Great Gear: XMarks the Detour
02/01/2005
If there is one thing that can curb an auto lover’s enthusiasm, it’s traffic. Now, XM Satellite Radio and Pioneer have joined forces to help beleaguered motorists avoid the nasty stuff altogether. Pioneer’s new AVIC-N2 with XM NavTraffic feeds satellite-based traffic information directly to cars in 20 major metropolitan areas, the first aftermarket in-car navigation system to offer such a service.The AVIC-N2 with XM NavTraffic notifies users of jams en route and suggests alternatives, which, of course, are also vetted for traffic conditions. Drivers view traffic conditions on an easy-to-read screen that displays traffic flow in familiar color code: green depicts flows of over 40 mph, yellow heralds flows of 20 to 40 mph, and red marks slow-going patches of less than 20 mph. In addition, scheduled traffic obstacles, such as roadwork, are marked by onscreen icons.
The AVIC-N2 is available for a wide variety of cars and is designed to fit into the dash space normally reserved for a car stereo. Drivers can also subscribe to XM’s satellite radio network, and a bundled subscription to NavTraffic and XM Satellite Radio is expected to cost $13.99 monthly.
Pioneer Electronics, www.pioneerelectronics.com
XM Satellite Radio, 800.967.2346, www.xmradio.com