Give the Gift of GPS

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

20 Dec 2007 11:23 AM

Anyone who knows me off line knows that I am horrible at navigating the actual 3-D world. I never seem to know where I am in space. Witness a drive I took as a young adult from New Hampshire to New York City. Somehow, I wound up on the outskirts of Cape Cod, Ma. Give me a nice subway or bus route, and I am happy, I can translate any two-dimensional public transportation squiggle on a map, no matter how it twists and turns. It is all getting from point A to Point B, right? But when I am on the road, I really need a GPS system, even if I am only going to the mall.

When our third child came along, it was time to upgrade our family car, a Ford Explorer that would only fit two kids car seats, to a Honda mini-van, that comfortable accommodates our three kids, ourselves and even a grandparent or two. My favorite part of the van, other than the heated seats (ooh warm backside) is the built-in GPS system. I love it so much, that I am long past assuming that there is a real human in there (Mr. Man, who when he takes the occasional vacation is replaced by Miss Thing). I know there is.

If you aren't lucky enough to already have a GPS system, may I recommend you give one to your spouse for Christmas? After all, what is his is yours, right? And believe it or not, GPS systems are quite affordable this season.

If you aren't sure where to turn, you can check out reviews of the current. The picks that I tend to agree with come from CNET. For their top pick, they selected the Garmin Nuvi 660, giving it an excellent rating for its solid performance and wide range of tools and services, including Bluetooth. This unit is a little pricey, at around $600 ($424-800, but careful shoppers might be able to get a good deal.

For more affordability, I would agree on the Magellan Maestro 4040. While it only ranked fourth on CNET's list, the sleek design and solid performance make this unit a good pick. The price range on this model is $295-$500.

To see CNET's complete picks, click here.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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