GPS questions…

I am trying to help a friend choose a GPS system for a Christmas gift. Right now I am researching what is out there for her needs. I was just reading the January 2010 Consumer Reports. The best scoring among basic models was the Garmin Nuvi 260w. I don’t know what the difference between a 255 and 260 is, but you might want to check the specs. The 260 is also on sale on the Dick’s Sporting Goods website. The highest rated unit among all models is the TomTom GO 930 and #2 was the Magellan Maestro 4700. I use both the car charger and house charger. I also keep mine in a case.

I don’t have mine mounted in my car because I can’t figure out where to put it (I have a Toyota Highlander). Plus I figured if you have it mounted, it sort of gives away the fact that you have a GPS, so it may be more likely to get stolen.

When not in use I keep mine in the case (so it doesn’t get scratched).

When it’s in use, I keep it plugged in with the car charger and it is in the compartment between the front seats. That way I can hear the voice tell me when to turn, etc. There is a way to configure mine so the voice comes out of the car radio, but I haven’t figured out how to do that yet.

They definitely are better than reading a map! It is really nice on dark nights to have a voice tell you when and where to turn, especially when there aren’t any street signs visible until you get right up on the sign.