Holiday Gift Guide 2010 - AARP The Magazine So you've been saving to buy a big-ticket surprise for a special someone (or — shhh — for yourself). To help you find cool stuff that's worth the cash, we teamed with Consumer Reports to create a holiday dream list that includes the best computers, cameras — even cars — for your money. Courtesy Subaru
Car
Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited (About $29,500, well-equipped) The top-rated Forester offers the most comfortable ride of any small SUV, has excellent crash-test scores, and gets about 21 mpg. (And yes, the roof is big enough for one of those giant red gift bows.) Runner-up: The zippy Ford Fusion Hybrid (about $31,000, well-equipped) ranks among the best family sedans, with superb handling, an excellent safety record and a fuel-friendly 34 mpg. Go to page 2 for our best e-reader and best laptop/tablet picks.
E-Reader
Courtesy Amazon Amazon Kindle ($189) Ready to read Shakespeare on a screen? The latest Amazon Kindle has crisp text, simple controls, and easy-to-follow e-book buying instructions. It'll even read to you: The Kindle has a text-to-speech feature for the sight impaired. Laptop Tablet
Courtesy Toshiba Toshiba Satellite A665-S6070 ($1,020) With its 640GB hard drive and warp speed Intel Core i7 processor, this laptop packs big power in a small space. Runner-up: Apple's iPad ($500 to $800) combines the features of a laptop with an e-reader and mobile device — in one lightweight package. Go to page 3 for our best digital camera and best high-def camcorder picks.
Digital Camera
Courtesy Canon Canon EOS Rebel T2i ($900) Now that Kodachrome is no longer being manufactured, all of you 35 mm holdouts ought to spring for a digital camera. This one accommo dates a wide assortment of lenses — zoom, telephoto, and wide angle — and even takes high-definition video. Runner-up: For the point-and-shooters among us, Nikon's Coolpix P100 ($400) has a long zoom and very good image quality. High-Def Camcorder
Courtesy JVC JVC Everio GZ-HM550 ($800) You'll capture every eyelash with this supersharp high-definition video camera, even in low-light conditions. It comes with 32 GBs of internal flash memory for nearly 15 hours of video. You can add more time with an optional memory card — but please, spare your friends all that footage of your family reunion. Runner-up: Canon's FS31 ($350) camcorder doesn't do high-def, though it's lightweight and has excellent image stabilization for the price. Go to page 4 for our best coffeemaker and best blender picks.
Coffeemaker
Courtesy Cuisinart Cuisinart Brew Central DCC-1200 ($80) Coffee snobs, this fully programmable machine is just for you: It tested the highest out of 36 coffeemakers in its ability to reach the exact temperature needed to extract the most flavor from coffee. Runner-up: Barista wannabes may prefer the easy-to-clean Emerson CCM901 ($90) — it makes consistently high-quality coffee and espresso. Blender
Courtesy Vita-Mix Vita-Mix 5200 ($450) Reclaim some kitchen counter space with this blender that can double as a food processor. The Vita-Mix crushes ice, purees vegetables, and blends smoothies. Plus, it makes ice cream, heats soup, and pulverizes nuts, seeds, or rice in seconds. Runner-up: For a blender that simply blends, the Oster BCBG08 ($40) is an exceptional basic model with eight speeds and 450 watts of ice-crushing power. Go to page 5 for our best bike and best treadmill picks.
Bike
Courtesy Fuji Fuji Absolute 3.0 ($480) Lightweight with easy handling and shifting, this is the perfect hybrid fitness bike at a great price. The Fuji is also extra stable at higher downhill speeds (but wear a helmet anyway). Runner-up: For about half the price the Schwinn Midmoor ($250) handles well and has good shock absorption for all those little bumps on the road to getting fit. Treadmill
Courtesy PaceMaster PaceMaster Platinum Pro VR ($2,200) Whether you're a walker or a runner, this is one terrific treadmill: Easy to set up, it has a built-in heart-rate monitor and adjusts to a wide range of speeds. It's also superquiet and has not one but two cup holders plus a reading shelf. Runner-up: For those who have tighter spaces (and budgets), the $1,000 Sole F63 folds for easy storage and accommodates a variety of fitness levels. Go to page 6 for our best television and best elliptical trainer picks.
Television
Courtesy Sony Sony Bravia KDL-52NX800 ($2,450) This 52-inch model earned the highest marks of any LCD TV for its overall picture quality and loads of additional features, including LED backlight, 240Hz technology, Wi-Fi, and built-in access to streaming movies from Amazon and Netflix. Runner-up: Smaller, simpler, and cheaper, the 40-inch Samsung LN40C530 ($750) delivers supersharp HD picture quality. Elliptical Trainer
Courtesy Sole Sole E35 ($1,300) It has an adjustable incline, changeable pedal angles, and controls on the handgrips, but its best feature may be that it's whisper quiet: The only sound your family will hear is your grunting. Runner-up: A little noisier than the Sole yet still a good value, the NordicTrack Audiostrider 990 PRO ($990) is a fine basic elliptical with easy-to-use features and adjustable controls. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
Close In the next 24 hours, you will receive an email to confirm your subscription to receive emails related to AARP volunteering. Once you confirm that subscription, you will regularly receive communications related to AARP volunteering. In the meantime, please feel free to search for ways to make a difference in your community at Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again.