GPS is one of the best things that has happened to me, literally. Before buying my Cobra Nav One GPS, I used to get lost a lot in the city. I have never been a fan of putting markings on a paper map just to find the correct route and everything. Of course, there is this idea of digital paper maps:

Many tell me that GPS is for “amateur” drivers. I don’t agree with that. The way I look at it is outsourcing your whole location finding process to a GPS device. In any case, when buying a GPS, you may want to check for the following before making your decision:

1. Reputation: You want to make sure that you are buying from some company that has had at least a decent product in the past. Garmin, TomTom, and Cobra all have great products, so you can’t go wrong if you choose one of these.

2. Text-to-Voice (Message) Feature: I don’t care what great feature your GPS has as long as it has text to voice. Believe me, it is very dangerous to take your eyes of the road just to check the name of the street you have to turn to, so you want to make sure that your device pronounces the street names.

3. Size: Size does matter and you want to make sure your GPS is at least 4 inches. I have seen all those 3.5 inches GPS’s but the fact of the matter is unless you put them on your wheel, you can’t see them. Of course, that depends on your eyesight, but that is bound to go as you age!

4. Internal Battery: Internal battery is important if you want a portable GPS or if you need your lighter jack for another device, then this is a must.

5. Price: There are GPS’s which cost you more than a $1000 but offer you similar features than their cheaper counterparts. Don’t fall for obscure features.