The Nuvi 760 widescreen GPS is hot this week with a recent price decline. It is a high quality unit at a very attractive price; see my notes below and my review.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
Garmin Nuvi 350 - Still $199 this week; very hot prices point for this unit. 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 - $239 up $10 this week.
TomTom ONE - $149 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech. Consider spending the extra $1 for the updated model - The TomTom ONE 130; same features with a thinner design and a new fold-flat mount. The TomTom ONE 130S ($201) adds Text to Speech.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $224 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech.
A hot Sub- $130 unit available this week:
Magellan 3210 - 6 million points of interest, and maps of North America. No Text to speech.
WidescreenModels
Nuvi 760 - $379 - New 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.
Nuvi 750 - $355 - New 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 260W - $264 at Amazon; down ~$75 in the last few weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 650 at Amazon $254. 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 660 at Amazon $325; still the best seller at Amazon - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL S at Amazon $251 - Text to Speech, North American Maps, MapShare. I think the Text to Speech is worth the extra money, but if you don't need it, the TomTom ONE XL is $196.
TomTom GO 730 - $406 -New IQ Routes, Text to Speech, and more. Maps of North America.
Fitness stuff - get out and exercise! The Forerunner 405 is very hot right now, as the summer kicks in and the runners realize its benefits.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available now at $349. - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing.
Forerunner 305 - $214 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $154 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Half way through summer and there are still some great deals out there. The Nuvi 350 is under $200 this week, while TomTom has dropped it's price on the TomTom ONE 130 to $149. The higher end Garmin units are falling in price too - the Nuvi 750 and 760 are down in recent weeks; good time to consider those.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
Garmin Nuvi 350 - $199 this week; very hot prices point for this unit. 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 - $229.
TomTom ONE - $148 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech. Consider spending the extra $1 for the updated model - The TomTom ONE 130; same features with a thinner design and a new fold-flat mount. The TomTom ONE 130S ($199) adds Text to Speech. Down $50 this week.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $218 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech.
WidescreenModels
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $261 at Amazon; down $75 in the last few weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 650 at Amazon $249; Down $20 since last week. 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 660 at Amazon $329; still the best seller at Amazon - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL S at Amazon $270 - Text to Speech, North American Maps, MapShare. I think the Text to Speech is worth the extra money, but if you don't need it, the TomTom ONE XL is $210.
Nuvi 750 - $351 at Amazon down $30 in recent weeks - New 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.
Nuvi 760 - $391 - New 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.
TomTom GO 730 - $406 -New IQ Routes, Text to Speech, and more. Maps of North America.
The Forerunner 405 is finally shipping. Very hot, very popular.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available for pre-order - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing.
Forerunner 305 - $214 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $154 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
We continue to see some good deals on GPS units. The Nuvi 350 is under $200 this week, while TomTom has dropped it's price on the TomTom ONE 130 to $149. The higher end Garmin units are falling in price too - the Nuvi 750 and 760 are down in recent weeks; good time to consider those.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
Garmin Nuvi 350 - $199 this week; very hot prices point for this unit. 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 - $226.
TomTom ONE - $148 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech. Consider spending the extra $1 for the updated model - The TomTom ONE 130; same features with a thinner design and a new fold-flat mount. The TomTom ONE 130S ($249) adds Text to Speech. Big leap in price unfortunately.
Garmin Nuvi 200 at Amazon - $159 No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps, solid interface and routing. See My Full Review - Nuvi 200 for more info. Also at Target for $149 this week.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $224 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech.
Mio Moov 200 - $129 at the Shack; 50-state maps, Text to Speech. See my review of the Mio Moov 300/310 for an idea on how the new Mio operating system works.
Pharos 150 - $99; No idea on performance but a bargain bin price
WidescreenModels
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $254 at Amazon; down $80 in the last few weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 650 at Amazon $267; 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 660 at Amazon $334; still the best seller at Amazon - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL S at Amazon $249 - Text to Speech, North American Maps, MapShare. I think the Text to Speech is worth the extra money, but if you don't need it, the TomTom ONE XL is only $199.
Nuvi 750 - $355 at Amazon down $25 in recent weeks (Ouch - $399 at Best Buy; no thanks) - New 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.
Nuvi 760 - $389 down $30 in recent weeks. New 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.
