Which Road Atlas is best and why?

I like the deluxe version. I recently bought the 2009 edition. I really like the laminated pages and sprial binding.

 

Don't lose those map skills. Projections are, there will be a disruption of GPS services starting as early as 2012. Due to old equipment failing.

 

I prefer the standard paper page edition of the Rand McNally Motor Carrier Atlas. One they are much less expensive and the laminated version I bought has its own problems. You need to replace your atlas fairly often so it is up to date. The temptation with the laminated version is to keep it too long.

The laminated version is too big for my taste, it takes up too much space in the door storage area. With the paper atlas I am able to keep my atlas and exit guide in the door. The laminated version would eat up most of that space. Also, the laminated atlas has a spiral binding and the pages will eventually pull out if you frequently retreive the atlas one handed or open it frequently to the same states.

But for me the biggest drawback to the laminated version was the giant gap between pages when you look at a state that spans two pages. It was more difficult to trace a "pig path" that was only labled every 40 miles and crossed the spiral binding. The shiny pages also reflected light when under some dome lights.

 

I'm using a hand-me-down laminated 2006. Once the 2010's come out I'll pick up the large scale version. It's just easier to pick out the route you want when the roads are so jammed packed together. Oh, and my 2006 has seen better days, but it's far from losing any pages.

Regarding "trace a 'pig path'"... I've found and heard that the paper versions are a pain due to the map being drawn all the way into the binding. What do you do when you need to go where the map don't show?