I’ve been looking for a solid GPS for a while: nothing too fancy, just something that’s light and compact and gives good directions.

You wouldn’t think this would be too difficult, especially for someone as tech savvy as me, but the number of GPS units targeted at general consumers is ludicrous; just scope out all the automotive models Garmin offers (hint: there’s about 35). Even if you exclude the high-end models ($400 and up) you’re still left with a dizzying array of choices that seem to vary by only one feature.

So let me save you some time and direct you to the model I finally settled on: the nüvi 360. What’s so good about this one?

• 3.5-inch display
• full maps of the U.S. (AK, HI, and Puerto Rico included) and Canada
• 6 million + points of interest
• voice directions with street names
• SD card slot supports displaying photos or playing MP3s
• Bluetooth

That last feature is the real kicker, as the nüvi 360 is the cheapest of Garmin’s GPS units to include Bluetooth, which allows you to make and answer calls through the unit and use its speaker for hands-free calling.

The best part is you only pay a little more for some of the features the 360 packs (like voice directions with street names) than the lower models. The MP3 playback support also guarantees I’ll be able to listen to audiobooks even when I’m in a crappy rental car with only a radio or a moving truck.

About the only thing the 360 doesn’t have that I wish it did is a widescreen 4.3-inch display option, like the cheaper 200w and 250w models, and the high-end nüvi 600- and 700-series. If you want that, and the features the 360 packs, you’ll need to spring for the nüvi 660, which costs more than $100 extra (about $350 from Amazon).

Price: Amazon sells the nüvi 360 for just $239 with free shipping.

By the way, I’m not the only one who thinks the 360 rocks: it has a 4.5 rating on Amazon based on 800+ reviews, snagged a 4.5 rating from PC Magazine back in 2006 when it debuted, and was named “Best Value” by PC World in their February 2008 issue that pitted it against four other GPS units.