Cyber Monday deals on GPS navigation systems

The leftover turkey may be long gone, but some Black Friday-type deals can still be had. Traditionally the start of the holiday shopping frenzy, Black Friday saw an increase in sales this year up over 8 percent from last year.

There were numerous hot products (Nintendo Wii) and categories (anything High School Musical or Hannah Montana related). In the automotive space, it was portable GPS navigation devices that inspired many consumers to start lining up at the stores before dawn arrived to save money.

What's the deal?
Black Friday deals saw numerous models that have performed well in our tests boasting door-buster prices. Even though the weekend is now over, deals on portable GPS navigation devices can still be had. So-called Cyber Monday—coming as people go back to work after the long weekend and continue their shopping on the Web—reaches out to mall-stressed people with regrets of bargains missed. This start to the online shopping season sees major sites pitching products at discounted prices, though often not quite rivaling the door-busters from Friday.

Lucky for you, we scoured the Internet looking for good deals on GPS units. We focused on major, brand-name retailers, though a few Web sites grabbed our attention. (You can conduct your own search using one of many shopping bot sites, like Google's Product search, and you may find other good deals from non-click-and-mortar stores.) Many deals listed below are short lived, expiring Monday at midnight and Tuesday, in some cases. Among this group, Amazon had attractive prices on many units that do not appear to have an imminent expiration date. In all cases, be sure to confirm the sale specifics.

In the end, remember to do your research. (Complete portable GPS navigation system ratings are available to CR online subscribers. From the main ratings chart, click on any model for detailed specs and information.) The devices we've tested in the past will all handle basic mapping chores, though there are key differences in ease of use, features, battery life, routing options, and driver information. Read our free buying advice to learn more. Or watch our video on GPS buying.

We've collected a few standout offers on units that have tested well, as well as other untested models from Garmin and TomTom that warrant a closer look. In the case of Magellan, we have not tested these highlighted units, however Magellan units have performed well in the past and these discounted models may be of interest. (We are currently evaluating the Magellan 3250 and 4250 for a future report.)

--Liza Barth and Jeff Bartlett

Cyber Monday deals on portable GPS navigation systems:

Garmin StreetPilot C580   
$399.99     Best Buy, Free shipping.
$329.99     Amazon.com, Free shipping.

Garmin StreetPilot c550   
$298.00     Wal-Mart   

Garmin StreetPilot c530   
$269.99     Radio Shack, Free shipping.

Garmin StreePilot C330   
$168.88     Wal-Mart, CR Best Buy

Garmin nuvi 200   
$203.00     Amazon.com, Free shipping,
$229.99     Circuit City, Save an extra 10% with coupon code: PVAB4Q7AAT

Garmin nuvi 200W   
$240.91     Amazon.com, Wide screen.
$249.99     West Marine, Free shipping.

Garmin  nuvi 250   
$299.99     BJ's   

Garmin nuvi 250W   
$299.99     West Marine, Wide screen.

Garmin nuvi 350   
$339.99     Wal-Mart   
$335.91     Amazon.com   

Garmin nuvi 360   
$349.00     Dell, Reportedly another $50 can be saved by using PayPal.
$416.54     Wal-Mart   

Garmin nuvi 650   
$386.49     Buydig.com, Free shipping.
$394.00     Amazon.com, Free shipping.

Garmin nuvi 660   
$399.99     Amazon.com, Free shipping.

Magellan Maestro 3100
$139.00     Buydig.com, Free shipping.
               
Magellan Maestro 3140   
$249.99     Best Buy, Free shipping.
                               
Magellan Maestro 4000
$248.06     Amazon.com, Free shipping.
               
Magellan Maestro 4040   
$299.99     Best Buy   
$301.98     Amazon.com   
               
Magellan Maestro 4250   
$389         Buydig.com, Free shipping.

TomTom One   
$149.99     Circuit City, 3rd edition. Save an extra 10% with coupon code: PVAB4Q7AAT
$149.99     Radio Shack, 3rd edition. Free shipping.
            
TomTom One XL
$199.99     Costco   
$214.32     Wal-Mart   
$249.99     Costco, XL-S with text-to-speech
               
TomTom Go920   
$399.99     Costco, Sale through Dec 24.
                        
TomTom Go720       
$349.99     Costco, Sale through Jan. 5

For general buying tips and advice, read the CR Shopping Blog.

Comments

[Jay Stevens]

Thanks for all of those deals you posted. I hope you do it again this year. This blog is very helpful.

[tom]

I think these are not great deals when you consider them with black friday. Example, I bought Garmin 200 for $97 only, whereas
cyber monday sale is showing below which is worthless.

Garmin nuvi 200
$203.00 Amazon.com, Free shipping,
$229.99 Circuit City, Save an extra 10% with coupon code: PVAB4Q7AAT