Howdy,

I need some help picking a GPS for my X. I have used 2 GPS systems, the one built into my mother's prius and my father's Garmin 60CSX (loaded with nav software and topo maps). Anyway, my gripes with the 60CSX is that is isnt that great for in car navigation (no voice prompts, small/hard to read screen, no touch screen, etc...) Anyway, I was wondering what y'all suggest for a small, inexpensive (~350 or less) GPS unit. If it can be used for backpacking too, thats great, but my primary goal is for a road unit.

Any experience with the Garmin nuvi 500?
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=134&pID=13424

Any other suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!
Isaac

 

Before I bought my TomTom 930 I did some research and found that it was the best for what I needed, loads of features and simple to use. I recommend it!

 

Good luck Issac,

Define "Best" Best at what LOL

Like anything you will get 100's of opinions ...
some good reviews can be found at places like GpsPasSion - Reference site GPS Radars or GPS Review : GPS Reviews....

As far as pricing - Amazon has some KILLER deals going on right now and also has some good user feedback and content...


I have had Garmins from the 2120 to the Nuvu 205w, and now 760....
While the promise of ALL marketing is excellence, the reality is that not all do what they say and all mfg's have 'quirks'....

Just like a truck purchase, you've got to decide which options you want, which ones yuou NEED, and find one that does as many of those well as you can...

Then you have to be careful about waht software version is on them...
Later is NOT always better unfortunately !

Good luck !

 

If you read the entire post and its pretty short you would see that I said
and it hasn't let me down yet. I made sure I said best for what I needed, because I knew they will be others that will not like TomTom or just prefer something else and its an opinion.

 

BAj - not a response to u I was typing mine b4 u posted I just b slow @ dat der typing !

No hard feelings !

 

My apologies!

 

Thanks guys. Baji26, The tomtom looks good, but I'd like to stick with Garmin if I can because I can mooch off of my father's maps that he already owns for his 60csx. As far as all the nicknacks, I'm actually looking for a more basic one I think. I'm also going to be using it in my Nissan Xterra, which has Bluetooth already, so I don't want that, and I can't imagine I'm going to be using it for pictures, mp3's, or anything like that. So basically I guess I want a rugged, basic but reliable unit, preferably from Garmin.

Does anyone here have the nuvi 500?

 

I have a TomTom and wont own anything differant!! I dont think you can go wrong with Garmin either. Happy shopping!

 

I bought a Garmin 760 a month ago and am very happy with it. I got it for $220.00 because it is being discontinued. It was around 750 or 800 a couple of years ago. It has a wide screen and a lot of good features. If you google Garmin 760, there is a spreadsheet that compares all the Nuvis. If I can find it, I'll post the link here. Good luck!

 

My wife and I each have used the Garmin Nuvi 205W for over a year now and they fit our needs perfectly. The Garmin is user friendly and has lots of features, some of which we are still discovering. I recommend it.

 

I bought a Pioneer AVIC-F500BT Portable 5.8" GPS Navigation System and I love it. It's huge, so I can actually see it when it's a good 10' away from me on the windshield. I had a Garmin Nuvi 200w before, and it was awesome, but just a hair small for being that far away. Plus this thing ties into the audio system, has bluetooth, plays music and songs, hooks up to ipods, and you can get them for around $200 on ebay, down from $600. Maps are good, screen has a more "fluid" display, so when you turn it turns, doesn't chunk to one side or another. The touch screen keyboard is easy to use to key in addresses, and it has tons of points of interest. I originally saw it for $300 at Circuit city as it was going out of business marked down from $600, and I was going to buy it, but I wasn't sure how they were at GPS's, so I decided to go home and look it up. Great reviews, but I also happened to find it for $200 on ebay, so I bought that one. I gave my Nuvi 200w to a friend. She really appreciated it, as she had the exact same model, which had been ruined the week before when she discovered a leak in her convertible top after a good rain.

 

Read the reviews from CNET.

They will have plenty of good info that should help you with your decision.

GPS reviews, handheld GPS systems, mapping software and more - CNET Reviews

 

Garmin Nuvi 750. Has wide screen and has a long battery life. I would also recommend a product similar to a navmat this will allow you to use it in various vehicles and adjust to the best position.

Hope This Helps

 

Very true, I have the Pioneer F90BT, and I love it the only difference is the 3D mapping. As for handheld units, the one I have on my phone works good. Not really for the backpacking type, but in a freinds car its about a few feet off from the actual norm.

 

I have an older Magellen that I won at work a few years ago. The GPS is good but you really need the 3d maps. If I were to buy another one I would get the kind that runs on the battery also.