Auto gps track: Best Car GPS Trackers for 2023, Tested – Car and Driver

5 Best GPS Vehicle Trackers

5 Best GPS Vehicle Trackers | SafeWise
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These real-time GPS tracking devices monitor your vehicle and keep drivers on your radar.

Vyncs

• Updates every 60, 30, or 15 seconds

• Free roadside assistance

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MOTOsafety

• Updates every 60 seconds

• Driver training program

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Bouncie

• Updates every 15 seconds

• Amazon Alexa compatibility

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Read Review

SpyTec STI GL300

• Updates every 60 seconds

• 30-day cancellation policy

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Read Review

Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker

• Updates every 30 or 10 seconds

• Good battery life

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Read Review

By

Kasey Tross

Researcher & Writer

April 10, 2023

The Vyncs GPS Vehicle Tracker hits all the marks of good vehicle tracker: unsafe driving alerts, geofencing, and real-time location tracking.

Plus, you get free roadside assistance and a companion app that can help you track your mileage, which is great if you travel a lot for work.

Vyncs also reminds you of maintenance like wear and tear, battery charge, and recall notices. You can ask Alexa about fuel consumption before work in the morning, and Vyncs even gives you advice on getting better fuel economy.

Here are the top GPS trackers for 2023

1. Vyncs GPS Tracker

   : Best for long-term tracking

2. MOTOsafety GPS Tracker

   : Best for new drivers

3. Bouncie

   : Best for vehicle maintenance

4. SpyTec STI GL300 GPS Tracker

   : Best portable tracker

5. Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker

   : Honorable mention

Compare the best GPS vehicle trackers

*Amazon. com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Reviews of the best vehicle GPS trackers

1. Vyncs GPS Tracker: Best for long-term tracking

Best for long-term tracking

Vyncs GPS Tracker

$89.99 + activation fee

View on Amazon

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Vyncs GPS tracks location, unsafe driving practices, engine diagnostics, battery life, maintenance needs, recall notices, and fuel levels. Plus, it’s the least-expensive GPS on our list, and it can help you save on car insurance.

Pros

Engine alerts

Low yearly fee

Driver scoring system

Mileage tracker app

Roadside assistance

Cons

Long-term commitment

Delayed location updates

Activation fee

Vyncs evaluates your driving to give you a Tip Performance Index (TPI) score that can help you save money on car insurance. Its free companion app, VyncsMiles, is compatible with Amazon Alexa and can track mileage and categorize it by personal and business use.

Vyncs uses one-year plans instead of month-to-month deals. This kind of pricing can save you cash if you’re committed to tracking your vehicle’s location for awhile.

You can also check out Vync’s Basic, Premium, and Pro plans that sweeten the deal with services like roadside assistance. Vyncs also has a Fleet service for commercial customers who  might want to monitor their employees during deliveries or routes.

The OBD plug-in GPS device costs around $90 and comes with a one-year basic plan subscription (and a one-time activation fee of $40). Yearly renewal costs are about $79, which works out to around $6.58 a month. That’s a steal!

We don’t like that the default refresh time is three minutes—the fastest refresh time (15 seconds) is available only for an added fee. The user interface is also a little tricky to manage.

2.

MOTOsafety GPS Tracker: Best for new drivers

Best for new drivers

MOTOsafety GPS Tracker

$29.99 + $19.50

/mo

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*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

With a driving education course for teens, Google Maps route replay, geofencing, and customizable location alerts, the easy-to-install and inexpensive MOTOsafety GPS Tracker earned our top spot for new teen drivers. Whether they’re out with friends or extracurriculars, having a GPS tracker like this can make it easier to enforce their curfew.

Pros

Google Maps route replay

Geofencing

Curfew

Teen driving course

Cons

Sensitivity to acceleration

Inaccurate speed limits

This tracking device costs around only $30 with a monthly fee of $19. 99. You won’t have to sign a contract or pay a cancellation fee, but you will have to call the company if you want to cancel.

We like the included driver training program, with access to educational content and practice quizzes to help your teen prep for their driving test.

We also like the daily driving report card on the mobile app, but metrics can be confusing. Speed limits aren’t always accurate on Google Maps, so MOTOsafety might say you’re speeding even when you’re not.

