Released on Wednesday, Apr 16 2014
A lot of luxury cars now have the option to specify a fighter-jet-style heads-up display, so you can see navigation information without taking your eyes off the road.
Problem is, not everyone can afford to splash 70 grand on an expensive set of wheels, which means tech fans are left without any of the geeky goodness that a HUD can bring.
Enter the Garmin HUD, an aftermarket solution which brings directions to your windscreen, via your smartphone.
The HUD is a fairly small thing, about the size of a big box of matches. It sits just below your windscreen and can either project directly onto it, or via an included reflective sticker or piece of plastic.
In an ideal world, you would want the HUD just doing its thing straight onto your windscreen. Unfortunately, this doesn't really work, with the displayed directions and information being refracted and reflected in all different directions.
As such, you need to opt for one of the two other options included with the HUD to get it up and running. You can either stick an included reflective square onto your windscreen, so that the HUD can project information clearly, or attach a plastic reflector onto the device itself. Opt for the former and you end up with a dark square on your windscreen, while the latter just left us thinking, 'Why not use a conventional satnav?'.
Factor in that you only have one piece of reflective adhesive included in the box and things aren't really looking very good for the HUD. You also need to use your car's cigarette lighter to power it, so end up with even more cables than you might already have, especially when you consider it needs a smartphone running a navigation app to work.
The HUD just never quite gets it right Issues (of which there are many) aside, the actual setup of the HUD isn't hugely difficult. All you need to do is download the Garmin StreetPilot app, which is included free in the HUD+ box, and then pair your smartphone with the device via Bluetooth. Once that is done, you position the thing where you want it on your dash and then commit to that position by sticking the included reflective sheet down.
Make absolutely sure that wherever you stick it, your windscreen is squeaky clean, otherwise you will end up with bubbles and bits of dust on the adhesive, which ruins the effect of the HUD.
User interface and operation
The HUD basically acts as a Bluetooth-based repeater for the directions put out by Garmin's own nav app. You get information like distance to turn, where to turn and the speed limit. It's all sent through a rather bland-looking monochrome display, but thankfully that does make the instructions clear and easy to read.
Fire up the StreetPilot app and then all you need to do is input a destination and directions will be sent to the HUD, provided of course it's paired. Detailed turn-by-turn directions are displayed on the left-hand side of the HUD and can show things like where to turn at a roundabout, or which lane you need to get yourself into.
Provided you have taken the time to position the HUD properly, all the information you will ever need to get from A to B is sat directly in front of you. The problem is, it has a really distinctly 'aftermarket' feel to it, never looking as slick as something installed stock, but then like we said, they cost a lot more.
Verdict
The HUD is an interesting thing. We have an issue with just how many cables it needs to get itself up and running, and the fact that you need to install a sticker on the windscreen, which feels like cheating.
That said, compared to the cost of a proper stock heads-up display, it's a bargain and can prove genuinely useful if you are the sort who doesn't fancy taking your eyes off the road. At the moment, for us it doesn't go beyond a bit of fun, with the dated-looking digital display and cigarette lighter power feeling distinctly old compared to a smartphone just sat in a cradle on your dash.
No comments:
Post a Comment