Saturday 5 September 2009

Tips on Buying the Best Auto GPS Units

By Michael Torc

Buying GPS can be intimidating especially if you do it for the first time. It doesn't have to be, however. Because you can spend from $150 to $900 on a GPS, using 'price' as a starting point is a wise thing to do.

Possibly the most important money saving tip is for you to understand the marketplace before you buy.

A lot of people just read reviews or talk with friends and say "I'll buy that one," only to find out that the one they bought was not the right device.

Let's start by considering the features you should be looking into.

All auto GPS units show you where you are and telling how to get to destinations. They also have touch screens, a database of pre-programmed destinations (called Points of Interest, or POI's), and pre-loaded maps, usually of at least the lower 48 United States. You can get the extra maps, saying the street names, and the real-time weather conditions and traffic alerts (with subscription) for only about $200! The Garmin nuvi 350 can do this just fine.

Some popular features are more extensive maps, actually pronouncing street names instead of just "Turn Here!", real-time traffic bulletins, and Bluetooth capability to name only a few .

You can get all of this for $200! If you want Bluetooth, then you can get this and the wider screen for around $400. Multiple point routing will cost you an extra $50 to $100.

Another example of a good mid-priced GPS is the Magellan Maestro 4250. It can do all the things I've mentioned and it has the wider, 4.3-inch display. (Normal screen sizes are 3.5-inches. These are all measured on the diagonal, just like a television.)

Tom Tom has been fast catching up in the United States due to very competitive pricing. If you want a more fully featured model than the One, 3rd Edition, then how about the GO 920T, which was listed by Consumer Reports recently as one of the best GPS's to buy. Right now, it will cost you just over $400.

The Garmin Nuvi 200 is one of the least expensive auto GPS units you can buy. I would suggest this as a good starter GPS system, it's simple enough that a friend of mine bought it as a birthday present for his mother in law who is a complete and utter technophobe.

While we're mentioning extra add-ons, let me make sure you know about Magellan's deal with AAA. If you're a AAA subscriber, you can gain access to their well-known Tour Book right on your GPS device. I love AAA. So, for me this would certainly be a good selling feature.

As you can see, there are auto GPS units to fit all budgets and needs.

Your best money saving tip would be to visit an informative website where you can check out prices and browse particular models. I can't think of a better way to know what you're buying when you make a decision to spend your hard earned money!

About the Author:

No comments: