From in-car Wi-Fi to semi-autonomous driving, technology is quickly transforming the driving experience. The first flowering of in-dash technology beyond simply audio features was navigation, starting in the mid-90s. And it’s an aspect of car tech that’s benefiting the most from connectivity and the rapid evolution in the space.
While streaming music via Pandora and using adaptive cruise control can take away some of the monotony of a daily commute or long road trip, directional tools like knowing where you’re going or where to park at your destination, or where to eat or even where to find emergency services if you need them are examples of essential features benefiting from recent innovation in car technology.
Here are six of the most useful and cutting-edge navigation features to look for in your next car – you’ll be happy to have if and when you need them.
• Connected Local Search
When I’m testing a vehicle and it doesn’t have some form of connected search, I now consider the navigation system antiquated. Several vehicles offer connected search through Google, Bing and Yelp to help find services in a given area. Some car navigation systems use a driver’s connected smartphone and its data plan, while others require a separate data subscription. But either way you get fresh online results when searching instead of outdated data from navigation mapping DVD.
• Restaurant Reservations
Everyone has been through the routine of driving around with family and friends in an unfamiliar area and trying to pick a place to eat at random. Now some of the same features that are available online or via an app can help you find good food while on the road. Navigation systems in Acura and Mercedes-Benz vehicles have a Zagat Guide feature to find and route you to recommended restaurants. Chrysler and Toyota use a driver’s smartphone to enable a Yelp app that can not only find eateries in an area and route to them, but will also provides user reviews. The Toyota Entune system also has an OpenTable app that even allows making a restaurant reservation if you’re signed up for the free service.
To see the original article go to Forbes.com.
