I want to buy an aftermarket GPS navigation system. It has to speak. What do people like? I have heard good things about Tomtom, but the name is so stupid that I have a hard time believing they make a good product.
Get one of the systems mentioned in this CNN story.
I looked at quite a few, all good, but most did not have screens as large as I wanted. Finally settled on the Lowrance iWay 500C which had the largest screen of all. In fact, they even make one with about an 8" diagnal, I think, but unless you win the lottery, you won’t want that. Actually, it’s mostly for boats.
The 500C works fine and can be used just with the voice, but the screen offers some dandy features. I like the suction cup mount which will go on the windshield or dashboard…it has a lever to pull the vacuum to make it stick well.
The most fun is taking a detour other than suggested, and seeing how quickly it adjusts to get right back on course. Among the things i really love is finding a gas station or restaurant ahead on a freeway. It will actually tell you how far from the exit it is, and ditto the next exit, so you can decide which is more convenient.
You can connect it to a USB port (Win XP only) and download (free) the latest software with up-to-date points-of-interest. Some others charge for updates.
I got it online for a pretty good price, so be sure to shop around for whatever one you decide to get.