If you have been scanning sales flyers, or braved Black Friday madness at your local shopping mall, then you know portable GPS devices at discount prices are available everywhere from electronics retailers to drug stores. Basic navigators under $100 were common door busters this year, and widely available as chronicled in "Best GPS navigation deals for Black Friday 2008."

Now, it is Cyber Monday, a faux holiday created by shop.org, a division of the National Retail Federation, in an effort to extend the established Black Friday sales craze. It reflects a trend that retailers saw with online shopping traffic spiking the following Monday. Real or cultivated, Cyber Monday does offer a continuation of the deal-driven holiday season. Though by no means does it mark the end of discounts, especially during the current economic downturn.

So, if you didn’t get the GPS device you were hoping for, or perhaps decided to buy another as a gift—the key question is how to choose. After all, not every deal-of-the-moment can be on a great product…

How to choose
The door-busting deals tend to be on basic navigators, devices that provide route guidance but do not offer many extra frills. Often, they lack helpful, though not necessary, features like text to speech, reality view, traffic information, and wide screens. By focusing on the functions you need, you can save considerably over buying a more upscale model with "nice to have" features. The ideal middle ground for many shoppers may be basic units with a few features, like spoken street names and a wide screen.

The Garmin Nuvi and TomTom One lines are frequently shown in advertisements and these products have performed well in our testing. The Garmins shine for being easy to use, and the TomToms are generally distinguished by their customization options. For Garmin, do be aware that the Nuvi 200 has been around for a year. If you buy one, take advantage of the free map update, as the device may have been on a store shelf for months.

Navigon devices can be found at attractive prices. The latest models perform well, though can present some compromises compared to  top-rated models.

Magellan, Mio, and Sony units have also been seen regularly in promotions. Recent units from these companies can provide helpful guidance and often include extras, such as MP3 playback. However, in general, they tend to be mid-pack performers.

Other brands we saw this past weekend in stores tend to trail in the ratings.

Bottom line
It is possible to get a great deal on a good basic navigator, or even a premium unit. However, it is important to check the GPS Ratings to see how the device performs relative to its competition. Each rated GPS navigator has its own model page at ConsumerReports.org, complete with specs, detailed Ratings breakdown, and insights from our staff experts. In addition, detailed reviews can be found in our latest First Looks.

Good prices from reputable online retailers can be found by using the ShopOnline feature within our GPS ratings. This function allows you to compare prices in an advertising-free, unbiased, and safe environment.

As for Cyber Monday, don’t worry. You haven’t seen the last sale of the holiday season yet.

Attention procrastinators: The GPS Team is working on testing a few more devices to add to our Ratings later this month.

—Jeff Bartlett

For more information on portable automotive GPS navigation systems, see our Ratings and buying advice and watch our video guide. Discuss GPS devices in the forums.