Mobile Audio Systems & GPS

[John-BBY Community Connector]

Trying to answer a question of what is best for the investment is tough.  What I consider a best value may be considered by someone else to have too many features or be too expensive.  Even so, I’d like to offer some options on what represents the best GPS for the money spent.  I chose to compare the GPS navigators most highly rated by Best Buy® customers on BestBuy.com.

The Garmin Nuvi 255WT features preloaded North American maps and the longest battery life of the units I compared.  It has a full color, backlit display and a large 4.3” touchscreen.  It’s the only unit to include an FM transmitter and currency converter.  In comparison, the TomTom One 140S and the Magellan Roadmate 1212 both feature text-to-speech capability and include the battery with the unit.  Both feature a 3.5” touchscreen and all of the units can be connected to your PC, though only the TomTom includes the cable.  All of these units are rated at least 4.5 out of five stars by Best Buy® customers with the TomTom One 140S scoring a perfect five out of five.

If a handheld GPS navigator is the order of the day, The GolfBuddy Pro or Garmin GPSMAP 76Cx might be just the ticket.  The Garmin features WAAS (which improves accuracy by up to five times) and a battery life of up to 18 hours.  With 14 hours of battery life, the GolfBuddy also includes the battery and received a perfect five out of five rating in customer reviews.

These are just a few of the brands and models available from which to choose on BestBuy.com or in your local store.

Join our conversation:  what do you think represents the best GPS for the money?

[Nokia]

If I were getting one, it'd be the Garmin 855.

[Entropy]

It really depends on what you want to do.

Even within the "handheld" category, there are major differences in target markets.

The Golf Buddy would be worthless for geocaching, for example.

The Garmin 60Cx would also not be good for geocaching due to the lack of an electronic compass (BIG benefit for geocaching!), compared to the CSx.

That said, between the 60CSx and the Oregon 300, I believe the Oregon provides far more "bang for the buck".  It's an excellent trail-oriented unit (especially for geocaching) and does an OK job at road navigation if you purchase City Navigator maps (although you're probably better off buying a basic Nuvi for the car.  )

[Matthew-GS Community Advocate]

Ever wondered what GPS is all about?  Trapped in your garage with no signal?  Check out this GPS Basics video.