When taking a trip by car you used

January 7th, 2009

When taking a trip by car, you used to have to print out lengthy sets of directions from an online site, or rely solely on your intuition and an atlas. Things have changed, however, and now you can get gps car navigation systems in your vehicle that will guide you just about anywhere you want to go. Some new models of cars and trucks automatically come with this feature, and others can be bought separately.

I was in Florida where it can be impossible to find your way around, especially in the packed tourist cities like Orlando. We were staying on Disney property so my brother could attend a conference, so my days were free to explore the area. Being by myself, I didn’t want to get lost, so I figured it would be as good a time as any to do some research on auto navigation systems. I rented an Explorer with a GPS unit installed in the dash, and I immediately began to test it. I wanted to see if it could accurately lead me back to my hotel and to other short destinations that I already had the directions for.

When it comes to choosing among the varieties of GPS devices out there, ease of use should be the first feature you look for when pricing auto navigation systems. If something is too complicated, it isn’t a good idea to have it in your vehicle. You’ll never make it to your destination if you are fiddling with your navigation system and wreck. Look for one you can easily learn to use, and one that has a display you can easily make sense of when used. You may find that some models have too small of a display screen and that they features are complicated. You want to skip a model that is not user-friendly.

Good auto navigation systems are like mapquest. Ninety percent of the time GPS devices are accurate, but they won’t always give you the best way to get somewhere or provide you with up-to-the-minute information about road detours and other changes along the route. I imagine the technology in auto navigation systems will only continue to improve, and the next generation may be able to sense when you’re about to screw up and make a mistake and will help you try to avoid it. Until then it makes sense to get directions from a real person who knows the area as well. Just to be safe.