What to look for when buying a Car GPS unit

Car GPS

Congratulations, you decided to join the new age. You decided you don't want to get lost again. You decided you don't want to have to stop for directions. You are going to join the elite club of the technology advanced people. You are going to buy a GPS unit for your car.

Now that you have made that brave decision what do you do?

You decide on what options you want and what type of GPS unit you really want.

Since this is a car GPS you probably will want one that is dash mountable. Then you don't have to worry about it being stolen and you don't have to worry about damaging it as you move it from place to place. You may however, have to get it installed by a professional. Then you will have no fears that it was put in wrong. Plus, you won't have to worry about any damage occurring to your car.

Next, you may want to consider how much money you have to spend. This is important when deciding on what features you want and even what brand name you want to buy. Remember the more features that your car GPS unit has the more it will probably cost.

Now that you have your budget ready and you know that you want a car GPS unit that is dash mountable, think about the features you really want and need. For instance, do you want a unit that is known to be really easy to use? Do you want a touch screen for easy access while driving? Do you want a unit that has voice commands and that will give you voice to speech commands, meaning it will say turn right on State Street instead of just turn right?

What about the mapping capabilities? What do you like best? Do you want a lot of preloaded maps? Do you plan on driving across the United States? What about Canada and Puerto Rico? Are these places you plan on driving? Does the point of interests in area states hold any appeal to you?

What about the size of the display screen? Do you need one that is bigger and brighter?

What about signal strength? Do you plan on doing a lot of driving in areas where you may have a bad signal? Remember you need a clear view of the sky for best signal strength. Yet, some models will help you tap into signals by providing extra antenna power.

Do you need extra features such as a mp3 player, an audio book reader, blue tooth capabilities?

The entry level GPs units are the models that are lower in price. They generally do not have all the extra features that some of the more expensive models have. They also do not generally have turn by turn voice commands and their maps are usually of only the lower 48 states.

The Advanced level GPS units come with more features. They are usually preloaded with many more maps and most of these models have voice commands. Some may even have voice to speech commands, blue tooth capability, mp3 players, and real time traffic displays.

The fully loaded GPS units have all the features that the advanced levels have, plus many more. They also are equipped with subscription services such as traffic alerts, weather alerts, MSN direct service and XM radio to name a few. Yet, remember you have to pay for these services.

Once you decide on the type of car GPS unit you want or at least the features you want, you may want to start investigating the different brands. Some people believe that the Garmin brand name products are the best when it comes to GPS units. Others may disagree.

One consideration that might help you decide on which brand is the warranty offered from each. Ask such questions as how long does it last, what exactly does it cover and if you can purchase any additional warranties.

You should also investigate as to whether you will get a price break from your insurance company if your unit has a tracking device. This will help the police find your car in case it is ever stolen. Many insurance companies will give their customers discount for such devices.

Finally, look over the unit and see if it is one that looks like one that you will be capable of using. If it looks too complicated, chances are it is. Then it won't be a car GPs unit that is functional or one that is suitable for your tastes.