You’ve got to give Garmin some credit. The folks who took over aftermarket in-car navigation, also known as PND for Personal Navigation Device, are being squeezed by smartphones with mapping and traffic apps. To counter this erosion of market share, Garmin keeps coming up with new features to make their devices one step better than your smartphone app. The latest is the DriveSmart System which comes in three different models, all identical with the exception of size and price. I’ve been using the 7″ model, the DriveSmart 70LMT, selling at Amazon.com for $350. The 6″ version is the DriveSmart 60LMT. Amazon.com’s price is $210. The baby of the group is the 5″ DriveSmart 50LMT, which is $210 at Amazon.com.
Let’s start off with some of the newest features. The DriveSmart system alerts you to upcoming curves. Now on major highways that’s no big deal, but driving back country roads at night, something I regularly do, this is a great help. Those curves can seemingly come out of nowhere. The DriveSmart system gives you plenty of warning so you don’t have to slam on the brakes. Another feature is an upcoming change of speed limit. If you’ve ever been nailed for speeding because that 50mph zone suddenly dropped to 35, you’ll enjoy this as well. There are also warnings for known animal crossing areas, red light cameras, and even a wake up call if the unit thinks you’ve been driving too long and need a break.
Garmin has long integrated Bluetooth in many of its automotive GPS devices. The DriveSmart series takes that up a notch by showing you notifications such as text messages once you’ve sync’d it to your smartphone.
Then there are the usual assortment of features we’ve come to expect from Garmin’s high end units: voice command, zillions of points of interest, navigation through complex intersections, and lifetime maps and lifetime traffic.
So, in the immortal words of the Beatles, “You’ve got to admit it’s getting better, a little better all the time.” No argument from me.
The post Garmin DriveSmart Puts a Back Seat Driver on Your Dash appeared first on Tech50+.