GPS (Aftermarket like Garmin or Tom Tom for your vehicle?)

[bvmjethead]

Looking to purchase a very basic GPS unit for my truck. All I need it to do is show maps/routes and tell me where to go. I don't need it to play DVD's or anything other than direct me to specific locations.

Touch screen is nice.

Talking directions are nice.

Portability is nice.

3.5 inch screen at least....

What are you using?

 

[AquaGuy]

Garmin 2720.. Not portable, but you can't beat the price $500 from warmat.com (around christmas time..)

 

[RICHinNC]

Here are my thoughts after doing a ton of research.

Stay away from Tom Tom. It is a British company and their USA maps are low quality so you get lost a lot....I read.

I have gravitated away from Magellan because of all the complaints I read on the internet about their quality and how often their GPSs break.

Go with Garmin as more users of those machines seem happier than any other.

Ref both Garmin and Mag........support sucks. I tried calling both and never talked to a rep.

Buy whichever one you want....but you are on your own it seems.

 

[Marek K]

I've got a Garmin Ique 3600. Also works as a PDA, MP3 player, etc., which I only find useful occasionally. Mainly use it as a car GPS. I'm very happy with it.

Garmin has unfortunately just discontinued it, and seems to be backing away from PDA-integrated GPS units in general and those based on the Palm OS specifically. I'd think the prices would be falling (wouldn't mind getting a second one for my wife), but they don't appear to be significantly. But still well-less than half a grand.

Not really supposed to be a touch screen, except with a stylus (small icons); but you can carefully use a fingernail if you need to. There's some risk doing that while driving.

I'm very happy with the Garmin software available for the U.S., though it's really getting expensive. Coverage in Western Europe is good too, but ditto. And updates aren't free by any means. The routing and other data ("Where's the nearest Outback Steakhouse?") are pretty damn' good, but you still have to give everything a reality check.

Here in Eastern Europe (other than the Czech Republic), you normally have to find aftermarket mapping software that has any useful detail at all. But there's more and more available that's Garmin compatible, to include routing and voice guidance.

As far as I'm concerned, I don't need "3D" or perspective maps. But that may depend on a person's general map-reading ability.

I agree, Garmin support can be spotty and terse to say the least.

--Marek

 

[letterboy]

I am the opposite of Rich's research I haven't gotten lost yet with my TomTom, I love my TomTom 910. . . All the TomTom's have neat features you can use, handsfree calling etc etc etc.

It is small and portable and coming down in price now. . .

Go to, I believe it is, Bestbuy and play with some of their live demo unit, but shop around for price because they vary alot from place to place. . .

Let me know if this makes no sense at all as I am working on my first cup of coffee now. . .

 

[doghouse]

I have the magellen roadmate. It has been in my truck for 3 years now, and i never take it out. Well almost never. It has been in both extreme heat and cold. The one thing that I found is the most important is the purchase of upgraded maps. Make sure 1, you can do it, and 2 that it can be done at a reasonable price.

Why did I get the Roadmate? I am used to reading maps, and could not stand the colors of the Garmin. Why are the maps important? A lot of times when traveling, if trouble starts on the highway, I can take a quick look an often find back roads to take around the problem. I have been looking at the lowerance Iway, and that is also a nice machine with good map looking maps.

 

[cdiver2]

Magellen, very accurate to within a couple of feet, but not very user friendly in fact it was a beast. It lasted three years before it broke down.

Garmin Nuvi, not as accurate about fifteen feet but extremely user friendly, in fact I can input an address whilst driving. I have had this one about a year with no problems.

 

[Matt S.]

My wife works in the GPS retail biz and consequently I get to play with a LOT of auto GPS's.

The older Magellans like the 700, 710, 800 are servicable but klunky, IMHO. Magellan's next products should be a lot nicer.

The TomToms are all pretty nice. I have seen refurbished TomTom 700s online for $300, that's a great price for a great product. It has some "fluff" though, Bluetooth speakerphone features.

Garmins are all pretty nice. Shop on features & price and you won't go wrong.

Pretty much any name brand unit has maps that are just fine. There are only a couple of companies providing this data anyway... all the GPS companies just pick one to license. (eg TeleAtlas)

The accuracy and time to lock on is also all very similar. There are differences but when you are actually driving and using the units, you don't notice. The exception is older units (eg Mag 700) can be slow to lock on. The modern ones I have tried I just haven't noticed differences in use.

The quality of spoken directions again is all pretty decent. A new feature that is VERY nice though is text-so-speech, so the GPS says street names aloud instead of just "turn left in 400 feet." Pronunciation is not perfect but it's quite understandable and it means you don't have to look at the screen as much. It's actually really nice, IMHO.

Anyway, my quick recommendation is some kind of TomTom or some kind of Garmin Nuvi.

 

[haha49]

i rather use a map and figure my way around the hard way the only problem with gps is they can lose there signal in between buildings make sure you get the extra antena.. and not all roads are on the map it might say take a turn here turn there but you could just go straight down an old road that is on the map just forgoten about. depends on were you want to drive ect.. i fine in a city there are so many 1 way streets that sometimes the tom tom ect will tell you to go the wrong way as some streets are one way at a certain time then the other way latter it can get very confuseing i use stuff like map quest that way you just look o next street take a left ect...