These days having a decent and reliable GPS system in your car has become more of a necessity than a luxury given how much ease it brings to the driver instead of looking down on a smartphone one too many times while driving which is not only dangerous but also illegal in many parts of the world. GPS and navigation applications are often inaccurate, leading you somewhere you never intended to be or even lost.However, Garmin has you covered here with a GPS that will last about a good 5-7 years since the build and component quality is excellent, to begin with.Features & SpecsThe Garmin Drive 52 comes in with a 5-inch LCD display touch-screen with a real-time response rate and easy to use. The GPS is connected to an actual satellite that provides a pin-point accuracy of up-to 3ft. The screen is made up of simple icons with enough brightness to relax your mind during day-time driving.On top of real-time traffic data on the available routes, the Garmin Drive 52 also provides a feature called ‘Up Ahead’ which shows information about what is happening up ahead on the route with warnings such as accidents, traffic jams, construction going on and even empty parking spots to save time and keep the driver confident about what might happen.Helpful driver alerts that are audible come pre-installed such as a tight curve, speed cameras up ahead, and speed limits to follow on certain roads and highways to ensure safer driving that also benefits other vehicles on the road.Loaded with tons of TripAdvisor traveler ratings from other travelers about their experiences with particular hotels, food places, and tourist attractions, it also comes with a bank of Foursquare points of interest (POIs) of various restaurants, gas stations, and shopping areas.A new feature called the ‘Junction View’ shows a realistic image of select roads, roundabouts, and intersections to clearly indicate which exit or route to get on so the driver no longer has to worry or get anxiety in such situations. Other visual features such as ‘Active Lane Guidance’ shows arrows marked on the road to point lanes to stay in to make the next turn.Garmin devices now come with a HISTORY Network application that can give the driver information about historical landmarks and monuments on the select routes and as destinations, letting the driver take in much more than scenic views. The Garmin Drive 52 is voice-activated with features like voice commands and audible directions in an accent that is easily understood. The voice commands do not have to be a set of precise words in order for the system to function properly, just a command in your everyday way of conversation, which is how the directions are given using easily identifiable landmarks. Various places such as favorite restaurants, nearby hospitals, and banking facilities nearby can be saved on the GPS to select from before setting off easily. The storage capacity of the device can also be expanded with an SD-card, allowing more destinations and popular visiting spots to be saved on the GPS.Garmin Drive 52 comes with a lifetime feature of free updates of HD-maps and traffic data to ensure that the system stays current and allows an even-minded drive. These updates do not require smartphones to upload updates onto it, making it completely smartphone-free.In the BoxThe GPS device can be attached to the windshield with a suction cup mount that comes with it, making it easy to detach and clean. It also comes with a car power adaptor and a mini-USB cable to recharge it in the car. However, the battery life is 1 hour, so it may need to be checked from time to time. You may even lookup the quick guide manual that comes with it to get the optimal benefits.This Garmin device is compatible with the Garmin BC 30 back-up camera for a complete navigation package. ConclusionThe Garmin Drive 52 & Live Traffic makes a journey from point A to point B so simple and easy for the driver and passengers, even in new locations, as there is no confusion or worry at all of being lost, altogether making the experience more enjoyable and stress-free.
I bought a Garmin Drive 52 in March in order to get lifetime maps. The box also said Live Traffic which was an installed feature of my nuvi58.
However I find that in fact Live Mail is not available unless I have a smartphone linked to it. Had I been aware if this I would not have purchased it. So I am left with an out of date device which can receive map updates at a cost, or a later one which doesn’t do what was expected of it.