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The directions from this user-friendly navigator are very accurate, and it acquires a signal quickly. It also recalculates rapidly when a turn is missed. The text-to-speech function is sophisticated so that street names are easy to understand. Built-in Bluetooth allows hands-free use of your cell phone. It is easy to attach and remove from the suction cup mount.
More than just a navigator, the nuLink service that comes with this unit also has information on traffic jams, weather, movie times, Google search, flight data, best gas prices in your area, motel accommodations, restaurants, white pages and more. Currently, the service is offered free for the first two years, but there will be a small monthly fee thereafter. In exchange for the free service, there are ads that appear as a single line of text on the upper part of the screen, but they only appear for a few seconds, and only when the vehicle is stopped. However, if the ads are an annoyance, it is possible to pay for the service and eliminate the ads. The gas price feature can be very helpful to find out how much a station is charging before exiting the freeway, and the traffic jam feature takes some getting used to, but once you learn how to use it, it can prevent hours of delay.
The 'ecoRoute' feature lets you calculate not only how much gas it will take to reach your destination, but it also will look back and calculate how many miles per gallon you averaged since your last fill up. If desired, you can connect it to your computer and print reports to get more detailed data.
If you have trouble entering addresses on the touchpad, use the 'touch sensitivity adjustment' so that it works better for the size of your fingers.
When the volume is set at its loudest setting, it would be appropriate for use on a freeway with the windows down. For regular driving, the volume will be set at about 50%, unless the driver is hard of hearing.
Maps as well as phone numbers can be saved for future use. The time zone is updated automatically as you cross from one zone to another. There's even a speed indicator that turns red to let you know when you've exceeded the speed limit.
It comes with a locking mechanism that makes the device useless to anyone who steals it. However, until all brands offer that feature, theft prevention would depend on the awareness of the thief.
One thing that would be nice would be a 'scenic route' button. The navigator always looks for the most efficient route, so even if you're trying to avoid the interstate, it will nevertheless keep advising you to take that path.
With an MSRP of $449.99, this is the top of the line GPS navigator on the market. All navigators work well as far as mapping a route, but the extra features on this one are what make it worth the price.
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