How to Decide On Which GPS Unit to Buy

As we navigate our roads, and go to new places, we're more dependent than ever on map sources for information. Purchasing a GPS unit -- like TomTom or Magellan -- can be a great idea if you plan on taking a road trip, or want to navigate in an unfamilar location. Choosing a unit, however, can be daunting. Try these steps to help you choose.

# Before going anywhere or searching, determine what your budget is and what features are important to you. If you don't know anything about navigation units, determine how much you are willing to spend, and move on to step 2.
# Go online or find a store that sells a wide variety of units. Look in "GPS" or "GPS/Navigation" departments. You may also want to search for "Satellite Navigation" or "sat nav".
# Look over the description, price, and features of each model. A particular brand may have 3 or 4 different models with a variety of prices and features going from low-end to high-end.
# Talk to a customer service representative about the different models. Most large stores, like BestBuy and Circuit City, don't give their employees commission to push a particular model, so you can usually depend on their suggestions and information.
# Try to narrow the field a little bit by eliminating brands you don't like, models that are too expensive, and units with features you don't want or need.