Automobile GPS units have become the rage lately! It's not wonder, especially with gas prices. Getting lost is no longer much of an option.
There are a lot of people, however, who would like to buy a GPS, but are putting it off. From the people I talk to and who email me, postponing the decision is not really a money thing, as much as it's a general confusion about the marketplace.
Automobile GPS units are notoriously hard to buy! Oh, it's easy enough to spend your money on one. The problem is getting the right unit for you and your needs.
If you're interesting in buying an automobile GPS but just haven't made the purchase yet, this article should straighten you out. Once you read it, you can enter the marketplace with some confidence that you're spending your money on something you'll like for years to come and that's going to work well for your needs.
In order to understand automobile GPS units, there are basically three things you need to know: who makes these things, what do they do, and how much do they cost.
Who Makes Automobile GPS Units?
There are a number of manufacturers in the U. S. market, but the big three are Garmin, Tom Tom, and Magellan. Garmin sells about half the GPS's sold in the U. S.. Tom Tom sells about 20%, and Magellan sells slightly less than 20%.
You can surely buy a GPS made by someone else, but personally I like to go with the larger companies where I'm sure they're going to be around next year in case I need customer support.
What Do Automobile GPS Units Do?
All GPS units do essentially the same thing. They show you where you are on a touch screen and tell you how to get where you're going with voice instructions. If this is all you need (basic directions), then look no further than the Garmin nuvi 200, the Tom Tom One, 3rd Edition, or the Magellan Maestro 3100.
All three of these units can do the basics and more. They also all cost right about $150! That's a lot of GPS for the money!
Other features you want to consider are wider screens, Bluetooth, more extensive maps, actually saying the names of the streets, and real-time traffic and weather.
The Garmin nuvi 350 does all of this for less than $200. (It's not wide screen, however.)
If you want all this capability and the wider screen, think about the Magellan Maestro 4250. It currently sells for about $250.
One thing Magellan offers that Garmin and Tom Tom do not is the renowned AAA Tour Book right in the memory of the device. The 4250 has this available for AAA members!
What About Cost?
You can spend anywhere from $150 to $900 for automobile GPS units. Although there's a lot of competition at the lower end, Garmin pretty much has the upper end of the marketplace sewn up. If you want the lastest cutting edge GPS technology, then the Garmin nuvi 880 might be the right unit for you.
Now that you know a little about how the automobile GPS marketplace works, you can more confidently start looking for the particular device you want to buy.
A good next step is to find an informative website where you can look at individual models and also check out prices.
To learn more about how to choose the best automobile GPS units check out my website.
Rick Cole is a true GPS enthusiast! Take a look at his website to find out more information about the best GPS systems!
Labels: Automobile GPS Units