Auto Navigation Articles
The Obvious Benefit of Auto Navigation Systems
If you've been in the market for a car, truck, or SUV
recently, then I'm sure you've seen the vast number of vehicles
sporting shiny new auto navigation systems as part of this or
that package upgrade. These systems are delightfully handy when
you find yourself stuck in traffic that is moving slower than
the snail that just passed by or that roads are closing due to
nasty weather or traffic pile ups. The truth of the matter is
that they can come in equally handy when faced with every day
driving if you allow them to be.
Many people unfortunately purchase these systems because
they seem like a good idea at the time and then never really
get their money's worth. Very few investments in technology are
worthy if you aren't going to at least get your money's worth.
Auto navigation systems are great when you find yourself lost
in the woods so to speak, but they can help you find alternate
routes when traffic is busy on your traditional drive to the
grocery store. They can help you avoid roads that have been
closed for maintenance, or even find a quick way around work
that is being performed along your route. These devices can
also help you find shorter routes to events and such than you
may have been aware existed before and they aren't commanding
nearly the price they brought in a mere two years ago. In other
words, this convenience is becoming much more affordable.
One thing you must keep in mind when considering a new car
or a new auto navigation system for an existing car is how much
you think you will actually use your system. Even if you save
it for emergency use alone, it is quite possible that in an
emergency this nifty device will be worth ten times what you
originally paid for it because it could save jobs, time, or
even lives (particularly if you are lost and searching for a
hospital). For me, it is hard to put a price tag on the comfort
that owning a device such as this would bring but it is
definitely worth the $500-$1,000 that is currently being
charged. Keep in mind that when these systems first hit the
market $1,000 was on the ultra low end.
If you never use this system and only get it because it
looks cool, then you definitely are not getting your money's
worth. Technology is only good when it's useful to someone.
Sitting there unused it is assisting no one and is essentially
a waste of money. On the other end of the spectrum however, you
have people like me. By 'like me' I mean those of us who could
get helplessly lost and flustered finding our way out of the
driveway on dark and moonless nights. I use my auto navigation
system like an extra pair of eyes. My system is not the top of
the line system that advertises an uncanny ability to help you
parallel park your car, but it is nice enough to help me figure
out where I am and how to get where I'm going from there. For
me, that is exactly enough to be worth every penny.
Beyond that, my navigation system doesn't require tricky
folds or my pulling off onto the shoulder in order to read. It
talks to me (without losing it's temper) and tells me where to
go, I love that about my system. I don't know about the rest of
you, but map reading is not something I've ever been gifted at.
That fact may have a little to do with the fact that it was not
something I was ever terribly interested in. Couple that with
my poor attention to landmarks and I was a driving disaster.
Literally, I got lost at least once, if not twice a week before
making the move into the modern world of navigation. I have
absolutely no regrets and while I can't promise that you will
love your auto navigation system as much as I love mine (all
systems are not created equal), I can pretty much bet that your
driving, particularly on long road trips, will go much more
smoothly than without one.
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