TomTom XL 330S

$299.95 Pros: The XL 330S has a flat widescreen and speaks street names and directions to you. It is also nicely priced and can be found for well under $250 online. It is also capable of giving you live traffic updates. Cons: No dock. The suction cup folds out from the unit, meaning you have to plug, unplug, stick, and unstick the unit every time you use it. Overall: The budget TomTom beat the budget Garmin for the same reason the high-end TomTom beat the high-end Garmin – it went just a little bit further toward pleasing us. Speaking the street names was a big boost for this 'cheap' model.

$299.95

Pros: The XL 330S has a flat widescreen and speaks street names and directions to you. It is also nicely priced and can be found for well under $250 online. It is also capable of giving you live traffic updates.

Cons: No dock. The suction cup folds out from the unit, meaning you have to plug, unplug, stick, and unstick the unit every time you use it.

Overall: The budget TomTom beat the budget Garmin for the same reason the high-end TomTom beat the high-end Garmin – it went just a little bit further toward pleasing us. Speaking the street names was a big boost for this "cheap" model.

(John M. Guilfoil for Boston.com)