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Not Wild About Waze? Try One of These Top GPS Devices

Driving in circles? A good GPS can do a lot more than just get you where you're going, it can help keep you sane on the road. A mix of newer devices and older bargains, here are the top models you can buy.

Wendy Sheehan Donnell
by Wendy Sheehan Donnell 

The death of the dedicated GPS device has been exaggerated. Sure, smartphones integrate talented—and a lot of times, free—navigation apps, but not everyone wants to use a phone or a tablet for driving directions. With a standalone GPS, you can just leave it in the car and forget about it until you need it, and you don't have to worry about draining your phone's battery.

With goodies like free traffic reporting, lifetime map updates, and local search now commonplace, today's GPS devices can do a lot more than they ever have, and they've never been more affordable—thanks in part to stiff competition from those aforementioned nav-enabled phones and tablets.

That said, the GPS market has contracted so much that we no longer test and review dedicated devices. And it has dwindled down to just two major players: Garmin and Tom Tom. The good news is that these manufacturers have received top ratings from us in the past, and the models we recommend here are their most popular, with the best customer ratings.

So if you're searching for the right GPS device, one of these should get you where you're going.

Garmin Drive 52 & Traffic

The Garmin Drive 52 & Traffic is one of the most basic, accessible Garmin GPS systems you can get for your car. Like its name implies, you'll pay a little extra over the "regular" Drive 52 for traffic, but without it, you might as well be using your phone.

TomTom Go Comfort

TomTom is the other big name in GPS devices, and the TomTom Go Comfort is one of the most accessible models available. You can save a few dollars with the TomTom 1625TM and still get lifetime maps and traffic, but you'll be missing out on the convenience of Wi-Fi updates, and using the screen to read your phone messages.

Garmin DriveSmart 65 With Amazon Alexa

On the other end of Garmin's car GPS line is the DriveSmart 65 with Amazon Alexa. In addition to a large 6.95-inch screen, it has Amazon Alexa for hands-free navigation, music playback, and voice commands.

TomTom Go 620

The Go 620 is TomTom's high-end car GPS, and it takes everything the Go Comfort has and adds lane guidance, hands-free calling, and Google Assistant and Apple Siri voice assistant compatibility.

Garmin Speak Plus With Amazon Alexa

If you want Alexa and navigation, but don't need a screen, the Garmin Speak Plus With Amazon Alexa is the GPS for you. It only gives you turn-by-turn voice directions rather than a big map, but you can still talk to Amazon Alexa through the small windshield-mounted device, and it doubles as a dash cam.

TomTom Rider 550

If you want GPS for your motorcycle, you'll have to think smaller and more rugged. The TomTom Rider 550 has a 4.3-inch screen and a weatherproof design, along with all of the features of the TomTom Go 620, like Google Assistant and Siri compatibility.

Garmin Zumo 396

The Zumo series is Garmin's answer to TomTom's Rider line, offering smaller, sturdier GPS systems for motorcycles. The Garmin Zumo 396 features a 4.3-inch screen that's paltry compared with the Garmin Drive devices, but it's designed to be mounted on your bike and exposed to the elements, which means it can handle rain, dirt, and even fuel vapors and still function.

All the Car Tech You Can Handle

For more advice on upgrading your vehicle, check out these 33 ways to soup up your current car with tech. We also have lots of tips on buying the best dash cam.
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About Wendy Sheehan Donnell

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