Image: Katie McEntire, SafeWise

Likewise, normal rapid acceleration—like when you’re merging onto a busy highway—can also count against you. We recommend taking it out for a test drive and checking the sensitivity before taking away your teen’s car keys for a bad grade on their MOTOsafety driving report.

Check out our full review on MOTOsafety to learn more about this vehicle GPS tracker or watch us put it to the test.

3. Bouncie: Best for vehicle maintenance

Best for vehicle maintenance

Bouncie

$77. 00 + $8.00

/mo

View on Amazon

Bouncie is new to the GPS tracking game, but it has all the best parts, like smart assistant compatibility, of other popular trackers. So we expect to see it rising to the top.

Pros

Vehicle maintenance alerts

Geofencing

Mileage tracking

Low monthly subscription fee

Real-time vehicle operation alerts

Cons

Flashing light

Alexa command glitches

Bouncie plugs into your car’s OBD port and offers standard geofencing and real-time alerts for speed, hard braking, and acceleration. It also helps you keep tabs on gas levels, vehicle maintenance, and routine car-related tasks, like annual emissions inspections.

We like that you can use your Amazon Echo to check the gas in your car or ask when your registration is due.

The device also tracks your mileage and stores the data, which is a great feature if you need to track mileage for business purposes.

Image: Kasey Tross, SafeWise

Bouncie charges just $8 a month for its tracking services. It’s a close second to Vyncs when it comes to pricing but without the long-term commitment. If you want to track three vehicles, you’ll get a special discounted rate of $20 per month for all three.

The only downsides to this device were the green flashing light that never seems to go off (black electrical tape to the rescue) and some occasional glitches with the Alexa commands.

Like the sound of Bouncie? Get the full scoop in our in-depth Bouncie review.

4. SpyTec STI GL300 GPS Tracker: Best portable tracker

Best portable tracker

SpyTec STI GL300

$29.95 + $25

/mo

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*Amazon. com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The two-inch SpyTec STI GL300 GPS Tracker is small enough to be tucked into a pocket or attached to the undercarriage of your vehicle. 

Pros

Small enough for pockets and bags

Available with 30-day cancellation policy

Able to track more than vehicles

Cons

Battery-powered and requires charging

Not compatible with vehicle OBD port

More money for faster tracking

This tracking device is battery-powered, so you’ll need to charge it periodically. The manufacturer claims a two-week battery life, but it’s more like eight to ten days.

Monitoring will cost you around $25 a month, and you’ll get location updates only every 60 seconds unless you pay more for faster tracking. There are no contracts or cancellation fees, and we like that SpyTec offers a 30-day, no-hassle cancellation policy.

5. Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker

Honorable Mention

Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker

Starting from

$19.95 + $19.95

/mo

View on Amazon

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Optimus 2.0 GPS Tracker is a close cousin to the SpyTec. Both are small, battery-operated vehicle tracking devices, but the Optimus is slightly bigger. The Optimus has better battery life, and the monthly fees are $20 a month.

Pros

Can update location every 5 seconds (with upgrade)

Can hide in bags or pockets of a vehicle

Cons

Has less fluid tracking experience

We found the location tracking to be more of a connect-the-dots experience rather than the fluid turn-by-turn that you see from other apps, but it depends on the type of monthly plan you buy. Upgrading to updates every five seconds could smooth it out.

Unlike SpyTec’s website-only tracking, the Optimus uses both a website and an app.

More brands we considered

Autobrain

Brand to watch

Autobrain

$29.97 + $9.97

/mo

View on Amazon

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Autobrain is fairly new to the scene, making it a top brand to watch. It shows your vehicle’s real-time location on its mobile app thanks to powerful tracking software. But it’s much more than a real-time GPS tracking device.

Autobrain provides trip reports and maintenance alerts to keep your car healthy and safe to drive. We also like its emergency response abilities. The mobile app’s crash response feature kicks in and calls emergency contacts and responders when it senses a collision.

Vivint Car Guard

Luxury pick

The Vivint Car Guard is a GPS tracker, vehicle maintenance tracker, diagnostic tool, driver performance tracker, and a security device rolled into one.

At $200, it’s an expensive upfront purchase, but you’ll have an incredible amount of data at your fingertips through the Vivint app. 

