Google Maps (the recent version released in the app store) for iPhone is fantastic. I use that over my work cars gps.

I have Garmin Nuvi 2455 LMT, can't complain. Came with lifetime free maps when I got it a few months back for $150 at Good Guys. Has lane guidance for built up areas, gives live traffic info. Can personalize if pretty well, warns you for speed and using freeway speed traps in my area show that it's dead on really, +/- 1kph.

Some of the models in this line have bluetooth stuff for phone integration but mine does not.

Mine came with a suction cup mount, works well enough. Also came with the car charger and a USB to mini USB cable.

I've had a navman, garmin, tomtom, igo, and prefer the interface and I guess, 'user experience' of the garmin the most. Find one that suits your needs and budget and go from there.

Good God man. Use your phone.

Nexus 7 tethered to your mobile and google maps\google navigation

Nokia Drive, which comes with any Lumia, is pretty awesome:

Oh also one thing I noticed, I was using the google one on my phone one day because my GPS was in the other car and half way through the trip my phone suffered from gender identity disorder. It went from a male voice to a female one (or vice versa I forget which). I was like WTF LOL.

Nokia Drive, which comes with any Lumia, is pretty awesome:
Except it's reading KM's instead of miles in london...

I've got all of east australia cached and when i went to japan i pre-cached osaka tokyo and kyoto although a friend who went over there shortly after couldn't. Weird.

I actually just got back from Japan and had the same problem - did a quick look into it and apparently it's just something that Google Japan disabled (I assume the maps are licensed exclusively to some local GPS provider and they're not allowed to provide them offline).

You can use OpenStreetMap which I'm hoping will eventually get good enough to be my default mapping application - apparently it's pretty good in Japan because of the Google limitations, but I didn't have time to try it: http://www.openstreetmap.org/

Aside from that though, Android's offline caching is really really awesome and I've used it very happily in several countries as a primary GPS system. There are still a few small advantages to a standalone GPS system (e.g., driving from Inverness to Edinburgh my phone ran out of batteries despite being on the charger, wtf, making the last part of the trip extremely frustrating and stressful) but overall I can't imagine them getting more useful only time compared to phones - only less.

As long as you have a reliable car charger and good phone reception though - phone ftw.

Get a cradle for your phone. GPS units are old hat.

An update on Navman MY350LMT that I got.

I appreciate many people just use their phone and I did consider phone style, I have a work iPhone. Apart from basic navigation like finding my way around interstate cities, or finding a local restaurant here or when travelling I've never fully utilised my phones navigation options for all day driving. Saves my phone life for calls and email.

But for constant daily use I thought a dedicated GPS would suit my needs better. So I went with the stand alone GPS and so far so good.

Some features that i found good, these can all be turned off/on as desired. All notifications in advance with meterage.
* Notification of speed cameras
* Notification of school zones (and seems to be only during school hours, EG. on outward bound trip at 8.45 it notified me, coming back home at 12.30 it didn't)
* Notification of change in speed zones
* 3D visualization of multi lane areas to show you which lanes to stay in
* Tells you which lane to turn from on multi lane turns to ensure your situated to make whatever the next turn is.
* Notifies you when merging lanes are joining main road
* Landmark guides in conjunction with general directions, EG. tells you "turn left at the service station"
* Not that i need it but it even told me when i was entering one of those no exhaust brakes zones

Would be interested to know what similar features are on the phone versions?

So all in all I'm happy I got a stand alone GPS, and with teh BT option when I fly somewhere and hire a car i can hook it up to my phone and find my way while making calls. So for a measly $245 (which i will claim on tax) well worth it.

Are there any where the maps can be updated? From what I know buying new maps usually costs almost as much as buying a new GPS. Are there any where it is free?

the one I got Navman MY350LMT has updates "for life"

Also if it has the ability to store power in it briefly, that would be good. As in, if the 12v thing isn't plugged in it could keep going for a few minutes, that would be a big plus.

Lasted about 2 hours before i turned it off, about an hour for finding where i wanted to go and then i left it on genreal map mode, probably had more life in it but I'd finished what I needed.

I've noticed more and more people @work running Tom Tom on their work iPad

it sure is a lot easier of the eye, and entering in locations / seeing current locations is much better of a bigger screen, though I notice that the suction cup mounting brackets are a bit of a specialty item. Well... a $10 one.

most peeps I've seen hack their iPads to get free TomTom, though I don't see this as a great idea in the long run.. I still don't like the idea of a company knowing how often I go a few clicks over the speed limit and who they'll share that information with.. still - I wouldn't put it past Telstra.

I would sooner buy the app properly though.