I've wanted a GPS navigation unit for years but was concerned my wife would think it was just an expensive "toy." So I did the next best thing... I bought her one as a gift. (Kind of like Homer buying Marge a bowling ball). And the funny thing is, she has this amazing internal compass. She hardly ever needs the GPS, so the Garmin Nuvi 360 usually resides in my car.

A GPS unit can be an expensive purchase. So before buying the Garmin Nuvi 360 , I did a ton of research. Here's my review and why I thought the Garmin Nuvi 360 was the best GPS unit for your money.

Requirements:

• The desire to never get lost again
• Automobile (optional)

GPS Navigation Features
The Garmin Nuvi 360 is a high-sensitivity all in one GPS receiver that offers exceptional performance and reception. Make a wrong turn? No problem. The Nuvi 360 includes automatic routing and turn-by-turn voice directions that even speak street names.

I had fun testing out the Nuvi's phone book and navigation during a recent trip to the Los Angeles area. While driving down the Pacific Coast Highway I remembered going to a restaurant called Gladstone's as a kid. I was unsure of exactly where Gladstone's was, so I selected Restaurants in the Nuvi's menu. Immediately a list of restaurants appeared, in order of proximity to my car. Each listing showed the distance to that restaurant, with a little arrow indicating the exact direction. The distance between the restaurants and your car continuously updates as you get closer/farther away from them.

You can also access locations directly by name rather than having to go through a cumbersome category menu like with the TomTom 910. After playing around with the restaurants menu for a little while, I typed in "Gladstone's" and followed the Nuvi's voice directions until we arrived. The maps are great, but sometimes I don't like being visually distracted while driving and just listen to the voice prompts. The Nuvi's voice prompts are loud, clear and timely. What an amazing device. Between the Nuvi's voice features, touch screen interface, and 3D maps... navigation couldn't be any easier.

When planning out routes on the Garmin Nuvi 360 , you basically have 2 options: the shortest or the fastest route. Although the Garmin Nuvi 360 doesn't always go where I think it should, it gets me there. And if I stray off the path it wants to send me on, it recalculates quickly, almost as if it knows where I want to go. And unlike MapQuest, the Nuvi maps out routes that make sense. I remember one time MapQuest had me get off a highway, drive through a suburban neighborhood and then get back on the same highway again. I swear, MapQuest smokes crack before planning routes sometimes.

Big Features In A Tiny Package
The first thing I noticed about the Nuvi was its incredibly small size and weight. Seriously, the Garmin Nuvi 360 is tiny. It's only about the size of an iPod Video or a Blackberry phone (3.87 x 2.91 x 0.87-inches (WxHxD) and 5.1 ounces). I literally expected the Nuvi to have at least twice the heft when I went to pick it up the first time - it was like picking up a deck of cards, but lighter. The Nuvi is so small that you can even carry it in your pocket if you're walking around in an unfamiliar area or somewhere that isn't car friendly like Manhattan.

Because the Garmin Nuvi 360 is so light, the suction cup mount that it comes with easily holds it in place on your windshield. I have nothing but praise for the window mount. Seems like a small thing, but it's so solid and well-designed that I had to point it out. The mount has a lever to easily create a large suction force, the ball joints are very solid, and the method of attachment to the Nuvi is just extremely well designed.

But sometimes tiny can be bad. Because the Nuvi is so tiny, one of my immediate concerns was theft. The unit is small enough to easily slip into someone else's pocket. Garmin also probably realized this and added something called Garmin Lock -- an advanced anti-theft feature that disables the unit from performing any functions until you type in a specific four-digit PIN or take the unit to a predetermined location (like home).

LCD Display
The screen is a bright, 2.8 x 2.1-inch TFT display with white backlight for easy readability in the dark. The auto brightness level, for example, is perfect. The night mode changes the color scheme and the background goes black, highlighting the roads well and keeping the light emissions at a pleasant level, where the day mode would have been too bright.

Do You Need A GPS?
Do you spend a lot of time in the car? Do you have more than 5 print outs of MapQuest directions in your glove compartment? Honestly, most people would benefit or see an immediate life improvement by getting a GPS. Just think, the next time you are going to a wedding and need to drive back and forth between the reception and ceremony, you just have to type in the address and the Garmin Nuvi 360 will not only map out the best route but also talk you through getting there. Even if you mess up and make a wrong turn, it doesn't matter. The Garmin Nuvi 360 will just recalculate the route again for you. On a road trip? Just pull up the built-in phone book to find the closest hotel or gas station.

