4 factors to consider when choosing an automatic GPS

There are many factors when choosing a GPS for your car. Most of it depends on personal likes, dislikes and desires. Some factors boil down to sticky points.

Is it so:

The receptor.

· The number of points of interest.

· Highway quality.

Price

The receiver you want is the high performance of SiRF. The SiRF Star III chipset is a must. This receiver allows you to get reception in areas you didn’t have in the past, such as behind tall buildings and in canyons. Reviewers have praised the SiRFstarIII chipset for its superior sensitivity and tracking capabilities. GPS receivers based on this chipset have routinely performed better than receivers based on other chipsets. All models of the best manufacturers use this receiver. However, you must be careful. There are still GPS units from the best manufacturers without this chipset on the market. Some units with this receiver have also been discontinued. Check out my blog for a list of GPS units to avoid.

The next feature is the number of POIs the unit comes with. This varies from a few hundred thousand to several million. These points of interest are important when you need to find a gas station quickly. A general rule of thumb is that the more expensive the GPS, the more points of interest it will have. You can also add points of interest. The process varies depending on the GPS. I know with some TomTom drives you can add your own from your computer.

The quality of the routes is the heart of GPS. Routes are the reason we buy and use GPS. Even with the same receiver and maps, the routes will vary between units due to the algorithms used, the route will vary. Garmin is ranked by most as the best. Magellan is a close second. TomTom ranks third among the best manufacturers.

Price is a factor because it affects the features you’ll be able to get. There are many excellent base units that do the basic job of GPS. Basic models cost hundreds of dollars less than higher-end models. For example, if you are willing to forgo an FM transmitter and MSN for live traffic and you could save up to $400.00.

The process of choosing a GPS for your car should look like this:

Set a maximum price to spend.

Make sure you get the SiRF Star III chipset.

· Review customer ratings. Any manufacture is capable of producing a poor model.

· Look at the number of points of interest included. Also research the cost of adding more POIs to the unit.

Do these things and you should be able to find the best auto GPS for you.