You don’t have to purchase a Vivint home security system to use the Vivint car guard. But if you do have a full Vivint system, you can set up some cool home automations in which the car guard communicates with your smart garage door opener, smart lights, or smart door locks based on vehicle proximity. 

Check out our full Vivint Car Guard review for an in-depth look at this device.

Things to consider before you buy a car GPS tracker

Whatever your reasons for wanting to purchase a car GPS tracking device, it’s important to make sure you’re staying within your legal rights. In most places, as long you’re putting the device only on vehicles you own, you’re safe. If you want to track a loved one out of genuine concern for their safety and well-being, the best approach is to talk to them about it first.

To make your vehicle even safer, consider other devices like dash cams and rearview (backup) cameras. These devices can improve your viewing angle and keep a valuable record of your time on the road.

Talk to your teenager about driving responsibly before considering a GPS tracker.

We tested vehicle gps trackers in action:

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Final word

Overall, the Vyncs vehicle GPS tracker is a great choice you want to keep your car (and its driver) safe and sound for about $100 per year.

Need to keep an eye on more than just your car? Be sure to check out our list of the best GPS trackers for all kinds of situations.

How we reviewed the best GPS vehicle trackers

Our search for the best GPS vehicle trackers started with investigating top-rated location trackers to see which consistently performed best. We then did our own deep-dig research to see what users were saying about each device so we could choose the best of the best. Check out our full methodology to learn more about how we rank and review products.

GPS vehicle tracker FAQ

Sometimes. GPS tracking devices triangulate their location by sending and receiving satellite signals. Just like your cell phone, your GPS tracker might also experience some interference that can knock the location accuracy off.

Learn more about how GPS trackers work.

When you’re in an area with a lot of buildings, your GPS tracker’s signal can bounce off different surfaces and cause false alerts. It can be annoying and worrisome to get an alert in the middle of the night telling you your car has moved from the garage, but it’s not uncommon for this to happen with GPS trackers.

If the alert shows that the car has just moved a short distance, like down the street, it’s usually a false alarm.

A GPS tracker for a car is either freestanding or designed to plug into the OBD-II port.

A freestanding car GPS tracker can be put anywhere in or under the vehicle.

A plug-in GPS vehicle tracking system attaches to a special port called the OBD-II (“on board diagnostic”) on the driver’s side, typically under the steering wheel and slightly to the left. You may need to remove the plastic dash cover to access the OBD port.

If you live in an area where cell service is spotty, then you’ll likely experience some spotty GPS coverage as well.

This doesn’t mean the GPS isn’t working, it just means it’s unable to get the location information to your phone because there aren’t enough cellular towers around to send the signal.

It depends on the device you buy. Most of the devices we studied were for US use only, but a few worked outside the US in Canada and Mexico.

If you’re not sure if your device will work outside the country, contact the manufacturer.

Related articles on SafeWise

• Car Theft Prevention: How to Keep Your Vehicle Safe from Thieves
• Best Aftermarket Car Alarms
• Best Steering Wheel Locks for Better Vehicle Security
• Dealing with a Car Break-In? Here’s What to Do
• Car Safety Guide

Disclaimer

*Amazon. com prices as of post date. Product prices and availability are accurate as of this date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any prices and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Written by

Kasey Tross

Kasey is a trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and a freelance writer with expertise in emergency preparedness and security. As the mother of four kids, including two teens, Kasey knows the safety concerns parents face as they raise tech-savvy kids in a connected world, and she loves to research the latest security options for her own family and for SafeWise readers.

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GPS Fleet Tracking for Vehicles – GPS Vehicle Tracking

Linxup GPS Vehicle Tracking Gets You The Visibility You Require

GPS tracking from Linxup is the easy, affordable way to track and monitor vehicles. With our intuitive software and app, you can easily track vehicle location, monitor driver behavior, and more:

• Real-time GPS tracking gives you accurate, up-to-the-minute updates on location, speed, and other data points.
• Set up custom alerts and detailed reports to get the information you need: vehicle startup, speeding, usage during unauthorized hours, arrivals, entry into geofence zones, and more.
• Get maintenance reminders and diagnostic trouble code alerts sent right to your email or mobile device.
• Watch turn-by-turn live updates and get notifications on arrivals, when the car starts moving again, miles driven, and more.
• Receive safety report cards to review areas of improvement.

