Unlike the antiheroes of "Easy Rider," while I gun my motor on the open highway, I like to know exactly where I am, where I'm going, and what my next move is going to be. That's a pretty buttoned-down attitude for someone who plays Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild" in the car, especially since I do what all less-than-hip 1960s dads did before a road trip: fuss over maps and directions the night before. As if to hammer home the differences between me and Captain America of "Easy Rider," I take a computer with me to do a little work along the way. I also drive a station wagon.

But I've finally found a less stressful way to drive from one client meeting to another. It started a couple of years ago, when I rented an Avis vehicle with a NavTech global positioning system (GPS) that gave turn-by-turn directions to my destination, recalculated directions when I took detours, and, unlike any navigator I've ever had, didn't get mad even after three missed turns. It cost an extra seven bucks a day, but it was well worth it.

"Wouldn't it be great," I thought, "To have this in my own car?" Well, after testing three consumer GPS systems, I can answer my own question. Yes, it is great to have this in my car. It's not perfect, but it beats the stress of trying to read Mapquest printouts while driving on unfamiliar roads.

Act locally, position globally

The global positioning system is a gift from the U.S. government, which keeps a constellation of sat...

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