Although prices on auto GPS units have fallen quite a bit lately, there are still ways to save hard earned cash when you buy one. Because you can spend from $150 to $900 on a GPS, using 'price' as a starting point is not a bad strategy.
You should wrap your mind around the market for auto GPS units a little better before investing in GPS.
A lot of people just glance at reviews or talk with friends and say "I'll buy that one," only to find out that the one they bought was not what they would have wanted.
Let's start by considering the features you should be looking into.
All
auto GPS units show you where you are and give you instructions to get to where your going. They all also have a library of pre-programmed destinations called Points of Interest, or POI's. You can get an auto GPS unit to do all of this and more for only $150! The Garmin nuvi 200, the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition, and the Magellan Maestro 3100 are all three good examples of entry level GPS systems.
Premium features include more extensive maps, actually pronouncing street names instead of just "Turn Here!," real-time traffic bulletins, and Bluetooth capacity so you can make hands-free phone calls while driving.
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.)
Yet another auto GPS unit you need to be thinking about is the Tom Tom GO 920T. At around $400, the GO 920T can do everything mentioned thus far, and also it has functionality that only Tom Tom offers--such as their Map Share technology. Map Share allows users actually enter information into Tom Tom's map database that reflects present road conditions.
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 features, let me make certain you know about Magellan's deal with AAA. they have the Tour Book pre-programmed right in their device. I'm a AAA lover. So, for me that's a great selling feature.
Sure, there are other manufacturers of
auto GPS units other than Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan, but since these three control almost 90% of the U. S. marketplace, I can't see any reason to buy something else.
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!
More Information:
Michael Torc is a loyal GPS enthusiast! Take a look at his website,
http://www.auto-gps-units.com, to find out more information about auto GPS units.
Categories