View Vehicle Trackers & Pricing

Proud member of associations helping the industries we serve:

Fleet Tracking

Linxup GPS fleet trackers help companies with small or large fleets significantly reduce their operating costs. With our trackers, you can easily:

• Guard against costly theft
• Review routes and daily activity for each vehicle or asset
• Ensure routes run smoothly and without interruption
• Monitor fuel efficiency and safety habits
• Easily manage the tracking and monitoring of multiple vehicles
• and more!

Linxup GPS Vehicle Trackers are used by fleets in many industries:

• Emergency vehicles
• Municipal vehicles
• Telecom
• And many other industries

Learn More About Fleet Tracking

Truck Tracking

Stay connected to your fleet and your drivers and significantly reduce operating expenses with Linxup. Our GPS tracking technology provides an affordable means to:

• Optimize delivery routes
• Explore fuel efficiency by tracking use rates
• Track on-time deliveries or anticipate delays
• Monitor driver behavior to improve efficiency and safety

Linxup GPS Vehicle Tracking works on all types of commercial vehicles:

• Semi trucks
• Cargo vans
• Box trucks
• Dump trucks
• Service Vehicles
• Tow trucks

Learn More About Truck Tracking

Let’s Get Tracking

Learn how easy it is to track your vehicles with Linxup. Contact us today to learn more.

Ready to pick the model that’s right for you? Choose your vehicle tracker now, and Linxup will show you how simple and affordable GPS tracking can be.

View Vehicle Trackers & Pricing

Vehicle GPS Tracking FAQs

Do you have questions about how the GPS tracker magic happens?

How accurate is the GPS vehicle tracking?

How is the GPS tracking device powered?

What type of vehicle does the Linxup plug-in device work in? (Plug-in Devices)

How do I install the Linxup plug-in GPS tracking device? (Plugin Devices)

How often does the Linxup device track?

What can GPS tracking do for you?

Find out how much you can save.

Fuel savings, reduced idling, optimized routes and more.

Vehicles in your fleet:

Potential savings per month:

See how Linxup can help you

Personal Vehicle GPS Tracking

Linxup makes tracking personal vehicles super simple. Our easy-to-use software and devices can have you up and tracking in minutes. With our technology, you can easily:

• Know the exact location of vehicle
• Pinpoint whereabouts of elderly drivers
• Monitor (and coach) teenager driving habits
• Locate vehicle if stolen or unaccounted for

Linxup GPS Vehicle Tracking works on all makes and models of personal vehicles, old or new like:

• Sedans
• SUVs
• Crossovers
• Vans
• RVs
• Trucks

Learn More About Car Tracking

30,000+ Customers. Rave Reviews.

Peace of mind and great customer service always win rave reviews…

“I have been more than pleased with the product and support that I’ve received since day one of purchase. I would recommend to any company who needs to know what takes place with their vehicles.”

Rick

“Great product. Installed with ease. Once activated worked like a charm. Tracks vehicle perfectly.”

T. Way

“Highly Recommended. The unit is very easy to install, and sign up was very easy as well. I would recommend this to anyone needing to keep track of vehicles and how they are being operated.”

James

“You will be glad you ordered the Linxup tracker. Very easy setup. Amazing data recordings. Immediate intimate supervision, puts employees on notice without heavy handedness. Receiving engine codes and diagnostics is also very helpful. I ordered one for every patrol vehicle.”

Amazon Customer

“We had already tried *another company*’s GPS and returned them. Linxup is PERFECT for us because not only is it super easy to install, but we can see all vehicles at once on the main screen. It shows how long they’ve been at each stop, how long they’ve been idling, etc. Even harsh braking and fast takeoffs are shown which is great! We couldn’t be happier with this product. Highly recommended.”

Amazon Customer

“This product is the best thing that I could find on the Internet. it has been a lifesaver. Everything I needed it to do, it has done for me and then some. It will tell you within a few feet the location and address where my vehicle is at all times. I could not ask for a better product. I highly recommend this product to anyone who is looking to track their vehicles.”

Earnest H.

“Easy install and powerful tool. I bought this as am obsessive about my new truck and wanted to make sure I knew where it was at all times. Then I found all the other things you can do with this such as driver safety, mileage statistics and managing maintenance on the vehicle. This is a great system and excellent software to manage everything.”

