Car options: Value added, or not

The right options make your car safer and more valuable. The wrong ones just make it more expensive.

By Sam Grobart, Money magazine senior editor

Navigation systems, like this one in a Cadillac STS, can help you find your way when lost, but most of us don't need one on a regular basis. A portable model will look less elegant, but will probably cost much less, and you can take it with you when you rent a car.

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Buy it later

GPS navigation

GPS lets you find your way almost anywhere, and that's great when you're headed somewhere unfamiliar, but do car manufacturers really have to gouge you so much?

There are good aftermarket navigators that do everything factory-installed models do, if not more, and they cost a fraction of the price. Want navigation on your BMW 3 Series? Prepare to cough up an extra $2,100.

Meanwhile you can get Magellan's Maestro 4050 portable navigation unit for $700. The Maestro has voice recognition and live traffic updates and acts as a Bluetooth speakerphone for your mobile. It requires no installation (save a suction cup or sticker), so you can swap it between cars or lend it to friends and family. And the Maestro 4050 is a top-of-the-line model. You can get a perfectly decent unit (such as the TomTom One) for around $300.

The Verdict: Buy aftermarket. Blow the difference on a great road trip, knowing you won't get lost.

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