What's the best GPS?

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 06-01-2007, 04:16 AM

For a Conde Nast Traveler project I'm working on, I have two questions for those of you who have installed portable GPS units in your 911s:

1/What is the cost-no-object most sophisticated self-contained production unit that you know of?

2/What is the best value in commercially available GPS units?

hbkramer · 06-01-2007, 05:22 AM

Garmin IQ 3600 is a pocket GPS that suits me fine Palm Pilot database is used to identify/mark waypoints,and it has all the other on road info you would need.
Nice unit.

MuffinMan · 06-01-2007, 05:32 AM

The Garmin units seem to be about the best on the market these days, although I have not thoroughly researched vs. different brands in awhile. A couple of years ago, it was essentially Magellan vs. Garmin, with all other contenders falling far short.

As far as the best unit available, I have to imagine the Garmin Street Pilot 7500 is up there. On a slightly smaller scale, the Garmin Nuvi 680 is another outstanding model.

I recently researched a unit for my father, and I found the Garmin Nuvi 350 (or 360 if you want bluetooth capability) to be the best bang for the buck. It has a mid-high $300s street price (add around $50 for the 360), is very compact, is very easy to use, finds satellites very quickly, has great battery life, has a great screen, and calculates very fast. The screen size is 3.5", while the 600 series nuvis add ~$150 to the price and have 4.3" screens, which are roughly 1" wider with close to the same height.

As you know, this is a very hot sector and there are constantly new entries into the market, but read a few reviews and you'll see a lot of people love the Garmin units, as a brand.

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

I haven't really compared them but I have the Garmin Nuvi....works nice and keeps the wife from getting lost.

MuffinMan · 06-01-2007, 05:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MuffinMan
The Garmin units seem to be about the best on the market these days, although I have not thoroughly researched vs. different brands in awhile. A couple of years ago, it was essentially Magellan vs. Garmin, with all other contenders falling far short.

As far as the best unit available, I have to imagine the Garmin Street Pilot 7500 is up there. On a slightly smaller scale, the Garmin Nuvi 680 is another outstanding model.

I recently researched a unit for my father, and I found the Garmin Nuvi 350 (or 360 if you want bluetooth capability) to be the best bang for the buck. It has a mid-high $300s street price (add around $50 for the 360), is very compact, is very easy to use, finds satellites very quickly, has great battery life, has a great screen, and calculates very fast. The screen size is 3.5", while the 600 series nuvis add ~$150 to the price and have 4.3" screens, which are roughly 1" wider with close to the same height.

As you know, this is a very hot sector and there are constantly new entries into the market, but read a few reviews and you'll see a lot of people love the Garmin units, as a brand.

The nuvi 350/360 also includes pre-loaded maps of the entire US, and speaks street names. Many of the budget GPS systems only include regional maps, and do not speak street names (how important that feature is to the user, varies).

Joe Bob · Joe Bob's Garage

Gotta love the pronunciation of the California Spanish Street names.....

BTW...Momz has the Marco Polo GPS....she's not computer literate and it serves her needs. Price and ease of use was her concern...

Wil Ferch · 06-01-2007, 09:12 AM

Look at Garmin Nuvi 270 and 370 if your needs are US ... AND ...Europe.
I have a thread on this recently.

- Wil

mtbguy · 06-01-2007, 09:34 AM

I LOVE my Garmin Nuvi- it has worked on trips all over the US, and doesn't have the problems associated with it that some of the real cheap budget minded ones do - such as a friends which has him have to download different states into the GPS from his computer- what a pain.

Imagine how you would feel driving along on a trip where you forgot to download one of the states, and as you crossed the border the GPS just freaks out....

The great thing about it is the portability to put in your luggage, use on trips in rental cars, more efficiently run errands and keep the wife from getting lost!

tjc5911 · 06-01-2007, 09:40 AM

I've had several Magellan and Garmin units. The big difference for me has been satellite acquisition time. By far and away, the Garmin wins hands down. Just got a Garmin Nuvi 350. Excellent little unit.

