Quick PicksBest overall:
Garmin Nuvi 350 $800
Garmin StreetPilot 2730 $850
Magellan RoadMate 760 $700
All are capable and full-featured. The Nuvi is very compact. The StreetPilot is easy to read and has built-in XM satellite radio reception for traffic data. Its bean-bag mount can slide around in sharp turns, though. All three can call out street names. The Magellan calculates especially fast and is easy to program, although its mount can vibrate when the car is in motion.

If portability is a priority:
Garmin Nuvi 350 $800
Garmin StreetPilot i5 $350 CR Best Buy
Navman iCN550 $550
The Nuvi has all you need and is as slim as a wallet. The more rudimentary StreetPilot i5 is baseball-sized. You program it using a roller wheel--more tedious than using a touch screen. The Navman is quite compact but, like some PDAs, requires a stylus to program, and it can vibrate in its mount.
Best for $500 or less:
TomTom Go 300 $500
Garmin StreetPilot i5 $350 CR Best Buy
The TomTom lacks some advanced driver-feedback features, but it is easy to use and performs well. The StreetPilot i5 also covers the basics well. The i5's roller-wheel programming is not the ideal method, but it's not too difficult to master.