MapQuest: Get Directions

MapQuest was giving the internet directions before smartphones existed, and this app is that old hand in modern form: turn-by-turn voice navigation for driving and walking across the United States and Canada, on up-to-date maps with satellite imagery.

The routing is where it earns its keep. Real-time traffic feeds the directions, alternate routes are always on offer, and the settings bend to your preferences — avoid highways, skip tolls, string multiple stops into one multipoint trip, or plan routes from a different starting point. A built-in speedometer compares your pace with the posted limit along the way.

Around the directions sits a travel toolkit: search nearby restaurants, bars, gas stations and hotels, compare local gas prices, book hotel deals through the app, browse menus and order food, and check the local weather. Favorites save home, work and regular stops for one-tap routing.

Two thoughtful extras round it out: direct access to on-demand roadside assistance when the car gives up, and a companion Android Watch app for directions on the wrist. The honest caveat is in the listing itself — background GPS use is hard on battery, as in every navigation app. For drivers who like their routing configurable, MapQuest remains a serious alternative to the default.