GPS Steals and Deals - 11/16

Hands down best deal this week on a new GPS is the Garmin Nuvi 760 - $269 - Down about $90 this week. Widescreen, North American Maps, Bluetooth Handsfree, traffic, and a lot more - See my Full Review.

I recommend some upgrades as your budget allows, Text to Speech, and a widescreen in that order. Other additions such as Traffic, Bluetooth Handsfree, etc. are definitely nice to have.

Standard Screens - 3.5-inch

Garmin Nuvi 270 - $159 - still a great price. - Has US and Western Euro Maps pre-loaded for the same price as the US only unit (Nuvi 200) No Text to Speech, but if you are heading to Europe and need a unit, this is a great deal.

Nuvi 205 at Amazon - $149 - No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps, solid interface and routing. This is an updated version of the Nuvi 200 with faster satellite acquisition times and a better interface. For a more up to date unit, consider the extra $38 and look at the Nuvi 255. Faster Acquisition times and an updated interface.

Garmin Nuvi 350 - Still $158 this week - very capable older unit that has an older interface. North American Maps, Text to Speech, and 5+ Million Points of Interest. Want Bluetooth? Get the Nuvi 360 that adds Bluetooth Handsfree, for a few bucks more at - $179

TomTom ONE 3rd ed. - $138 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech.

Mio Moov 200 - $129 at Office Max - See my Full Review on the widescreen Moov 200 for an idea on how this works.

Widescreen Models

Nuvi 760 - $269 - Down almost $100 this week - Thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning, adds Bluetooth handsfree and built-in TMC traffic. See My Full Review of the Nuvi 760.
Garmin Nuvi 255W - $235 - Text to speech, improved interface, maps of North America. More Info - See my Full Review on the Nuvi 255W.
Nuvi 750 - $262 - Down over $40 this week - Thin design with Text to Speech and Maps of North America. Route Optimization - plug in multiple stops and let the unit optimize the route for fastest planning. Doesn't have the Bluetooth, or the Traffic capability that the 760 has.

Garmin Nuvi 780 - $439 Has MSN Direct 2, with traffic and gas prices sent to your GPS. See My Full Review of the Nuvi 780 for more information. A Special note (because this rarely happens) - BestBuy has a better price right now - $399 on the Nuvi 780.

Garmin Nuvi 260W - Skip it and get the improved unit the Nuvi 255W (above) instead.

Nuvi 650 at Amazon $199 - Down $20 in recent weeks. Older design with Text to Speech, North American Maps, See My Full Review - Nuvi 660, which is the same model with the addition of the TMC Traffic, which is the main feature not included on the Nuvi 650.

Nuvi 200W at Amazon $158 - Entry Level Widescreen - I recommend skipping it and moving up to the Nuvi 205W for $20 more. The new interface is worth it. No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps. See My Full Review - Nuvi 205W.

Nuvi 660 at Amazon $266 - Older Design with Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660

TomTom ONE XL 330 - $199- the new Basic Widescreen for the TomTom line, Maps of North America, new Easy Port fold flat mount, and no text to speech - Move up to the TomTom ONE XL 330S for Text to Speech at $218 - well worth the extra $19;
Garmin Nuvi 880 - $554 - Down over $90 in recent weeks. Has voice recognition and MSN Direct traffic, gas prices and weather data feeds. Let's you say your destination and it routes you there. Very cool; love the capabilities.

Refurbished GPS units - There are a lot of Rerubs out there for consideration. Amazon has a good selection. Magellan Maestro 4250 - $119 widescreen with lots of features, including AAA database of hotel and restaurant recommendations, or the TomTom ONE XL - Widescreen with no Text to Speech, a solid navigator at a great price ($99 no MIR!), or the TomTom ONE 3rd ed. for $79.

November 16, 2008

GPS Steals and Deals - 11/16