Savvy Traveling
by Matt Freeman
When you're out on the road, the number of tools you now have at your disposal to make your travels easier, safer, and more fun simply staggers the imagination. And it doesn't matter if "on the road" means running errands all around town or traveling from state to state: if you're behind the wheel, you can use these tools to make doing whatever you need to do that much easier — without acting as a major distraction.
Driving in a new town and need to find a restaurant that everyone will like? No problem. Want to avoid traffic jams on your way to work? Piece of cake. Accidentally leave the directions at home? You're covered. Flat tire? Out of gas? Accident? Help is easy to find. All it takes is the right tools.
Here are some great gear suggestions, and some handy tips for getting the most out of them.
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Smart tools make for smart travelers.
OnStar® in any car
At this point, it's likely you've seen at least a few commercials for OnStar. It provides services like roadside assistance, crash response, and stolen vehicle assistance, and until now had only been available in GM cars and trucks. Thanks to the OnStar FMV add-on mirror, you can now get OnStar in most 1981 or newer vehicles.
Recently, we took the OnStar FMV for a spin, and came away pretty impressed. Check out our OnStar FMV video for a quick review. You can also get more details at our full OnStar FMV product presentation. We find that the system particularly excels in three areas that can help you wherever you're driving: emergencies, navigation, and daily driving aides.
The OnStar FMV replacement mirror opens up the services of OnStar to drivers of just about any vehicle.
Emergencies
Quite simply, it'll give you peace of mind to have someone on call should you find yourself with car problems like engine trouble, a flat tire, or an empty gas tank. An OnStar advisor will not only find you help, they can tell the local shop where you are, so you don't have to worry about figuring it out, which is nice if you're in unfamiliar territory.
In the case of an accident, it isn't always easy to get to or find your cell phone to call for help. This is where having OnStar is great. In many instances, the system will even automatically place the call for you.
Navigation
Your OnStar subscription lets you tap into OnStar navigation, too. With the press of a button and a quick conversation, you get spoken, turn-by-turn directions to wherever it is you want to go. Sure, you don't get maps to look at, but that's okay; there's something to be said for making your eyes your primary navigation tool. We really like that you can plot trips in advance using Google™ Maps, then send them wirelessly to your OnStar FMV. This way, you can familiarize yourself with the route a little bit before leaving the house, which makes it easier to anticipate spoken directions as you're driving.
Daily driving
Busy mornings often mean not being able to take the time to do some things before you run out the door, like checking the weather and traffic. The OnStar FMV has you covered there, too — it can give you a weather forecast and area traffic report as you're pulling out of the driveway.
The OnStar FMV system also offers Bluetooth® in two different ways. It can pair with your phone so you can make hands-free calls. You can also buy a package of minutes and use the mirror itself as your cell phone. That's great if, like me, you have a tendency to leave your phone sitting on the counter as you run out the door.
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