Lucky,

I was among the first forum members to purchase a GPS for my car. I have been using a GPS on my boats ever since they became available and would not leave the dock without it.

I highly recommend the Lowrance I-Way GPS system for your car. And, I do not recommend using any GPS that does not have vocal commands. Looking at a screen, even if it's dash mounted, is very distracting and there have been many reported instances of accidents caused by those gazing at the GPS display instead of the road. Many GPS devices have a lock-out feature that does not allow you to use the device if the car is moving, which I believe is a great feature.

The prices have come down a lot since more manufacturers entered the market, and most are very reliable. I have a Lowrance I-Way 500, which was quite expensive at the time I purchased it, costing about $1,000. It has a 20-gig hard drive, 10 of which are used for mapping, and 10-gigs for mp3 music. Like the one on my boat, I will not leave home without it. The device has lots of great features, allows you to route yourself easily around traffic jams, and you can find places you have never been to before.

Hope this helps,

Gary