"MSN Direct service will be available only until January 1, 2012"
msndirect.com

Not much of a selling point, but the price isn't bad for a brand name GPS.

I've had a couple of different Garmins over the years, and have been pleased with them.

My advice at the moment is they have at least one model you can get lifetime map and traffic updates included. They had one I looked at recently for around $130. I would go for one of those models if I was looking to upgrade.

#2, I totally agree. The map updates can be expensive.