If you're like me and need some sort of direction once in a while the Mio C220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator is great. It’s compact, can be moved from one vehicle to another and has all the basic functions of the in-car navigation systems for far less money. The average navigation system unit runs just over a hundred bucks. It’s listed at $179 but can be found on amazon.com for $99. A great Christmas gift actually for someone who would like an easy to use mapping system.

The screen is 3.5" so it’s big enough to read but not too large. I do wish it was a tad bit bigger as that would make fine details easier to read while driving. What’s great though is it’s a touch screen and has voice guidance so it’s like having a co-pilot with you at all times telling when and where to turn. The maps are clear and easy to understand for the most part but there are of course some flaws in the system and once in a while a street you pass may not be listed. However it does allow for updates and additional pre-installed maps to be included at your discretion.

The programming of this navigation system is fairly simple. You can enter the address, city, zip or cross streets to find your destination. You can also save some of your favorite or most common destinations so you just point and click instead of having to reenter all the information. You can choose to have the curser follow the route and track it from afar (looking at the whole map) or from point of view navigation which shows what you would see from the car and a little bit further. This keeps you in the moment in regards to where you are and the upcoming turns or transitions.

The only thing that can be difficult sometimes is making the screen move quickly to see further ahead on your route map. The drag and pull option moves somewhat slowly and it can seem like a million pulls before you reach a few miles ahead where the freeway transition is or other location.

My favorite thing about the Mio C220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator is it’s so slim and portable you can throw it in a purse or bag and take it with you anywhere. Switching it from one car to another is a piece of cake and takes no more than a minute. If you don’t need navigation all the time and are fine with moving it from one location to another this unit if perfect for you. It may not be the finest voice-activated navigation system on the market but it’s great for its ease of use and portability.