The best way to find the right GPS device for you is to compare automotive GPS systems. Now, this article is about after-market GPS systems, not the ones that come pre-installed in your car. I'm talking about the ones you see suction-cupped to people's windshields or mounted on their dashboards.

These automotive GPS systems range in price from slightly less than $200 to more than $700. That's quite a price range! What makes the difference? Well, since these devices all do essentially the same thing, the difference is in the upgrade features. Understanding who makes what and how much it costs is key to finding a system you're going to be happy with.

There are currently three big manufacturers of these systems. Garmin is the industry leader, followed by Tom Tom and Magellan. All three make very good automotive GPS systems. I'm not saying other companies don't make good systems. I just happen to have a personal preference for industry leaders.

In order to compare automotive GPS systems, you need to first understand what are the basic features all of these systems offer.

All automotive GPS devices do the same basic functions. They show you where you are on an electronic map and tell you how to get to where you want to go with some sort of spoken directions. All of theme have touch screens. All calculate the best route to your destination. All have an extensive database of Points of Interest, or POI"s for short. All come with maps of the United States. (If you're buying yours for the U.S. If you are Canadian or from Europe, your device will have appropriate maps.)

You can get great GPS systems that do all of this and more for under $200! There are more extensive features, though, that you should know about.

Extra features include Bluetooth technology, so you can make hands-free calls while driving. This feature would be great for anyone doing a lot of talking while driving. Another feature you need to know about is multiple route calculation. With this, you can enter multiple destinations into your device at one time and it will give you the best way to go to all of these destinations on one trip. This would be great for salespeople and small businesses.

Another feature that I really like is more extensive maps and a larger POI database. The cheapest units will only have at most maps of the 48 states. That might be fine, but the real problem is the size of the POI database. Without spending much more money, you can get millions more points of interest in your database. That will really help when you're in a remote part of the state looking for a gas station.

There is a lot to know about how to compare automotive GPS systems, but once you learn what these things do, it's not that overwhelming. Your next stop needs to be a good, informative website where you can learn more about GPS devices and what they sell for.