As with most other forms of technology, portable GPS navigation devices are getting more affordable than ever. No longer do you need to invest hundreds of dollars on a quality GPS navigator. At the same time, you need to be careful when looking at budget devices, because not all of them are built alike.

One company that has always been well respected for the quality of its products and the ease of its user interface is Garmin. While you could certainly consider one of its more expensive offerings, the ultra-affordable Garmin Nuvi 200C is the ticket for people on a budget. Better still, it’s available for just $140. That’s not a sale price. That’s not a clearance. That is actually the regular price.

Naturally at that price, you’ll have to do without some of the premium features that you may find on more expensive units. Teh Nuvi 200C does not have text-to-speech, MP3 playback, video file support, or downloadable voices, but it does offer a nice 3.5-inch touchscreen display, turn-by-turn directions, numerous points of interest, and an SD memory card slot. That sounds pretty good for $140, I’d say.

For the record, I use a Garmin Nuvi 250 with similar specs and I couldn’t be happier.