Should you update your in-car nav system for the holidays?

Built-in navigation systems have improved in recent years, and they now offer more features for less money. (Some systems now cost as little as $500.) Compared with portable GPS, factory-installed systems are well-integrated into your car’s operation and controls. They work seamlessly with the entertainment system, respond to voice commands, and can readily access your smart phone’s contact list. But keeping those maps up to date can be much more expensive and take more work than updating a portable unit or a smart phone.

Unlike Google Maps on your phone, most built-in systems don’t continually update themselves over the air with new roads, lanes, interchanges, and businesses, or even traffic laws, such as speed limits and left-turn restrictions. Nor do they offer periodic one-click updates like leading navigation apps.

Instead, updates must be purchased at a cost of $129 to $299, either through the automaker, dealership, or online. Plus, there can be an extra charge for installation. For that much money, you could buy a very nice portable GPS unit with lifetime map and traffic updates. (Check out the Garmin Nuvi 2495 LMT, for example.)

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According to navigation-system maker TomTom, 18 percent of roads in maps need updating every year. Unless you have updated your maps recently, you could be relying on really old maps. Navigating to a point of interest, such as a restaurant? Be prepared to improvise. Navteq’s website says more than 230,000 points of interest may be added to their database in a year. So it pays to have the latest maps in your car, and the holidays are a good time to think about getting an update.