Review of Sony NV-U74T

The Sony NV-U74T is a seemingly attractive in-car GPS with a large display and useful navigation features that get you to where you need to go without any hitches. It features a number of nice and unique features, including a 4.3-inch widescreen display which is a high-brightness, antiglare touchscreen. The NV-U74T comes preloaded with map content covering North America and offers real time traffic information radio reception which lets the NV-U74T constantly monitor relevant traffic conditions and provide reroute options to guide you around trouble spots. The Dual-view 3D Junction Guide allows you to see the more detailed parts of your journey on one side of the display while keeping an eye on the big picture on the other side. The unit has text-to-speech functionality so you'll hear actual street names instead of generic voice prompts; the device utilizes spoken commands ensuring you are able to follow the directions by street names. Maps are presented in 2D or 3D view with automatic day/night mode, and there are options to change the map colors, road width, and icon and font sizes, which is a nice extra. The Sony NV-U74T also has integrated Bluetooth, so you can pair it with your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone and use it as a hands-free speaker system. Once connected, you can either use the touch screen to accept or reject calls. The Nav-U's Gesture Command eliminates the need for menu interaction when entering the most common destinations. Use your fingertip to draw a pre-determined shape on the screen and Gesture Command will calculate the way home, to the nearest gas station or an ATM. It also comes with a Super Suction Cup Mount that allows you to easily mount your navigation system to the dashboard, console, or windshield of almost any vehicle. You can also view photos on this navigation system via Memory Stick Pro Duo™ media (sold separately). The included Sony-unique Super Suction Cup mount keeps your nav-u in place while driving and can be easily removed when you want to take your navigation system with you.