Navigation systems have made the leap from expensive cutting-edge status symbol to everyday tool. Wrong turns that burn up gasoline and time in equal measure are increasingly becoming a thing of the past. Consumers can now choose from more than 200 models of portable GPS units that mount to a car’s windshield or dash and prices are constantly dropping as competition heats up. The price that consumers reported paying in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Portable Navigation Device Usage and Satisfaction StudySM averaged $245, a giant drop from the $375 recorded just a year earlier. As GPS units become broadly affordable, consumers can focus more closely on choosing the unit that will provide them with the highest level of satisfaction. Our study analyzed responses from nearly 5,000 portable GPS devices to understand which units performed best in real-world user experiences. We asked customers about their opinions about six areas: ease of use, routing, system appearance, speed of system, voice directions and navigation display screen. They told us that the appearance and system routing factors have the largest impact on overall satisfaction, accounting for just more than 40 percent of the overall index.
Which brands provide the clearest route to a satisfying experience?
- Garmin ranks highest among portable navigation device manufacturers, performing particularly well in the display screen, ease of use and appearance factors
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