What to buy the car lover, commuter or road tripper
in your family this holiday season

Whether your holiday budget allows splurging on the latest auto technology or leaves just enough to slip a car freshener in a stocking; options are aplenty for the auto-friendly in your circle.

Why are vehicle-related gifts the way to go? A recent study, Commuting in America, by the Transportation Research Board, found that more commuters are traveling further and leaving home earlier than before. In fact, the percentage of workers with commutes longer than 60 minutes almost doubled from 1990 to 2000. With Americans spending more time than ever staring out of car windows, an auto gift is not only practical, but usually unexpected, and much more likely to be used and appreciated than, say, that fruitcake Aunt Gertrude gave you last year.

Grand Gifts

TomTom Go 910
Consistently ranked among the best out there, TomTom GO 910 portable GPS navigation system combines maps of the US and Canada, a built-in MP3 player that will fit 1000’s of songs, 20 Gb of hard disk space, and Bluetooth technology for hands-free calling to create this multi-tasker must-have. A 4” LCD touch-screen and remote control make it perfect for the daily commute (it can read text messages aloud) or weekend getaway.
Price: $699. Visit TomTom.com for more information.

Polaroid 7” Mobile DVD System
Turn your backseat into a theater and quiet the kids with Polaroid’s seven inch dual screens and DVD system. Simply strap the screens to the back of front seat headrests on your next road trip for clear, bold color viewing of favorite movies or pop in a CD and let passengers listen to their own tunes on the built-in Dolby Digital Decoder and stereo speaker combo. Of course, head-phone jacks are standard. And A/V outlets allow one screen to show a movie while the other hooks up to a gaming system. Elec-tronic Skip Protection (ESP) guarantees that bumpy roads won’t disturb or disrupt the picture; but you can keep the (credit card sized) remote up front just in case.
Price: $199. Visit CircuitCity.com for more information.

Pleasing Presents

Plantronics Discovery 655
City and state cell phone regulations are going hands-free faster than you can say “call me.” To make keeping in touch easier and reduce driver distraction, wrap up a Bluetooth head set this holiday. (Hey, nobody said that you couldn’t buy yourself a gift.) Equipped with the latest in audio technology, this super light headset reduces noise levels for clear conversations and allows for up to ten hours of talk time. Stylish and easy-to-use, this hands-free beats the competition hands-down.
Price: $150. Visit Plantronics.com for more information.

Smart Find Remote Control Key Locator
How many times has she been late because she couldn’t find her keys? Present your procrastinating friend with this Brookstone key locator and ensure that she’s got no excuse in the new year. Simply press a color-coded button and locate keys via high-decibel alarm thanks to a wireless transmitter up to 60-feet away (yep, that means through walls, floors and couch cushions too.) Comes with two different colored key rings and receivers.
Price: $60. Visit Brookstone.com for more information.

Token Trinkets

BodyGard Safety Tool
This five-in-one tool keychain is the perfect gift for just about anyone of any age and is also just what you want to have in hand (or have easy access to) in the case of an auto emergency. Looking to escape from your vehicle? BodyGard, by SwissTech, features an automatic glass breaker — just press it firmly against glass and watch it shatter (don’t worry, it’s spring-loaded for fast deployment but is also safe to keep in your purse or pocket,) a safety-blade seatbelt cutter, sonic alarm, LED flashlight and tiny flashing red distress light. Water-resistant and glow-in-the-dark, BodyGuard is a gift for good use — and good reason.
Price: $25. Visit SwissTechTools.com for more information.

Armor All Gift Pack
Who can resist the shine of a freshly waxed car? Treat your favorite do-it-yourselfer to this gift pack, which includes everyday (full-size) car cleaning essentials like Armor All’s Car Wash Concentrate, Original Protectant, Tire Foam, Glass Wipes, Wheel Cleaner and detailing cloth. So go ahead and spread some shine, or send a hint and a wink to your household handy person in hopes that they’ll return the kindness — with a car wash, of course.
Price: $10. Visit ArmorAll.com for more information.

InsideOut Maps
For that one person (read: dad) that will never stop to ask directions, InsideOut Maps make for a practical present. Small and discreet, they fold up to look like a pocket sized book, but feature fully illustrated PopOut Maps that provide a street index, places of interest, color photos of historical sites, entertainment spots, restaurants, hotels and more. The coolest feature, however, is the built-in compass and light-pen for jotting notes. Available for both international cities (check off your globe-trotting cousin) and U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Las Vegas, L.A., New York City, Orlando, San Diego, San Francisco and Washington D.C. Visit BarnesandNoble.com for more information.