Jims5543 · 06-01-2007, 09:44 AM

After enting a Hertz car in Cali a couple of years ago I was sold on the Magellin unit. I had never used a nav system before and within a coupld of minutes I was using the Magellin. Really user friendly.

It does not speak street names but it does display them on the screen. This was a non-issue to me. I own 2 Magellin 700's that we use in our work trucks. When we go to Palm Beach County we use them a lot because we do not know the roads there well. Every time it has put me right in front of the house I needed to go to.

I am in need of a 3rd unit now I might look into the Garmin and give it a try.

304065 · 06-01-2007, 11:17 AM

Stephen,

The Garmin Streetpilot is the way to go. They come in different flavors depending on whether you want traffic or not, and one of them integrates an MP3 player, I think it also makes julienne potatoes.

The beauty of that unit is the integrated antenna technology. I used to use a Garmin 296 in the Citabria (mostly to get home stricken with nausea after an aerobatic lesson) and there were always wires and antennas and crap all over the place. The streetpilot is battery powered and sticks to the windshield, no external antenna, no BS.

I think the 510 is the best one. The other ones have superfluous features. That's the beauty of this military-into-civilian technology. . . you CAN spend $1,000 on a receiver, but it doesn't WORK any better than the $100 version. . .

Blue side up

JFC

Stutzdriver · Stutzdriver's Garage

I recently got some information on a new unit by Delorme. I have their software an their GPS module on my laptop and it is good stuff. the new unit was a self contained GPS and if it works half as well as what I have now it would be worth the cost.

I think it is on their website www.delorme.com

I went this route as I am carrying the laptop on business trips and this way I don't have something extra to carry when I travel.

TomTurtle · 02:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikez
I haven't really compared them but I have the Garmin Nuvi....works nice and keeps the wife from getting lost.

I agree - love my Nuvi! However, its battery life does seem a little limited. Check out http://www.cnet.com/ I'd think there shold be some reviews there on GPS units.

Edit:
Here's the URL for CNET GPS reviews:
http://reviews.cnet.com/GPS/2001-3490_7-0.html?tag=ont.gps

Paul K · Paul K's Garage

I've done some research and asked around. Seems the Nuvi 350 is the way to go. More discussion...

GPS...Educate Me

bell · bell's Garage

if you were to go with an in-dash unit (am/fm/dvd/nav) then the panasonic strada is the cats meow, more than twice as fast as the pioneer/alpine units and easier to use

nota · 06-01-2007, 06:21 PM

THERE ARE BETTER GPS SYSTEMS
THEY USE TWO UNITS
ONE AT A FIXED KNOWN POSITION
ONE MOBLE
THE FIX STATION REPORTS CHANGES DUE TO VARIBALS
TO THE MOBLE UNIT BY RADIO TO GET SUPER ACCURATE DATA IN REAL TIME

THESE ARE USE TO DO LAND SURVEY OR FOR BOATS
AS CARS HAVE NO NEED FOR HAIR SPLITING DATA

Drew001 · 06-01-2007, 10:24 PM

*Hint for nota*

Another vote for Garmin.
Love my nüvi 360 and I don't know how I got around without it.

Joeaksa · 06-02-2007, 01:28 AM

Garmin. Simply no other choice. Had a Magellan and it was no where near as good, as well as the fact that their customer service and support sucks. My copilot dropped one of my Garmins a few years back and I sent it back to the factory explaining what had happened. It was out of warranty by a year or so and they replaced the screen, free, and sent me a note saying more or less "caca happens"...

The Garmins work world wide. Am in London now and while I do not have the European maps loaded on it, it does show the major roads so if I bookmark my position it will find its way back there so works within reason anywhere.

charleskieffner · 06-02-2007, 03:24 AM

LOWRANCE COLOR BIG(emphasize BIG SCREEN for poor old tired eyes) SCREEN for SCORE CLASS 8 TRUCK and tow hauler dually. hand held from lowrance was freebee w/above purchase. both H2O proof.

just pull up to ensenada and download course with bonus of skulls and crossbones already added for known existing danger areas. on race day..............well hazards are like IED'S, they are everywhere.

comes w/free K & N STEEECKER! LOL!