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 read reviews or talk with friends and say “I’ll buy that one,” only to find out that the one they bought was not the right device.

Let’s start by looking over the features you should be considering.

All auto GPS units show you where you are and telling how to get to destinations. They also have touch screens, a database of pre-programmed destinations (called Points of Interest, or POI’s), and pre-loaded maps, usually of at least the lower 48 United States. You can get the extra maps, saying the street names, and the real-time weather conditions and traffic alerts (with subscription) for only about $200! The Garmin nuvi 350 can do this just fine.

Some trendy features are more extensive maps, actually pronouncing street names with the directions, real-time traffic bulletins, and Bluetooth capability to name only a few .

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.

One other example of a good mid-priced GPS is the Magellan Maestro 4250. It can do everything I’ve mentioned and it has the wider, 4.3-inch monitor. (Normal screen sizes are 3.5-inches. These are all measured on the diagonal, just like a television.)

Tom Tom has been fast catching up in the United States due to very competitive pricing. If you want a more fully featured model than the One, 3rd Edition, then how about the GO 920T, which was listed by Consumer Reports recently as one of the best GPS’s to buy. Right now, it will cost you just over $400.

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.

What you need now is an informative website where you can browse and check current prices. That way you’ll really know what you’re buying when you decide to spend your currency!

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