TomTom GO 730 - $386 -New IQ Routes, Text to Speech, and more. Maps of North America.
Mio Moov 300 - ($180 at Amazon) - $169 at the Shack. Super thin design and a new interface on the Moov series with Text to Speech capabilities at this price. Before you buy, know that I think that this unit is Ok, with a few qualifiers; please read my Full Review of the Mio Moov 300/310.
The Forerunner 405 is finally shipping. Very hot, very popular.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available for pre-order - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing.
Forerunner 305 - $214 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $154 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
If you are looking for a rock-bottom priced unit, here you go. I can't vouch for the performance, and it seems like there are a mix of satisfied and unsatisfied user reviews at Amazon on this one. The unit has the entire US onboard for maps (NAVTEQ), and a Sirf Star III GPS chip for quality tracking.
A lot of people are emailing with requests for what to buy their Dad in their lives, so I thought I would put together a recommendations list. It's not comprehensive, but it will get a lot of folks taken care of. Part of this is to get you the most for your budget; a good value. To be a good value, you need to be able to use the unit and appreciate the features. If Dad can't figure it out; it's not money well spent.
There are a couple of things I recommend spending money on Text to Speech and Widescreen units if you can afford it. Text to Speech will say the road name ahead, and widescreen units allow you to see more of the map and it makes tapping out letters on the keyboard a lot easier.
Entry Level GPS Units - No Text to Speech or Widescreen
TomTom ONE 130 - $151 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech.
Text to Speech - No Widescreen
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $223 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech. At this point, I am recommending the Nuvi 260 with its updated interface, and newer design even though the Nuvi 350 is $199 this week; for more see: Compare the Nuvi 260 vs. the Nuvi 350.
TomTom ONE 130S - The upgrade to the TomTom ONE 130 that adds Text to Speech - pretty easy.
Widescreen AND Text to Speech
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $269 at Amazon; down $80 in the last few weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
TomTom ONE 330S - Adds Text to Speech in a widescreen model. Now only a few dollars more than the non-text to speech widescreen TomTom ONE 330; a definite bargain.
And a few units for specific needs of features I like......
Garmin Nuvi 780 - $529 - Has MSN Direct, which is a service (with a annual fee of about $50) that allows you to get traffic and GAS PRICES feeds through the FM airwaves. Limited coverage to cities, but with Gas prices these days, you can save a bundle with this. I saw a dime or more difference before gas prices got out of control. Read my Full Review on the Garmin Nuvi 780 for more information.
Dash GPS - $299 ($100 off the regular price) - Connected to the internet while you drive. The Dash is unique right now that it has the ability to be connected to the internet while you are driving, which allows for a LOT of functionality that allows for better traffic reporting, better search and some features that just can't be accommodated without a data connection. It comes with a monthly fee of about $10-$12, which pays for the data and the cellular connection. Read my First Impressions Review of the Dash Express for More. Finally, the unit is not a flat unit; with all of those electronics in there, it is a larger unit.
TomTom GO 730 or GO 930 - these units add a fun feature that would allow Dad to record the kid's voices (or someone else's voice) for turn prompts. It's a lot of fun to get these recordings instead of some computer voice. Launched with the GO 730/920 series, it was one of the under rated features in my mind. See the "Custom Voices" section in my GO 720 Review for more information on this feature.
Most of these have a GPS case of some sort - leather, or hard sided, which can be a nice touch for those dads who need to pack the unit in luggage. There is usually a link right off the main product page at Amazon for a suitable case.
Finally, if you live in MN or CA, you need to have a dash mount for a GPS. All of these units come with an adhesive disk (permanent) that can help mount the GPS. I would recommend friction style mount - there are a couple of options in this post on Friction Mounts.
These deals come along every now and then, and they make other deals look boring. To be clear, most of these are for refurbished units. Some people avoid refurb's like the plague, and some people embrace them. Here are a few of the deals:
TomTom ONE XL - $149. Usually over $200, this is a widescreen unit without text to speech.
Magellan 3100 - $99. A very basic entry, with a short list of POI's. Shorter than I would recommend normally.
Garmin Nuvi 250W - $179 - Maps of North America, no Text to Speech. Normally above $200.
