GPS Forum

[desler]

My only experience with a GPS is the Magellan units in the Hertz cars I rent. I want to buy a unit for my car but don't know where to start. There are so many choices...and opinions...I'm lost.

I know I want something that will guide me from point A to point B (duh). Voice directions are a must. I don't care about the abiltiy to play MP3's. Bluetooth for my phone is a "nice to have" and built-in XM is also nice but may be a stretch. I want something I can move from my car to my wife's car and take on business trips and use in my rental car.

Are there any other considerations? (I don't know enough to know what I don't know.)

Budget around $500+-. I don't have any brand preferences but want a good quality unit.

HELP!!!

Thanks in advance.

[Joel]

Look at the Nuvi line from Garmin. Based on your requirements, I'd suggest the Nuvi 360. It has Bluetooth, text to speech (announces the names of streets for turns), and the Sirf III chipset which gains satellite reception quickly, and holds it better. Generally, the Nuvi series are smaller (360 will fit in your shirt pocket), and are about the best selling series of navigation devices on the market. I've had 5 different devices, and my Nuvi is the best and most accurate I've had. Take a trip over to Garmin.com, select ON THE ROAD, select a few units and select COMPARE to view the features of each unit. Once you find one you want to price, go to Amazon.com, SAMSCLUB.com, or offroute.com to find the best pricing.

Cheers........ Joel

[desler]

Thanks for the suggestion. Looks like a good choice. It looks like the 360 has been out for a while, about a year I think. Should I be concerned and opt to get something more current?

[Joel]

I've had the Nuvi 350 (little brother to the 360, minus the Bluetooth) for over a year (paid an outrageous sum for it), and I still consider it to be current. I'll update to the 2008 mapset, and it will be as current as anything on the market. If you have the money, look at the Nuvi 660. Larger screen, Bluetooth, FM transmitter and all the other bells and whistles.....

Joel

[desler]

Thanks for the tip, Joel. The 360 looks like a wiinner. Are there any other brands/models I should consider?

[Joel]

I'll be honest with you and tell you I don't know. I have a preference for Garmin (and especially the Nuvi series), having had units from TOMTOM, Lowrance, and Magellan, none of which I found to be acceptable navigators. You might consider going to any of their web sites (their name.com) and checking out their models, then come back here and go to that manufacturers portion of this site (down below, you'll find portions of this forum to ask questions about units from other manufacturers) to query owners of a unit you might be considering.

Again, hope this helps in your search. There is no perfect unit out there, but the Nuvi series (for me) is as close as you can get. Good luck!

Joel