Do you deliver flowers? Sell houses? Have to drive allot on sales calls? Have a donut delivery route? Have no sense of direction? Having a GPS in your car is just convenient and smart.

Hands Free Phone Calls
One of the coolest things about the Garmin Nuvi 360 , is the hands free bluetooth features. The Nuvi 360 integrates wireless bluetooth technology with a microphone and speaker that lets you make hands-free mobile phone calls using your compatible Bluetooth-enabled phone. After you pair your cell phone with the Garmin Nuvi 360 , a phone icon will appear on the screen. Nuvi also automatically downloads your phone's address book to its database. At this point you can now use the Nuvi 360's touch screen keypad to place or answer calls. Just tap the screen and speak directly into its built-in microphone. In addition, you can easily look-up and dial numbers from your personalized phone book or from your phone's call history log. Don't know the phone number for your destination? Simply find and dial it from Nuvi's database of more than six million points of interest (POI) -- including hotels, restaurants, stores, and attractions.

Beyond GPS
But navigation is just the beginning. The Garmin Nuvi 360 has a ton of extra features and is much more than just a GPS navigator. It's also a personal translator, MP3 player and audio book player, JPEG picture viewer, personal travel assistant (complete with a travel alarm and currency converters) and tour guide all wrapped into one.

The average person many not care or need all these extra features but they can be nice to have. For example, I have an iPod and didn't really care about the built in MP3 player feature. But just in case my iPod dies, I loaded some of my favorite songs and a couple audio books onto the Nuvi. Also, the Nuvi's internal speaker isn't exactly meant for music. It works fine for voice prompts, but it's not a bass thumping speaker you'd want to rock out to.

The slide show or JPEG picture viewer feature is also kind of cool. I keep about 30-40 family photos on the Nuvi to show off to people. For example, my friend's mother was with me in the car, and I needed to stop at Target to buy a few things. She wanted to wait in the car, so I turned on the slide show for her on the Nuvi. It kept her entertained for a few minutes while I was inside the store and gave us more to talk about when I got back in the car. Actually the slide show kind of saved me. The conversation was a little awkward before she watched the slide show

FirmWare Updates
After you've owned the Nuvi for awhile, make sure you go to Garmin.com and download the latest firmware update for your Nuvi. You can use a USB cable to connect your Nuvi to your computer and then run the update software. Firmware updates will fix any known bugs and further improve the functionality of your GPS unit.

Power
A built-in rechargeable lithium ion battery will give you about eight hours of portable power. Handy if you want to walk around with your GPS unit. A 12/24 volt adapter cable is included and will let you run the navigator off your vehicle's power. An AC battery charger is also included.

A built-in Travel Kit that includes sample MP3s and audio books will get you started with entertainment, and with the unit's SD memory card expansion slot you can add optional software, such as language and travel guides. A USB port is also included for loading and updating data.

Antenna & Signal
When you first turn on the Nuvi, it will take about 2 to 3 minutes for it to acquire enough satellites, i've never lost the signal. T he unit's flip-up antenna includes an MCX-type connector for optional external GPS antenna connection. The antenna is a flap that is raised from the back, maybe about the size of a matchbook. When raised the Nuvi immediately starts locking in on satellites, when lowered, the unit knows you are through navigating for a while. Intuitive and effective.

Final Thoughts
The Garmin Garmin Nuvi 360 does everything you want and more. The Bluetooth technology links seamlessly with your cell phone for hands free conversations. Map and audio directions put you exactly where you want to go. It can also find restaurants by genre and distance, as well as lodging and gas stations. Did I mention it's also an MP3 player? One of the coolest features is the optional up to date traffic reports. It automatically processes the information on your route, and takes you around the problem. Now, onto the city guide... not in your car, on foot. Once you've decided on your restaurant, museum, or Broadway Show, it'll take you to the front door.

I've been using it for a little over 7 months and it works flawlessly. I did a lot of research on the Nuvi, comparing it in excruciating detail to compete units from companies like Tom Tom and Magellan. I love the Bluetooth functionality and the touchscreen makes inputting destinations a snap. This is the smallest, most elegant and compact all in one GPS navigation solution I've come across. I don't ever see myself having to buy my wife another GPS unit... till next year when the new model comes out.

This item is available for purchase from Amazon.com Garmin Ltd., incorporated in George Town, Cayman Islands, is a group of companies founded in 1989 by Gary Burrell, David Casey, Min Kao and Paul Shumaker, that develops consumer and aviation technologies for the Global Positioning System (GPS). Rating: Requirements: The desire to never get lost again Manufacturer: Garmin