Dad's and Grad's season is here and there are a few discounts to be had this week. If you are going to upgrade on features above the base models, I recommend spending money on Text to Speech and Widescreen units if you can afford it. That puts you into a unit like the Nuvi 260W, or the TomTom XL-S. You can always move up from there for additional features like traffic, gas prices, more map coverage (i.e. Europe), optimized multi-stop routing, etc. See below for prices and for links to reviews on a lot of these models. Consider the Garmin 750/760 or the TomTom 720/730.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
TomTom ONE - $145 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech. Consider spending the extra $5 for the updated model - The TomTom ONE 130; same features with a thinner design and a new fold-flat mount (Also available for the same price at Circuit City this week). The TomTom ONE 130S ($199) adds Text to Speech.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $223 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech. At this point, I am recommending the Nuvi 260 with its updated interface, and newer design even though the Nuvi 350 is $199 this week; for more see: Compare the Nuvi 260 vs. the Nuvi 350. Want Bluetooth? Get the Nuvi 360 that adds Bluetooth Handsfree, for a few bucks more at - $229.
WidescreenModels
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $269 at Amazon; down $80 in the last few weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 660 at Amazon $334; still the best seller at Amazon - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL S at Amazon $287 up recently - Text to Speech, North American Maps, MapShare. I think the Text to Speech is worth the extra money, but if you don't need it, the TomTom ONE XL is only $223.
Nuvi 750 - $365 at Amazon ($499 at BestBuy!) - New 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. Also at Sam's Club for $299.
Nuvi 760 - $424. New 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. Also available at Costco online for $349.
TomTom GO 730 - $399 -New IQ Routes, Text to Speech, and more. Maps of North America.
Mio Moov 300 - ($190 at Amazon) - also for $199 at Office Max. Super thin design and a new interface on the Moov series with Text to Speech capabilities at this price. Before you buy, know that I think that this unit is Ok, with a few qualifiers; please read my Full Review of the Mio Moov 300/310.
It's Running Season and for many, it's time to hit the roads. I am starting to watch the prices on the Forerunners. the Forerunner 305 is down $20 this week.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available for pre-order - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing.
Forerunner 305 - $194 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $157 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Costco is offering the Garmin Nuvi for $349 online (selling for about $440 at Amazon). The very capable unit has Maps of North America, Speaks Street Names, Bluetooth Handsfree, and TMC Traffic capabilities. Offer through 6/22.
Best GPS Deal of the Month!; Nuvi 750 at Sam's Club - $299
The Garmin Nuvi 750 is one of the newer and hotter widescreens on the market. With the latest software and the slim new Nuvi design, it makes for a great high-end package. The unit has a long list of features, but a few standouts are:
High sensitivity GPS Chipset
North American Maps with 6 Million Points of Interest
Beautiful, bright widescreen
Multi-destination optimization and routing
FM Transmitter to send audio played on its MP3 or Audio book player to your car stereo
TomTom's newest ONE is the ONE 130, that serves up entry level features with a good routing and feature package all for a nice $149 price; a $50 price drop. With the addition of the Easy Port suction cup, the unit is thin, highly portable and very functional. The EasyPort folds up snugly to the back of the TomTom making the whole thing easy to stow in a purse or briefcase.
The list price is $199, but the unit is going for $149 now. Unfortunately the TomTom ONE 130S, which is the Text to Speech version is not discounted, as it is still $249.
Things are starting to settle in for the summer, if you are going to upgrade on features above the base models, I recommend spending money on Text to Speech and Widescreen units if you can afford it. That puts you into a unit like the Nuvi 260W, or the TomTom XL-S. You can always move up from there for additional features like traffic, gas prices, more map coverage (i.e. Europe), optimized multi-stop routing, etc. See below for prices and for links to reviews on a lot of these models.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
TomTom ONE - $143 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech.
Garmin Nuvi 200 at Amazon - $159 No Text to Speech, Continental US Maps, solid interface and routing. See My Full Review - Nuvi 200 for more info. The Nuvi 200 is also available exclusively at BestBuy in Pink or in Blue.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $221 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech. At this point, I am recommending the Nuvi 260 with its updated interface, newer design and slightly lower price; for more see: Compare the Nuvi 260 vs. the Nuvi 350.
Nuvi 350 at Amazon $230; down this week - Still a top seller with North American Maps, and Text-to-Speech. Want Bluetooth? Get the Nuvi 360 that adds Bluetooth Handsfree, for two bucks more at - $244.