Deb

“This has worked great for my small fleet of service vehicles. The one occasion when I did need customer support, they were able to fix the issue over the phone without charge. Very economical solution.”

Amazon Customer

“We use this device at work for our warehouse delivery/pickup driver. We can track the truck anywhere it goes and view a history, which is nice when the driver takes longer than normal to make their rounds. Have used it going on 2 years and haven’t had any issues. The online map and tools on Linxup’s website are really easy to use and simple to run. We highly recommend this device.”

G. Hudgins

“This product is so good– so easy to install. Just plug it into your car diagnostic OBD2 port, and install the Linxup app in my iPhone, and then call up the 1800 number to activate a monthly charge, and instantly see your vehicle on the map in real time. Well worth the money: Linxup GPS Vehicle Tracker.”

Ramdeo

“This is a must-have for anyone that has company vehicles. You can see the route, how long a vehicle has been idling, everything you could need to see. It also gives you vehicle diagnosis for troubleshooting engine problems. You can even see how much gas is in the vehicle. This thing is awesome!”

Jacqueline T.

“We use this device on 4 vehicles currently and soon to add 3 more. This tracker works just as it says it should and the tech support is great. Definitely recommend to any business or personal use.”

Peter M.

“I timed how long the whole process took from taking the unit out, installing it, and pulling it up on my computer. The whole process took 6 minutes. There are all sorts of good information given when the vehicle is moving: direction, speed, voltage of the vehicle’s electrical system, and current address. It is perfectly legal to use this device for any reason if you own the vehicle.”

Amazon Customer

Automatic processing of tracks in the GPS Track Editor program

Many tourists who use navigators record a GPS track while hiking. This makes it possible to see where they have walked, as well as get statistical data (length of the path traveled, average speed, altitude profile, etc. ). But the fact is that not all track points are recorded correctly. Many things can interfere with the reception of signals from satellites. For example, a deep narrow gorge, a dense forest with foliage wet after rain, an unfortunate position of the navigator on your body (upside down in the bottom pocket of your pants). As a result, a number of points in any case will be recorded with errors. What to do? How to remove these wrong points?

To get a reliable track, after extracting it from the navigator, it must be edited. At first I did it exclusively by hand, removing points that seemed wrong to me. It was a long and painstaking job. But then I found out that there are programs that can process tracks automatically.

The best, in my opinion, of these programs is the GPS Track Editor. According to my observations, it is able to automatically recognize and remove up to 70% of incorrect points (the rest, whatever one may say, will have to be removed manually). The program is very easy to use, as you will now see for yourself.

Install the program by downloading it from the official website: www.gpstrackeditor.com . The program itself and the site are in English, but if you drive the site into Google translator, it will not be difficult to read it and understand everything. Unfortunately, some ISPs only allow you to access the site using a VPN. In this case, as an option, you can download the program from my Google Drive .

Starting the program. A small “Quick Launch” window pops up in the center, where you can see a list of tracks that you have previously worked with (and open them), as well as the inscription “Open”, which allows you to open a new track. Naturally, you can turn off Quick Launch, and do all the manipulations to open, close and save tracks using the File menu of the program itself.

So, in one way or another, we open the recorded track (tip: for better filtering, it is desirable that there are more points in the track, ideally, the track should be recorded at a frequency of 1 point per second). The track is displayed as a colored line on the map (you can select several map options in the program menu, but their choice is not rich). In addition to the track, a lot of different data appears on the right and left. We are interested in the number of points removed and the number of remaining points, which are displayed at the bottom left. In my example, you can see that immediately after loading the track, the program, based on some of its considerations, deleted 17 points, after which 7045 points remained in the track. 9

The next step after loading the track is to use filters. Go to the Filter menu and select “By value”. A window opens in which you can specify the minimum distance between points, maximum speed and three types of maximum acceleration. I find it difficult to say what acceleration corresponds to the wrong points. The easiest way to filter them is by specifying the maximum speed. If you were walking, then indicate the speed of about 8-10 km / h. No need to greatly underestimate it (for example, indicate 5-6 km / h). It is necessary to leave a small gap for the inevitable errors in the data. Otherwise, you risk deleting some of the correct points.