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Car GPS and navigation app reviews

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Last updated: 22 February 2023
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Our car GPS test looks at how entry-level, mid-range and top-tier GPS units from Garmin, TomTom and Navman compare with GPS apps for your Android or iOS device like Apple Maps, Google Maps and Waze.

Our experts test-drive every GPS unit and app to find the models and programs that:

  • are the easiest to use
  • perform best in city areas
  • perform best in rural and regional areas.
 
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We also look for important additional GPS features such as live traffic updates, safety camera and school zone alerts, Bluetooth for hands-free phone use, trip planning and public transport information. Our car GPS buying guide explains the state- and territory-based laws around GPS units and apps for fully licensed, L, P1 and P2 drivers.

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Brand

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List of brands we tested in this review.

    Price

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    The recommended retail price or cost of the app on the App Store/Google Play Store. Some app pricing is recurring – see product pages for more info.

    enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 599

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    Member only

    This test score is for members only. Join now to unlock our expert results.

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    Navigation type

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    Do you want a dedicated GPS unit, or a navigation app on your smartphone?

      Find an address score

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      Our tester selects various regional and city locations, and performs two sets of distance calculations for each location. The total of the predicted distances is calculated; the more accurate the predicted distance (compared to a reference map) the better the score. Note: models and apps tested before 2021 used different regional locations.

      enter value/s in increments of i between 5 and 95

      Ease of use score

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      We assess how useful the GPS's instructions are, how easy it is to attach and remove the unit and whether it vibrates during travel. We look at how easy it is to use the menu structure on the touchscreen and, where supplied, whether it's necessary to use a stylus to navigate the menu.

      enter value/s in increments of i between 60 and 89

      Bluetooth (for hands-free mobile calls)

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      Some devices allow you to take and make phone calls using the Bluetooth connection between the device and your smartphone.

        Included in this review

        Members-only access
        • Recommended
        • CHOICE Expert Rating
        • Find an address score
        • Ease of use score
        • Verbal instructions score
        • Screen quality score
        • Points of interest score
        • Speed of map refresh score
        • Time from start to ready to navigate (sec)
        • Map provider
        • Good points
        • Bad points
        • Price
        • Recurring fee
        • Walking mode
        • Cycling mode
        • Voice recognition
        • No tolls
        • No unsealed roads
        • No highways
        • Announces school zones
        • Full-route display
        • Drag to edit route
        • Lane guidance
        • Landmark guidance
        • Public transport information
        • Safety camera warning
        • Fixed speed camera warning
        • Current speed limit
        • Over the speed limit warning
        • Text To Speech (TTS)
        • More than one TTS option
        • Remote trip planning
        • Itinerary planning
        • Bluetooth (for hands-free mobile calls)
        • Trip log
        • Live traffic included
        • Live traffic type
        • Lifetime maps included
        • Mac support OSX
        • NZ map support
        • Other countries available
        • Offline base maps
        • Memory card (microSD)
        • Auto orientation
        • Screen dimensions (mm, W x H)
        • Screen resolution (px)
        • Screen size (in)
        • Weight (g)
        • Year tested

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