I never realized how cheap GPS units have become for your car. After research and speaking with others, not long ago I bought a Magellan Maestro 3100 GPS ($200) and I have been quite pleased! All the reviews give it a thumbs up for value and quality. While there are only 750,000 points of interest, the map is pre-loaded and cannot be updated, and there is no traffic or voice recognition, I’ve found the device to be perfect for a first-time buyer like myself. The Maestro 3100 gives clear verbal directions, quite accurate travel time, and has a simple user interface.
Today I was travelling about 20 miles, part of which was on the highway. The traffic slowed down quite a bit so on the Maestro display appeared an detour icon. This appears when the unit notices you’ve slowed down in a traffic jam. I pulled out my iPhone with Google Maps and checked to see what the traffic was like ahead (very slow for the next 2-3 miles). I then hit the detour icon on the GPS and chose to avoid 3 miles of the current road. The Maestro took me off the next exit and lead me down a few roads, spitting me back on the highway about 3 miles from where I was. The traffic was moving speedily at that point. Fantastic.
