Tom Tom Go 300 Navigation System

[Chris Lott]

Pretty cool navigation system, but pricey at $700.00. It has lots of feature like car speed linked volume, bluetooth enabled, and tons of other accessories which cost a pretty penny. Comes with maps of Con. U.S. and Canada.

http://www.tomtom.com/products/product.php...D=76&Language=4

 

[Mike Gauldin]

I prefer DeLorme with the Earthmate GPS. Of course you need a laptop to use it, that's the only drawback, but the whole package was $99 and it has direction, speed, altitude, coordinates, and a map of the CONUS with a high contrast option for the display... makes it easier to see at night. I'm not crazy about spending more than a few hundred on a GPS system.

 

[John Erwin]

Agreed. I already have a laptop in the vehicle for other stuff, so adding a GPS and excellent mapping program is a no-brainer.

Of course if you want to keep things light and tight, one of those integrated units may work out for you. I'm not too impressed with the maps though, and I've looked at the Tom-Tom, Magellan and a few other econo models. Some of the high-end Garmin units are pretty good though... but very expensive of course.

 

[Mike Gauldin]

Laptop GPSs are cool, if you want to mount a laptop in your car.

Yeah, that's my only drawback is the laptop, but I only use GPS on chases and road trips and I don't mind toting the computer with me (of course I use it on chases). An actual GPS unit would be nice by itself if you need GPS frequently, so it all boils down to what you use it for. When I had my Nissan 350z I was going to have the factory GPS installed (there was a nice cubby hole in the dash for it), but I wrecked the car before I ever got that far. I didn't feel too bad as I didn't have a car payment anymore, and about 6 months later a city fire truck but the dirt on the same corner I did. Granted it didn't turn the truck into a shredded tin car, but I didn't pay $100,000 for the car either.