Sakuragi

Hi, I am planning to buy a GPS but not sure of which model to get. I have narrowed it down to 3 units:
1) Garmin nuvi 350 (don't need bluetooth so no 360), also heard this is best in class
2) TomTom One, it's cheaper, but does not have text-to-speech function.
3) Clarion NICE P200, not sure how good it is at Navigation but it's a mp3, video player as well.

I am leaning towards to Garmin Nuvi 350. Any insight or other suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Crazy Bimmer

Only one i played around with was the Garmin and its now on my list to of must-buys.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I'd be curious to read the responses in here as well. We'll be looking to get one for the business next year, so I'm wondering which one is the way to go...

CLpower

same here

Dan Martin

I love my Garmin iQue, but I haven't played with any of the new dedicated car GPS units yet.

Infamous425

i have a garmin c530. i think its great. i got this model because my gf has a business account at office depot (so basically i didnt have to pay for it ) and they didnt have many choices at the time other than this or tomtom500 or a palm.

it does take a few seconds to recalculate and that might bother some people. comes preloaded with all the maps i think it has 6 mil POI im not exactly sure.

its so easy to use i havent even touched the manual.

supraken

iTrader: (1)

Well, if you don't mind a couple of extra wires, or if you are good at DIY, you can consider getting a PocketPC for that purpose..

I have a Dell Axim X51v (3.5 inch VGA screen) with a Holux GPSlim bluetooth GPS receiver (one of the best overall ones out there). I'm running iGuidance 3.0 (a lot of the portable units also use iGuidance) which works like a charm, large icons, easy to read, easy to use.

The bluetooth connectivity is very very easy too, GPS signal is pretty good.

The Axim was about $330 with 3 yr warranty plan a year ago (some fatwallet ppl were able to get it for even less during Xmas times), and the Holux cost about $100 with a free mount from buygpsnow.com. I also bought a 2gb SD card for $70 (so expensive!) back then. So total cost was about $500.

With a PocketPC, it's basically a mini carputer, you can play mp3's, movies, divx, games, whatever, you name it. You can even serve the web if you have that service (assuming you have a good VGA browser). One of the reasons why i don't understand all the hype about the Ipod's. A PocketPC can do all of that AND more.

Now the only drawback between this and the portable GPS, is that you have an extra GPS receiver to carry around, but the Holux is so small (size of a very small pager-2"x1.5"?), and the battery life is great (about 8 hours) but of course you can use the car charger that it comes with.

Don't forget it's easier to find new software and maps for these PPC based Nav programs, too.

As for drawbacks, I don't see many execpt that it's a tiny bit less plug and play than the portable units. If you prefer you can get a GPS receiver that plugs directly into the PPC's CompactFlash slot, then it'll be just like those PPC based Nav units that they sell.

It's definitely a wise choise, if you'd ask me.

Tmetcalf

I borrowed my sisters boyfriends Tom Tom whilst on vacation in England and have to admit that its as good as the Acura nav system if not better. I love the size of it and its so easy to use. I think the newest model has bluetooth compatability and can hold MP3's too. And for the price I'm thinking of getting one for my wife. Plus my name is Tom so how could I resist !

teranfon

I spent about a year looking at various portable GPS units and settled on the Garmin 2720. I've used it for a few months now and find it to a very usable GPS with plenty of features. My main requirements were a colour screen, 3D graphics, touch screen, pre-loaded maps and points of interest, and voice commands. It also had to be portable to go from the vehicles to the bike. I found the 2720 fulfilled all of my requirements and then some. It also came equipped with a remote and uses a more durable flash memory (a great feature because of motorcycle vibrations). It seemed to come equipped with the latest software, as I can find locations that were constructed less than a year ago. The voice commands are very nice, as it actually announces the streets name or numbers while instructing you to turn. It was close to $1000.00 Canadian, and would recommend it highly.

Terry



Speaker is integrated with the power cord.

CLpower

Anyone have the C340? Do you have to pay extra for live traffic updates?

subinf

Like Terry I also have the Garmin 2720. If you dont mind the cord it is one of the best units I have ever used. I have no complaints whatsoever.

Infamous425

i think u need to buy the traffic antenna to plug into it

CLpower

but there is no monthly fee?

Infamous425

i read the manual on my garmin. it just says u need the extra antenna and it will recieve digital traffic signals wherever available. does not mention having to pay any montly fee

CLpower

sweet


Alright, I now think this is the unit I want

http://www.garmin.com/products/nuvi660/



Anyone know of any stores that carry a good amoutn of the garmin line?

CLpower

Infamous, can you get us a deal through your lady

Whiskers

I have the Garmin 3i

Infamous425

haha unfortunately she doesnt handle the finances at her job anymore so i think the new accountant would notice

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I was actually thinking about the Garmin Nuvi 360. Bluetooth support would be useful... so that is why I'm considering it. But I like that link that CLPower posted. Too bad it's so damn expensive... business deduction or not... don't think I want to spend that much. Just need a good navigator (don't need traffic reports or anything)...

RaviNJCLs

iTrader: (4)

Any other reviews? I'm looking at getting one for the wife since she's more used to NYC streets with numbers as opposed to the suburbs. I was looking at the ones with slightly bigger displays than the hand helds.

Those of you with the hand held ones, have any problems reading the display?

slo007

Best overall:

Garmin Nuvi 350 $800
Garmin StreetPilot 2730 $850
Magellan RoadMate 760 $700

All are capable and full-featured. The Nuvi is very compact. The StreetPilot is easy to read and has built-in XM satellite radio reception for traffic data. Its bean-bag mount can slide around in sharp turns, though. All three can call out street names. The Magellan calculates especially fast and is easy to program, although its mount can vibrate when the car is in motion.

If portability is a priority:

Garmin Nuvi 350 $800
Garmin StreetPilot i5 $350 CR Best Buy
Navman iCN550 $550

The Nuvi has all you need and is as slim as a wallet. The more rudimentary StreetPilot i5 is baseball-sized. You program it using a roller wheel--more tedious than using a touch screen. The Navman is quite compact but, like some PDAs, requires a stylus to program, and it can vibrate in its mount.

Best for $500 or less:

TomTom Go 300 $500
Garmin StreetPilot i5 $350 CR Best Buy

The TomTom lacks some advanced driver-feedback features, but it is easy to use and performs well. The StreetPilot i5 also covers the basics well. The i5's roller-wheel programming is not the ideal method, but it's not too difficult to master.