Hey guys, and welcome to the Best Options Channel!
In this video, we’ve decided to review the Best Garmin GPS navigators for your Car Journey,
available on the market today!
First, we will be looking at some of the best affordable entry-level Garmin GPS Navigators
that are available, then at the top premium ones that you can buy!
If you’d like to see their price, and find out more information about the products mentioned,
be sure to check the links in the description box below...
So, here are the top five, Best Garmin GPS Navigatos!
The fifth product on our list is the Garmin Drive 52 and Traffic, GPS Navigator with a
5-inch Display!
We are looking at one of the best budget Garmin GPS navigator available on the market today
that you can get for 140 bucks!
The ultimate aim of any car GPS is to make your driving life simpler, and that’s exactly
what the Garmin Drive 52 & Traffic does better than any other car navigation device.
The Garmin Drive 52 comes preloaded with street maps for the US, Canada, Puerto Rico, US Virgin
Islands, Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas, giving you a generous range of motoring peace
of mind, and includes map and software updates for free.
The Drive 52 has all the navigation basics that you’d expect, including driver alerts
to warn of sharp bends and speed limits and live traffic data to help you avoid construction
work and accidents.
Live traffic is pulled in via a connected smartphone with the app installed, meaning
you have up to the second traffic to get the best route.
There’s also a directory of National Parks that provides quick navigation to entrances,
picnic spots, and campsites, and access to data from The History Channel that includes
pictures and descriptions of notable historic sites, landmarks, and museums.
The 5-inch display is not as large as some, and you should bear in mind that the touchscreen
is resistive and doesn’t allow multi-touch input.
The 480x272 resolution means sharper pictures can be found on other devices too, but that
said, the maps and directions are bright and still easy to see.
The on-screen menus are as simple to navigate as the roads the Garmin Drive 52 & Traffic
will take you down as well.
What the Garmin Drive 52 doesn’t offer is Bluetooth connectivity, voice command, and
Wi-Fi updates, but as we’ve said, it’s simplicity that makes this car GPS stand out.
Some of the pros of this product include; Very good visual and audible navigation at
a lower price… it also gives you several handy navigational extras, like driver alerts,
TripAdvisor ratings, FourSquare data, US National Park info, and a guide to historic sites…
Easy setup, straightforward to use!
In the fourth place, we have the Garmin Drive 51 USA LM GPS Navigator!
It is usually priced at around 110$, and it is another budget choice for the Garmin GPS
navigators!
While the unit itself already has maps loaded onto it, in case there’s not enough storage
it also has a microSD card slot.
The display itself isn’t all that impressive in terms of resolution at 480 x 272 pixels,
but considering the blocky-text large icons, it doesn’t really matter much.
The Garmin Drive 51 LMT-S offers both voice and visual navigation, and it does pretty
well at both of those things Let’s start with visual navigation, which
we found to be clear and precise.
The system was good at showing lane navigation where helpful – so if there’s a fork in
the road it’ll clearly tell you which lane to stick to get to your destination.
The GPS also shows the speed limit on the display at all times, and gives you warnings
when you’re speeding – by turning the “speed” section red!
Voice navigation was also generally good, but in an era of smart speakers and regularly-used
digital assistants, the voice sounded a little like an old-school Siri from 2011.
the voice navigation is still intuitive despite the outdated voice.
We strongly recommend downloading the Garmin Smartphone Link app and using it with the
GPS.
Without it, the GPS often can take you on routes that took longer compared to what Google
Maps recommended.
With wireless pairing with any Garmin Connect compatible smartwatch, you receive navigation
alerts on your wrist even after parking your vehicle and walking to your destination.
There’s also no worry about losing your car in crowded parking areas as your smartwatch
guides you right from your parked vehicle to your destination and back again.
Some of the pros of this product include; TripAdvisor helps plan your trip…
Direct Access features make locating your target so much easier…
Gives drivers alerts about upcoming obstacles and cameras!
However, a con for this product is; Does not have a built-in dash camera!
The Garmin Drive 51 LM is the perfect navigator if you are traveling alone to a new place.
It gives clear directions while you drive, and is compatible with your smartwatch.
Its driver alerts help avoid accidents by alerting you of dangerous curves and street
lights, and even give fatigue warnings and inform you of nearby rest spots.
The third product on our list is the Garmin RV 780 GPS Navigator!
If you’re looking for the Best Garmin Gps for recreational vehicles you are in right
place, at a price of around 370$!
Garmin RV 780 is the brand-new advanced GPS navigator with a Traffic feature specifically
for the RVs and camping enthusiasts as its name suggests.
The RV 780 has a bright 6.95 inches high-resolution edge-to-edge touchscreen for you to see the
important instructions and the graphics clearly.
The custom routing feature considers the weight and the size of your vehicle to offer you
the best possible route.
Low clearances will also be taken into account on your RV profile.
