it to other vehicles when you want (ie your wifes car, or a rental if traveling).

Not living in a high crime area probably helps too.

[tex2670]

Or you take the 20 seconds it takes to hide it in your console. Problem solved, and you still saved a couple thousand bucks, don't have a crippled nav system while driving, and can move it to other vehicles when you want (ie your wifes car, or a rental if traveling).

Not living in a high crime area probably helps too.

As long as you hide the suction cup each time, too--otherwise, they'll take 3 seconds to look in the console. Not living in a high crime area may help, but if you buddy up with a mall security guard, ask how many smash and grabs they see in the mall parking lot. I bet it's much higher then you think.

[Knightshade]

What suction cup? My Garmin 2610 uses a weighed "beanbag" type mount that stays attached to the GPS... whole thing goes from "in use" to "inside the console 100% out of sight" in under 30 seconds.

I do live in one of the 10 safest cities in the country, so my perceptions might be skewed... but then again I grew up in NY and didn't ever get robbed there either... and I've used my GPS in rental cars in vegas many many times without incident and there's tons of crime there...a little smarts goes a long way. Unless there's criminals with x-ray vision it's just not a problem.

[CrunchySkippy]

I've got the NAV system in my Lexus. My wife has a Garmin c-330 for her car.

The Lexus nav system is nice because it is "instant-on" (does not take a few seconds/minutes to acquire satelites) and also has the dead reckoning feature when in tunnels or urban canyons. The picture is also much larger.

And the Garmin is definitely nice to have the portability when going on vacation with rental cars. We've also used in in Hawaii. Its pretty cheap at $300, too (vs. ~$2500 or whatever for the Lexus).

They've both got their benefits. I don't think I'll ever get another car without one built in though. My wife doesn't care for it being built in. But hiding it is a must, regardless of whether you think you're in a low crime area.

But I'm curious, what does the bluetooth feature enable with the portable GPS systems? Our unit doesn't have it.

[njmurvin]

But I'm curious, what does the bluetooth feature enable with the portable GPS systems? Our unit doesn't have it.

It functions as a handsfree phone. It has a built in mic and the same speaker as it uses for voice ops. My daughter uses her Nuvi 360 this way.

[Knightshade]

many newer standalones do dead reckoning as well... some can also do their audio over the cars sound system (via built in FM tuner) if you prefer using that to the built-in audio of the GPS... and the BT functions can do the handfree phone, built-in phonebook, dialing of POIs, etc... kinda like the built-in one can (but it won't care if you're driving or not and won't lock out some functions if you are).

You can get larger screen ones too, but they're a little harder to fit in the center console :P

Another big bonus- Garmin gets $75 for new maps... unlike the $300 Lexus charges.

[Rush1169]

I just do both. One factory unit and one portable for other situations. It's just a couple hundred bucks for a portable unit (as we sit discussing forty thousand dollar cars). . .

[Knightshade]

I just do both. One factory unit and one portable for other situations. It's just a couple hundred bucks for a portable unit (as we sit discussing forty thousand dollar cars). . .

Yes, it's just a couple hundred bucks for the portable unit. The factory unit on the other hand adds 2.5-3k to the price of the car, which is still significant even on a 40k car.

[tex2670]

I just do both. One factory unit and one portable for other situations. It's just a couple hundred bucks for a portable unit (as we sit discussing forty thousand dollar cars). . .

Yes, it's just a couple hundred bucks for the portable unit. The factory unit on the other hand adds 2.5-3k to the price of the car, which is still significant even on a 40k car.

While you are correct that there are good quality portable nav units out there, that give you a lot for your money, you have to accept that some people would just rather spend the money on the factory nav. Each has good points and bad points.

[Manolo1]

One of the bad points comes at selling time...

If there is new technology out there you are selling a car with an obsolete nav on it.

Just remember what is happpening to all GM car owners that have the old OnStar analog system...

[Knightshade]

Studies have found that OEM nav actually lowers resale value...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-0...sale-usat_N.htm

[tex2670]

Studies have found that OEM nav actually lowers resale value...

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2007-0...sale-usat_N.htm

Let's not all panic.

It doesn't LOWER resale value--you just don't get back the same percentage of what you paid. Saying it lowers your resale value, to me, implies that a non-nav used car will be MORE EXPENSIVE than the exact same model with nav. That's not the case.

What the article says is that if a particular model has a 50% resale value, it will be slightly lower if you have nav. So, if the nav model was originally $40,000 and the non-nav was originally $38,000, on the used market, the non-nav would be $19,000, but the nav might be $19,250 or $19,500; but won't be $20,000.

[Knightshade]

I'm not panicing, I explicitly deleted Nav from my special order and spent 2k less on a better aftermarket unit :P

[CrunchySkippy]

I'm not panicing, I explicitly deleted Nav from my special order and spent 2k less on a better aftermarket unit :P

Just don't lose sight that even the "better aftermarket unit" will soon be depreciated to obsolete status. Its a no win situation for anyone investing in technology. Enjoy whatever you have, while you can.

[Knightshade]

Absolutely... but at least it's a couple hundred dollar item moving toward worthless instead of a couple thousand dollar one. And in the meantime it's $75 a year to update the maps instead of the $300 a year Lexus charges for the same thing.

[Iceman9mc]

can anyone give any feed back on the quality of the bluetooth through the car's stereo system as to quality and the like...also can you be listening to songs on your iPod and have bluetooth operational...I ask this because a garmin would have to be tuned into the radio...any thoughts would be appreciated

[internetman]

I have the Nav with the Bluetooth. One of the benefits of the factory navigation that I don't think has been mentioned here is the rear view camera, which I think is a valuable safety feature. I have kids who tend to play or leave toys/bikes right behind our cars in the blind spot.

About the Bluetooth, the sound quality is very good (as good as you'll get from a cell phone.) No matter the audio source (CD, XM, or Aux in), the car will cut the volume to alert you to incoming calls. When I first used my phone with the car, I had a problem with feedback from the speaker to the microphone. So I turned down the volume for phone calls through the speaker and I no longer have any feedback issues.