Travel is an adventure. Adventures, however, often include overcoming adversities. In the case of road trips, those dangers can include weather conditions, confusing signs, traffic flow, speed changes, and complete unfamiliarity with a city’s layout. These dangers can also compromise the safety of both vehicles and their occupants. The right GPS navigator tackles those potential troubles head-on. And it does it in a way that a smartphone app or a passenger with guidebooks and maps cannot. Garmin DriveSmart GPS navigators—especially the Garmin DriveSmart 86—not only provide clarity of information, they supply other helpful road-trip must-haves. The result is an all-in-one, simplified driving solution that also greatly enhances automotive safety.
Cellphones are handy for a lot of things. But displaying maps isn’t one of them. A cellphone screen is hard to read in daylight, especially when one is wearing sunglasses. Nor are its maps particularly readable when perched on the dash or tucked in a cupholder. Plus, there’s a safety issue here. It’s not safe to take eyes off the road for that longer amount of time needed to scrutinize the screen.
The Garmin DriveSmart 86 has a huge and adjustable-brightness 8 in. screen. Its 1280 x 800 resolution provides crisp details even in sunshine. And its large size clearly shows the route while displaying other relevant information such as traffic notifications, Tripadvisor recommendations, and more. The screen can also mount horizontally or vertically to show more of the road ahead. And the large display is easy to comprehend immediately.
Garmin DriveSmart GPS units have voice-activated, plain-language navigation so they can be operated by way of spoken commands.
Plus, the Real Directions feature provides spoken, easy-to-understand, turn-by-turn directions. And, just like a friend who knows what’s needed to navigate through that area, it uses street names, store names, and recognizable landmarks for clear guidance.
DriveSmart also pairs with Bluetooth smartphones through the downloadable Garmin Drive app. This enables additional verbal and visual information. Bluetooth pairing, of course, means voice-activated hands-free calling so the cellphone can be kept safely tucked away. The app even relays smart notifications from the paired phone to the navigator’s screen.
Garmin DriveSmart also has Alexa built in. Speaking to Alexa through the Garmin Drive app provides hands-free entertainment options like playing music, listening to audiobooks, hearing the news, and more.
Cellphone audio is not particularly loud—a hindrance and a distraction when relying on voice navigation. But the Garmin DriveSmart solves that problem. It has adjustable volume settings for each audio source like navigation prompts, voice-activated features, or alerts.
The Garmin Drive app is also the gateway to several live services displayed on the navigator’s screen. These include Live Traffic with construction updates, Live Parking including pricing and availability trends, local fuel prices, local weather, and local traffic cameras. Live Traffic services from HERE refresh every minute.
Drivers need to obey all posted speed limit signs and always use safe driving judgement. But to encourage even safer driving as well as increase situational awareness, each Garmin DriveSmart navigator includes key driver alerts. These warn of upcoming:
Another driver alert suggests upcoming rest stops when there’s been a long drive without breaks. In addition, red light and speed camera warnings are provided in regions where they are available.
And thanks to the Up Ahead feature, drivers will also know what’s coming up in terms of services. It shows upcoming stops for food, fuel, and other milestones—such as cities—along the route.
The need for accurate maps is a given. Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity allows easy map and software updates of North America without a computer. On-screen cues even show when new updates are available! Maps include the U.S., Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, and Bahamas. And since these maps do not rely on cellphone signals (or cellphone batteries that must work overtime constantly refreshing the data), drivers don’t have to worry about losing their maps if a cellular signal is lost.
In addition to showing a map and providing audible turn-by-turn directions using real landscape information, DriveSmart also has Lane Assist with Junction View. This displays junction signs, so drivers know what to look for and can plan to move into the correct lane. Plus, there’s a speed limit indicator that displays the speed limit for most major roads in the US.
Another advantage of Garmin GPS navigation systems over smartphone map apps is that it pulls together several helpful traveler resources into a single, easy-to-read display. This all-in-one approach eliminates the need to juggle notes and multiple guides which can cause driver distraction.
The DriveSmart 68 includes Tripadvisor, HISTORY database, National Parks Directory, and Foursquare data. And because the GPS is portable, it’s easy to use for preplanning trips. Battery life is about an hour, and it can be charged by connecting it to the vehicle or using a USB wall charger such as those used with smartphones, tablets, or portable media devices.
Tripadvisor traveler ratings help the decision-making process when it comes to choosing hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
This makes it easy to discover where history happened, making traveling more enjoyable. There are pictures and descriptions of notable parks, monuments, museums, and historic sites.
US National Parks are everywhere. With the directory built in, it’s easy to find which of America’s most treasured natural resources are nearby. It also simplifies navigation within the parks to visitor centers, picnic areas, campgrounds, and more.
Preloaded Foursquare data makes it easy to find new shops, restaurants, and millions of other popular places by name.
GPS navigators plug into a vehicle’s 12-volt accessory/cigarette lighter port. Usually that means the port is no longer available to charge other electronic devices. But Garmin has this covered.
The included dual USB charging cable is designed specifically for the DriveSmart 66, 76, and 86 navigators. It has two 2.4-amp charging ports. One is used for the navigator while the other remains free as an extra charging port for phones, tablets, or other electronics in the vehicle. There’s even a 3.5 mm stereo audio output jack that can be used to manually connect the system’s audio to the vehicle stereo system if Bluetooth is not enabled.
We’ve mentioned several advantages of portable GPS navigators over cellphone maps. These include:
Other advantages include:
Also, GPS units come with one or more mounting options, all tried and true for use in vehicles. Each DriveSmart includes a suction cup mount. Mounts for cellphones are sold separately and may yield mixed results.
The superiority of using a GPS navigator over a cellphone is clear. As your customers check out the products, don’t hesitate to enumerate the advantages. And be sure to hold a cellphone displaying a map up against the large 8-in. screen of the Garmin DriveSmart 86. There’s simply no comparison.
Whether in town running errands or going cross country on a road trip, anyone using this navigator will find that it simplifies the drive while providing driver alerts that help increase safety. Just as road trips are more than going from Point A to Point B, the DriveSmart 86 is much more than a mere navigator. It covers all the bases needed for an enjoyable trip while enhancing safety at every turn.