Car navigation systems have come a long way since the days when hands free meant you let go of the steering wheel to turn the page of your street map. Now there are so many GPS (Global Positioning Systems) available at affordable prices that anyone can have a car GPS unit and enjoy the benefits of having a fully automated pilot to navigate your route.

Compare car GPS units by price and by features to discover the car GPS unit best suited to your lifestyle and needs.

Try real time GPS tracking – route optimization on a turn by turn basis, ideal for sales reps and tourists exploring new territory. Or seek out an all in one GPS with AV IN, MP4 and wireless Bluetooth communication - a GPS plus for any vehicle. Increasing in popularity are GPS devices designed for golfers who wish to improve on their handicap on the green or whilst held up in freeway traffic. For those who make a living from driving heavy haulage or delivery trucks – look for Garmin nuvi 465T and other routing software that has been found to reduce transport costs by up to 25%. For regular commuters, some car GPS units come with relevant updates on road traffic bank ups or restrictions, enabling you to spend more time at work until the coast is clear. GPS products such as Tom Tom bring live (internet) connection that will help you out with traffic, fuel and local weather reports.

Audio GPS systems now incorporate GPS maps of which Google’s Streetview, based on color rastermap technology, is an example. Onboard maps in a GPS enabled smart phone means that you can now create your own customized GPS system independent of network connection. Online suppliers of maps provide map data to car manufacturers for on board GPS systems or for use in portable GPS systems. GPS systems come in multilingual forms, can provide detailed maps for any location in the world by use of related satellite technology and can also provide a location for you if you happen to venture too far off road and become lost or have a vehicle breakdown.

With the start of the new decade, and the enhancement of satellite technology, HD communication streams are being developed using 3D imaging techniques to improve the quality of digital visual presentations. In the field of street maps, Navteq, a subsidiary of Nokia, has now successfully used LIDAR (radar with lasers) technology to collect the raw material for the creation of 3D roadmaps. In this endeavor they have used a mount with 7 cameras and 64 lasers to “view” the streets in 3D, obtaining 1.2 million points of terrain data every second. Navteq is a major provider of mapping data which it supplies to web users and for devices using current GIS technology, which uses raster and vector methods for data storage. Recently, a hybrid method of data storage has been developed within the GIS system using point clouds combining 3D points with RGB information – this creates visual 3D images, and so look out for the next generation GPS systems which will have or be compatible with 3D image maps.

Video: GPS Car Navigation Comparison Test

Two brand names stand out above all the others on the automotive GPS navigation scene; Garmin and TomTom. That isn't to say there aren't other excellent brands on the market - it's just that they haven't achieved the market share and popularity of the 'big two' as yet. Other worthy contenders are Magellan, Nextar, Navman, Mio .. just to mention a few.