From Jim Walczak,
Your Guide to 4-Wheel Drive / Offroading.
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When choosing between a handheld unit versus a dash-mounted unit for your vehicle, keep in mind your primary use for the GPS receiver.

• Do you prefer a unit that will remain in your vehicle and primarily be used when you're driving?

OR

• Do you think you might want to use a GPS receiver at other times as well, such as hiking, biking, or boating?

Do you prefer a unit that will remain in your vehicle and primarily be used when you're driving? Or, do you think you might want to use a GPS receiver at other times as well, such as hiking, biking, or boating? If you simply have one thing in mind: Getting yourself from point A to point B when you're driving, then a dash-mount receiver is for you.

Pros and Cons of Dash-Mounted GPS Units

(compared to handheld units):

PROS

• Larger screens are easy to read at a glance
• Some automatically recalculate your route if you deviate from the planned route
• Larger buttons for ease of operation while driving
• Unit can remain securely in your vehicle
• Some have voice instructions that communicate distance, name of streets, and direction of the next turn automatically
• No batteries needed
• Address search capabilities
• Better screen resolution
• Some have a personal address book to store locations for fast and easy lookup
• Advanced mapping capabilities
• Reception tends to be better in heavily wooded areas
• Most popular for vehicular use

CONS

• Not as portable or easy to remove from your vehicle for use in other situations (hiking, boating, etc.)
• Larger size takes up space in/on dashboard
• Least popular among hikers, bikers, and kayakers
• Tend to be more expensive

TOP DASH-MOUNTED UNITS