Mobile Computing: Hertz In-Car GPS

Feature: Test Driving the Hertz NeverLost System

I don't get lost too often--but when I do, I do so on a breathtaking scale. Years ago, for instance, while returning to North Carolina from a trip to coastal Virginia, I somehow ended up in the Great Dismal Swamp, a vast, creature-filled wilderness area that disturbingly lives up to its name. It was nearly nightfall; I was in a vintage convertible with a sputtering, leaky motor and a nearly empty gas tank; and I was convinced that countless alligators were busily estimating my body fat ratio. (The fact that there aren't any alligators in the Great Dismal Swamp made no difference to me at the time.)

Alas, this unfortunate incident occurred many years before the arrival of in-car global positioning system navigation. In-car GPS navigation relies on satellite technology to provide spoken turn-by-turn directions and a map, displayed on a LCD, showing your current location. GPS navigation can be particularly helpful for business travelers, who must often find their way in unfamiliar surroundings--as well as hapless sight-seers, such as yours truly.

On a recent trip I decided to test NeverLost, an in-car GPS service that Hertz offers nationwide as an optional accessory in its rental cars. After just one hour of using NeverLost, I wished I had one installed in my own car. But more on that in a minute.

Going It Alone

With NeverLost, Hertz is virtually alone among rental car companies. My spot check of Avis, Enterprise, and Thrifty uncovered few-to-zero GPS-equipped cars among their fleets. "We may have a few higher-end vehicles equipped with GPS, but not many," said a Thrifty spokesperson. "Our customers just haven't asked for it."

Most business travelers get free driving directions online from the likes of MapQuest before departing, explains Henry Harteveldt, a senior travel industry analyst at Forrester Research. Others may carry GPS-equipped Palm or Pocket PC devices with them. And most travelers today carry mobile phones. "If they get lost, they just make a call," Harteveldt points out.

With all these other options, NeverLost may seem like an unnecessary expense at a time when travel budgets are tight: The GPS option adds $8 a day, or $40 a week, to the rental car tab.

Eerily Accurate

Nonetheless, I highly recommend NeverLost, especially to business travelers who will be driving in unfamiliar locations and don't own a GPS device. Here's why:

It's easy to use. The NeverLost receiver is positioned on a stand that rises from the front passenger seat floorboard. The device's color LCD and navigation buttons are pointed toward the driver and are within easy reach. The on-screen menus are easy to read and intuitive.

Before starting out, you simply enter a destination into the NeverLost GPS receiver by tapping out letters using the device's navigation button and on-screen menus. Alternately, you can search Yellow Page and other listings in NeverLost's database. The system automatically calculates the route from your present location to your destination, displays your current position on a map, and clearly indicates the streets you should follow by highlighting them in purple. As you drive, your position on the map is updated to reflect your progress. You don't have to keep your eyes on the GPS screen, of course--and you shouldn't, for obvious safety reasons. A pleasant female voice tells you when and where to turn.

It's accurate. NeverLost warns you in advance--often up to two miles--about upcoming turns. As you near a turn, the voice will say something like, "Approaching sharp right turn." Then, just before you round the bend, a chime sounds to remind you once more of the upcoming turn. At the same time, the map on the screen switches to a close-up street view, with a large arrow pointing out the turn. For every turn it suggested, I found NeverLost to be right on the money. The chime alert sounded almost precisely a few seconds before I arrived at a turn; the system was almost eerily accurate.

It's flexible. On several occasions, I needed to detour from the calculated route--such as making an unscheduled exit from the highway to buy gas. No problem. After I exited, NeverLost automatically recalculated my route, providing directions from the gas station back to the highway.

Some Room for Improvement

No technology is perfect, and NeverLost is no exception. Entering destinations using on-screen menus and navigation controls requires too much hunt-and-peck typing. It would be far more efficient if the NeverLost receiver came equipped with a small, BlackBerry-style keyboard. Also, NeverLost failed to locate a residential address located in a suburban subdivision built three or four years ago.

But these are minor quibbles. If you can spare the extra $8 a day for NeverLost on your next business trip, go for it. Otherwise, you might end up in the Great Dismal Swamp, your every move observed by hungry alligators.