New portable GPS navigation ratings

We have just completed testing 10 new personal navigation devices (PNDs) and posted the results to our online ratings. These new products include:

Delphi NAV300
Garmin Nuvi 260 and Nuvi 260W
Harman Kardon Guide+Play GPS-310 and GPS-810
Jensen Rock n Road NVXM1000 and Touch & Go NVX430BT
Lowrance XOG
Magellan Maestro 3140
Panasonic Strada CN-GP50U

The ratings are a result of months of in-lab and on-the-road testing, thousands of miles of driving, and putting the units through their paces in cities and the countryside. As we've found, portable GPS devices can all provide nationwide route guidance to help you find long-distance destinations and local points of interest. Where they differ most is in ease of use and their features. For our ratings, we factor heavily the qualities that make it easy to input destinations and give the most helpful directions.

With newcomers such as Jensen, Panasonic, Sony, and others entering the market, there are more choices and dramatically lower prices than ever before. Many features that were previously found only on high-end models are now available on budget-priced ones.

Yet, despite the influx of new models, the longtime GPS brands—Garmin, TomTom, and Magellan—are still making the best systems, accounting for 16 of the top 20 models in our Ratings.

To help in making PND selections, we have Quick Picks for Best Overall and Best Budget. Of course, online subscribers can browse the standard ratings chart and click through for the detailed model pages, complete with user reviews. We encourage GPS shoppers to engage with our interactive ratings tool that allows you to sort and filter by the parameters that matter most to you.

If you're not ready to replace a paper map this month, look for continued coverage in the near future. We will further expand the ratings when we complete testing on units from Dash, Garmin, Magellan, Sony, and Uniden.

—Jeff Bartlett and Jim Travers

For more information on portable GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.