If you can find a better GPS for $350, I'd like to know where!

Brief History of GPS

Global positioning systems (GPS) have been around in some form or another for almost 30 years. Originally, GPS was developed by the U.S. Department of Defense around 1978. It wasn't until the late '90s, though, that GPS capabilities was made widely available to civilians. Since then, GPS units have progressed from roughly as much as cell phone progressed between the late '80s and now.

My Search for the Perfect GPS

When I was looking into GPS solutions about a year ago, though, there still wasn't much in the way of an inexpensive GPS unit that had all the features I wanted. The cheapest mobile GPS units were still running $400 and up, and they had obvious drawbacks, such as small screens, limited capabilities, and poor upgradability. What I really wanted, though, was a GPS unit for my car. I have long been impressed with Pioneer's products, especially their car audio products. So, when I started looking at in-car GPS, Pioneer was a natural starting point. After several weeks of researching and considering, I decided that my preference was for either a factory-installed GPS unit or an in-dash GPS solutions (which would mean waiting until I got a new car), such as the AVIC-D2 (which runs about $1,200-$1,500). Not wanting to spend that kind of money right then, my GPS aspirations were put on hold.

Then, just last week, I was browsing for something completely unrelated on eBay when I came across a GPS unit I hadn't seen before -- the Pioneer AVIC-S1. I was immediately intrigued by its combination of price, portability, and great features.

Price

The AVIC-S1 carries a list price of about $600 and currently sells for $599.99 at Crutchfield and Circuit City. As with most other items, though, with very little research you can find the AVIC-S1 far cheaper. I bought mine new for $349.99 plus $19.99 shipping from an eBay seller with whom I had dealt before. At that price, you will be hard-pressed to find a better bargain on an up-to-date GPS unit for in-car use. In fact, you will be be hard-pressed to find any GPS unit designed for in-car use at or near that price. Garmin's most comparable unit, the Nuvi 360, sells for $650 and up everywhere I looked. So, in a nutshell, the S1 is a tremendous bargain.

Portability

The AVIC-S1 is one of a series of new "hybrid" GPS receivers that are starting to become more readily available on the market. Unlike the other AVIC-series GPS-capable units, the AVIC-S1 is not an in-dash unit, does not double as a stereo, and requires no installation. Rather, the AVIC-S1 is completely portable, because it is powered by a rechargeable Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery and has no external antenna, you can use the S1 either inside or outside your car.

The S1 weighs in at about 0.4 lbs and measures about 4 inches wide, 3.5 inches high, and just about 0.6 inches deep. In other words, it is tiny and almost flat. In the included carrying case, it fits easily in a normal-sized pants pocket. Also included is a nice little suction-cup mount with flexible arm which can be mounted either to the windshield or to a special round plate which you can stick to your dashboard. I appreciated the fact that the suction-cup mount sticks probably the first time and for a long time, without mess or fuss.

The S1's flexibility is further aided by the built-in Pedestrian Mode, which allows you to get specific directions tailored to walking! This is great if you are walking downtown in a strange city and want to find the nearest coffee shop, museum, or stadium. Depending on conditions, you should get about 3-5 hours of use out of a fully-charged battery. The only potential rub on the Pedestrian Mode is that it does not take into account such potential pedestrian hazards as construction zones, closed sidewalks, and bad areas. As long as you keep an eye on your surroundings, though, this is still a wonderful tool for getting around town on foot.

Another advantage of the S1 over in-dash units and other GPS receivers with external antennas is the fact that you can easily move the S1 from car to car. That means that whether you're renting a car for a road trip, borrowing someone else's car to drive around town, or even just riding in a friend's car, you can bring your S1 with you. I can't tell you how comforting it is to know that the next time I go out of town, I will have some idea where I'm driving and won't have to rely on paper maps for areas I'm not familiar with.

Display

The AVIC-S1 has a bright, clear 3.5-inch TFT display (320 x 240 resolution) which is easy to read yet not overpowering. It also has separate Day and Night Modes which enable you to quickly switch to a preset level of brightness based on whether it's light outside. Although I sometimes wish for a larger screen, anything larger would detract from the amazing portability of this device. Realistically, though, there is little need for a larger screen, because the contract and clarity of the S1's screen is excellent. I have no problems reading the screen at any time of day or night.

Storage Capacity

The AVIC-S1 comes with 2 GB of flash memory built in, and also has a Secure Digital (SD) slot for expansion purposes. Connecting to your PC is done through the built-in USB port.

Maps and Navigation

The S1 includes complete maps for all of the U.S. and Canada, which means you won't have to search for the proper map if you go on a long trip. As with most recent GPS units, the S1 allows you to zoom in or out and pan through maps at will.

When you want driving directions, you have a variety of options in choosing a destination. You can choose from millions of pre-programmed "Points of Interest" which include restaurants, banks, ATMs, libraries, stadiums, body shops, museums, and more. You can also search for a location by address, select a specific point on the map itself, or choose a location from either your contact list or recently selected locations. By and large, the AVIC-S1 will take you the most direct route without trying to send you on "shortcuts" that require lots of turns or too many low-speed-limit roads.

If you get off track or decide you want to go a slightly different way, the S1 will correct the route quickly after you deviate off the designated course. Of course, there are a variety of options by which you can customize the routes that the S1 will calculate, such as avoiding interstates or tollroads, shortest route versus fastest, etc. One of my favorite features is the ability to block a road from the calculated route. This can be invaluable if you find out after you're already on your way that a particular road is closed or clogged with traffic.

The voice prompts are clear and not particularly frequent, and are delivered by a pleasant-sounding female voice. The intervals seem a little peculiar sometimes -- for example, the voice always seems to remind me to turn 600 feet before I reach the intersection, and doesn't always tell me to take the next right or left -- but this is fairly unimportant given the clarity of the visual cues.

That brings me to what I believe to be probably the biggest flaw in the AVIC-S1 -- no turn-by-turn lists of directions. If you've ever gotten driving directions from Google Maps, Mapquest, or a similar online service, then you're familiar with the turn-by-turn list of directions that such services will give you. Well, many in-car GPS units will give you a similar list immediately upon calculating a route. I find this helpful, since I like to know exactly how I'm getting there and I like to be able to look a few turns ahead at all times. It remains to be seen whether I will be able to get used to what I see as a significant deficiency.

Bluetooth/Hands-Free Compatibility

The AVIC-S1 also doubles as a hands-free device for any Bluetooth-enabled cell phone. It took me all of about 30 seconds to pair my Motorola V3 RAZR with the S1, and the unit really does quite a good job here as well. Once you've paired your S1 with a Bluetooth phone, you will be able to dial, hang up, or connect through the S1 itself. Once on a call, sound quality is very good -- I had no problem hearing the person on the other end, and he said that he could hear me loud and clear as well.

Although the AVIC-S1 also has a place where you can select "contacts," it did not reference the contacts in my phone. I'm not sure whether this is a limitation of the S1 or my phone. Also, I have yet to figure out whether the S1 supports voice-dial capability.

Conclusion

Overall, the Pioneer AVIC-S1 is a very nice unit, and it will meet most casual GPS users' needs most of the time. Don't expect as much customizability as you might get with the $1,000.00 in-dash units, but if you're a beginner or just want a nice, basic GPS to stick on your dash and bring with you on trips, the AVIC-S1 is tough to beat.