Portable GPS vs In Car GPS

A lot of us have wondered that why the in car gps or the oem gps installed in cars are way expensive than the portable ones and most of the time, the portable units are more user friendly. Well, I cannot answer that question but I really wonder if the in car gps will be the norm in the next decade or so.  Right now, most luxury cars off the in dash gps option and on regular cars, it is an upgrade.  

Factory installed navigation system for cars are mostly integrated with different features of the car like it also controls the radio, air conditioning, back up camera etc. so if the monitor itself  stopped working, then all the other controls will not function. I've tested several in dash navigation systems from Lexus to Land Rover and these units are more confusing to use than my cheap less than 100 bucks Garmin Nuvi.

Also another thing that puts people off in buying in car gps units are the updates. I once got a flyer in the mail for an update on my navigation system on our Honda Odyssey and it says that this years' update will only cost me $149.00. Man, I can buy a mid range portable gps unit plus lifetime updates with that price.

So, I discussed all the negatives of getting an expensive car or even a top of the line basic car (what makes a limited model pricier are the upgrades like DVD entertainment center and navigation system) , here are a few positives of having a built in GPS unit on your cars. First, the resale value of your vehicle will be higher than a vehicle not equipped with GPS. Secondly, if you have OEM GPS on your car, you will mostly have other add ons like touch screen controls,  Bluetooth connection, rear view camera etc. These add on might not really be important to you but you will get the benefits of it.

The in dash GPS for care will always be an optional upgrade for cars for now and it will take a few more years before it will become a standard OEM equipment in cars. They need to compete in their pricing first with portable units (which is getting cheaper every year) and needs to have more options and features so that it can justify its price tag. For now, if you want a navigation system for your car, the cheaper and a better alternative would be a portable unit. It is just a hassle to out on and take off and can be an eye sore but for the price and it's portability, you can sacrifice that.