TomTom ONE 130 and TomTom 130S The New TomTom ONEs are out and shipping. The TomTom ONE 130 ($199) offers solid navigator with MapShare and maps of North America. The TomTom ONE 130S ($249) adds Text to Speech. Both come with the fold flat EasyPort mount.
WidescreenModels
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $266 at Amazon; down $80 in the last three weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 660 at Amazon $338; still the best seller at Amazon - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL S at Amazon $243 - Text to Speech, North American Maps, MapShare. I think the Text to Speech is worth the extra money, but if you don't need it, the TomTom ONE XL is only $209. Also available at BestBuy bricks and mortar for $189.
Nuvi 750 - $372 at Amazon - New 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.
Nuvi 760 - $415 at Amazon - Down a bit again this week. New 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.
TomTom GO 730 - $446 -New IQ Routes, Text to Speech, and more. Maps of North America.
It's Running Season and for many, it's time to hit the roads. I am starting to watch the prices on the Forerunners. Steady price these days.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available for pre-order - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing.
Forerunner 305 - $214 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $149 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Garmin StreetPilot C580 with MSN - Hot Buy at $224
The MSN Direct connected Garmin StreetPilot C580 is available for a pretty low $224 today, with MSN traffic, gas prices and more. The unit is a standard, 3.5-inch screen with maps of North America, and text to speech so it says the name of the streets. I reviewed its sister product the Nuvi 680 (Garmin Nuvi 680 Full Review) a while back and enjoyed the capabilities. These days, having the gas price capability is a nice plus. The StreetPilot line is not a flat product like the Nuvi, but to get the Nuvi 680 that is flat (and widescreened) you'll pay almost $400.
Best buy this week has to be the Nuvi 260W that dropped again this week - down about $75 in the last two weeks; very good navigator. Widescreen and text to speech with the new thin Garmin design.
Standard Screens - 3.5-inch
TomTom ONE - $146 and Free Shipping at Amazon; Entry Level TomTom with Maps of North America, no Text to Speech.
Garmin Nuvi 260 at Amazon - $217 Text to Speech, Maps of North America, solid interface. Same quality routing as Nuvi 200, just adds more maps and text to speech. At this point, I am recommending the Nuvi 260 with its updated interface, newer design and slightly lower price; for more see: Compare the Nuvi 260 vs. the Nuvi 350.
Nuvi 350 at Amazon $236; down this week - Still a top seller with North American Maps, and Text-to-Speech. Want Bluetooth? Get the Nuvi 360 that adds Bluetooth Handsfree, for two bucks more at - $238.
Circuit City has the Magellan 1200 for $149 - skip it and buy a Garmin 200 (above) or a TomTom ONE (above) for about the same price and get a better unit.
Garmin Nuvi 260W - $272 at Amazon; down $75 in the last two weeks; Text to Speech and a dead easy interface.
Nuvi 660 at Amazon $344; still the best seller at Amazon - Text to Speech, North American Maps, TMC Traffic Capability included. See My Full Review - Nuvi 660
TomTom ONE XL S at Amazon $244 - Text to Speech, North American Maps, MapShare. I think the Text to Speech is worth the extra money, but if you don't need it, the TomTom ONE XL is only $227. Or $199 at BestBuy
Nuvi 750 - $374 at Amazon - New 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.
Nuvi 760 - $422 at Amazon - Down a bit again this week. New 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.
It's Running Season and for many, it's time to hit the roads. I am starting to watch the prices on the Forerunners. Steady price these days.
Garmin Forerunner 405 is available for pre-order - the watch-like GPS enabled fitness device has a smaller design with all kinds of functionality, including wireless sharing. Probably won't deliver in time for the Boston Marathon tomorrow though...... Garmin is launching the Forerunner 405 at the Boston and why not, one of the best marathons in the world meets one of the coolest fitness devices. I like biking more than running, so, I tend to think the Edge 705 is cooler.... I took my first ride with it recently.
Forerunner 305 - $214 at Amazon - Heart Rate Monitor with wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
Forerunner 205 - $149 at Amazon - Wrist-mounted GPS Receiver, no Heart Rate Monitor. Tracks distance and keeps your speed and pace. Syncs to computer for training records.
GPS Steals and Deals - 7/13
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