Sure, we were extolling the virtues of a low cost just a few days ago, but forget that crap.  We're looking at a new trio of car-mounted Pioneer AVIC-F units that start at $850, but man, do they pull out a few tricks you don't normally see in a GPS.

Like what, you ask?  Well, the Pioneer AVIC-F700BT, AVIC-F900BT and Premier-branded AVIC-F90BT all rock a 5.8" WVGA touchscreen that shows 3D mapping with text-to-voice directions, which frankly isn't all that special nowadays.  They're all fully compatible with iPods, XM and Sirius Satellite Radio, MSN Direct, HD radio, and hands-free connectivity to your Bluetooth-enabled phone... nice, but not spectacular.  But they also play CDs and DVDs and take vocal commands using Pioneer's advanced VoiceBox protocols.  That means it'll understand you better than most other electronics you talk to (for whatever reason) and filter out all your "ers" and "ums" and "ahs" when you command it to play you some Barry White.  And the AVIC-F series is smart enough to stack vocal commands, Star Trek-style.  If you tell it to call a friend and it finds multiple numbers for that friend on your phone, the AVIC-F will ask you which number to use... without you having to repeat the original "call friend" command.  We like. 

Popping in a Transformers DVD to watch on your dash while driving?  Not so much.  Save that for your passenger.

Naturally, such coolness comes at a premium.  The Pioneer AVIC-F700BT, AVIC-F900BT and Premier-branded AVIC-F90BT are expected to retail at $850, $1100 and $1200 respectively.