Garmin RV 780 comes with an RV parks and services directory and some built-in content from public
campground directories, KOA, PlanRV, iOverlander, Foursquare, Plan TripAdvisor, etc. and you
can filter the provided information by amenities and prices.
To see the rest areas or campsites on your route you can just use your finger across
the map.
You can conveniently pair this Garmin with your smartphone for smart notifications and
access to hands-free calling and voice-activated navigation.
You just need to make sure the GPS and Bluetooth are enabled on your smartphone.
There is a free-of-charge Garmin Drive app on iTunes and Google Play that you can download
on your paired phone to get info on weather forecasts, live traffic conditions, and photo
lives traffic cameras.
It is a plug-and-play type of GPS navigator that you can use straight out of the box with
the traffic cable included in the box.
The maps and software will get updated automatically and free of charge with a wireless internet
connection.
The RV 780 weighs just 1 pound and measures 6.8 x 0.7 x 3.9 inches.
Some of the pros of this product include; Great features…
Excellent for RVs…
Camera integration!
However, a con for this product; No Garmin hard mount available (suction only)!
In terms of this unit versus other GPS systems out there, this one is again better because
of its RV-specific routing, the ability to connect a backup camera, and all of the travel
info and additional features you have at your fingertips.
The second option of our list is the Garmin DriveSmart 55 and Traffic, GPS Navigator with
a 5.5-inch display!
The Best value Garmin GPS navigation that is available on the market today, at a price
of 280$!
This GPS navigator features built-in Wi-Fi for easy software and map updates.
Includes voice-activated navigation, Bluetooth handsfree calling, and onscreen smart notifications
so your hands remain on the wheel.
Enjoy free lifetime map updates plus TripAdvisor data, helpful driver alerts, and live traffic
and parking information.
Used with FunTreks GPS Data Cards this is the best way to watch your progress as you
move along the trail.
Traffic and map updates are included along with helpful driver alerts to encourage safer
driving.
Also have voice-activated and the ability to pair with a compatible smartphone for hands-free
calling.
Outsmart traffic jams or slowdowns by avoiding them altogether with timely alerts that suggest
alternate routes to help you steer clear of construction zones or accidents ahead.
Garmin Traffic comes ready to use right out of the box, thanks to the included traffic
cable; no need to pair your navigator with a smartphone for traffic information.
I Pair this smart navigator with your phone,
and download the Garmin Drive app.
This gives you access to real-time information, including live parking and photo live traffic
cameras (where available) that show live traffic and weather conditions.
When connected, text messages and other notifications from your phone will display right along the
side of your navigation screen.
Some of the pros of this product include; Its 5.5-inch capacitive touchscreen display
is the best one…
It’s super sharp, allows easy multi-touch zooming…
The 55 also has intuitive voice control, Bluetooth for connecting with Garmin’s smartphone
app, and Wi-Fi for easy updating!
However, a con for this product; It gets a little warm when in use!!
For a complete navigation solution, pair this navigator with the BC 30 wireless backup camera
(sold separately).
Once connected, you can easily see vehicles, pedestrians, and other obstacles right on
the navigator’s display as you reverse.
And finally, we present you the Garmin DriveSmart 65 with Amazon Alexa, Built-In Voice-Controlled
GPS Navigator!
If you’re looking for the Best overall GPS with Alexa you are in right place, at a price
of around 270$!
The Garmin Drivesmart 65 is the company’s premium automotive GPS.
It’s the device that comes with all of the bells and whistles, including built-in integration
with Amazon Alexa.
It has a large high-resolution display and uses TripAdvisor ratings and Foursquare POIs.
They have less material surrounding the screen, and that means that despite having a larger
screen, they don’t appear as chunky.
The display itself is sharp and crisp thanks to a higher resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels
and the white backlight.
It’s a multi-touch screen meaning that you can pinch and zoom in and out of areas on
the maps – useful for when you want to take a closer look at a particular junction.
The power button is on the top right-hand corner as you look at the rear of the device.
There is also a speaker, a MicroSD slot, a mini-USB power slot, and a circular ridge
where the mount is attached.
At the very top of the GPS, there is a button to activate the Amazon Alexa voice features,
and on either side, there are two small microphones.
The navigational instructions from the Garmin use real-world examples.
Instead of being told to turn left in 200 meters, you turn left after the ‘upcoming
statue’.
It took a few trips for me to become familiar with these types of instructions.
By using your smartphone, Garmin can provide you with some real-time information.
Alternatively, you could obtain live parking data from many city centers, which could potentially
save you a lot of time by not having to drive around until you find some parking.
By utilizing the built-in Alexa, you can make your life much more comfortable.
Alexa can, of course, play you some music, read the latest audiobook, or provide you
with weather updates.
Some of the pros of this product include; Impressive Display Quality…
Top-Notch Lane Guidance…
Built-In Alexa Integration!
However, a con for this product; Some Rebooting Issues are Reported!
The Garmin Drivesmart 65 is a premium product that performs extremely well as a navigational
device.
There are lots of features and Alexa Skills to explore.