GPS Recommendations
 

I want to get a GPS unit for my mother-in-law for Xmas. I'd like to try to keep it under $200 if possible. She isn't very tech savvy, so something easy to use is a must. She is very active & travels a lot. I would like something with good spoken street directions that's also easy to read & hear.

I want to buy it at a local store even though I see great deals online. If she doesn't like it she can return it with the gift receipt for something else. I'll probable go to Costco, Best Buy, Target, ect. Right now Garmin is at the top of the list, closely followed by Tom Tom. Do you guys have any experience on what to buy & what to avoid?

Tom Tom has a pretty easy to use interface, as does Garmin and Magellan. IMO, Tom Tom is probably the simplest. I own a Navman which is the exact opposite, I think they intentionally made it hard to use :p

I just went through this process a couple of weeks ago for myself. Now I am holding off because the prices are dropping dramatically. All the reviews I read (easily over 50) places the Garmin Nuvi heads above the 2nd place contender which is TomTom. I will be getting the 755T, but for your MIL, in the price range you want, get the Garmin Nuvi 255W. Amazon has it for $215.00 with free shipping. The reviewers love it. Read about it here: http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-255W-4-3-Inch-Widescreen-Navigator/dp/B0015EWMX8/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1228356873& sr=8-2

Thanks for the replies! I haven't been to Costco yet, but went to a few other stores & they all seem to have slightly different variations of the same unit. I found this one at Costco online, but don't know if I can get it in the store & if it will have the 2009 maps.
http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11314582&ec=BC-EC877-CatHome&pos=11&lang=en-US

The nice thing about costco online is that you can return an item at the store if needed.

I have a Garmin Nuvi (think it is the 200) and it is easy to use and has proven to be accurate. My model doesn't speak street names, but I suspect the newer models around $200 will have that feature.

The 750 will not have the 2009 maps. The Nuvi series ending in "0" are the 2007 models and the ones ending in "5" are the 2008 models. Oh and Amazon has it for $222.00 without the "rebate."

A few years ago my wife bought me a Magellen and I really liked it, but it literally fell apart in less than a year. It was an early model and was huge and cluncky, and apparently not destined to last long. but I really liked it.

This year I bought a Tom Tom 1 series because it was cheap and offered some features. I figured they were all pretty much the same. In retrospect I wish I had not bought a Tom Tom and I wish I spent a little more. Apparently there are two competing map making companies in the world. One is better in the US, the other is better in Europe. Tom Toms uses the one that is better in Europe, and the mapping software is not as good as the competitors. It always gets me there, but it routinely takes me the long way. It's calculations of what the "fastest" way to get somewhere is often strange at best. I would stick with the companies that use the other routing software. Do a web search and you should see what I mean. Mine also takes a long time to cycle up. It's frustrating when you want to take off in an unframiliar area and you need the GPS to tell you which way to start. Or it loses contact with the satelite and you're wondering where the next turn is.

Get one that announces the street by name. It really makes a difference. Spend the extra to get the best maps available and the better software. Nothing is more frustrating than counting on your GPS and getting almost, but not quite where you want to go. If you pay more to get what you really need you'll get a better value for your money.

Check out Tigerdirect.com They usually have the best prices on the web.

Got a Garmin on sale at Walmart for $99

On my third garmin - love them (one was stolen, the second was replaced out of warranty by Garmin).

I suggest getting the biggest screen for the best price. The 4.3" screen is much better than a 3.5" screen. The Garmin 205W is pretty good, just gave it to a good friend. It was on sale everwhere it seemed. Paid $160 for it.

I bought my girlfriend the Garmin Nuvi 205. She uses it fine, which means anyone can handle it.

Recently saw them at Target for ~$120, down from $200.

I have used several different brands as I tend to rent vehicles often. Garmin is by far the easiest and has the fastest link up to satellite. Magellan is slow and confusing. Tom Tom is OK but still slower than Garmin, which has the market share. The Street Pilot Garmin models are the best, IMO. The Nuvis are cool because most have a slim design but they have a significant design flaw. The volume control is embedded in the software, meaning you have to press screen icons to adjust the volume, which means you have to take your eyes off the road.

The Street Pilots have a scroll whatchamacallit off to the side for volume control. It's so handy. My mother bought a Nuvi and now regrets it because of the volume control. Sometimes it's too loud, other times she can barely hear it. Each time she needs to adjust it, she asks her passenger to assist her so she won't have to take her eyes off the road.

Thanks for the input. I think I'm leaning toward the Garmin Nuvi 255W. Now I have to find it in a local store for as cheap as possible.

Garmin, they have the best maps.

Me and my partner both use a Magellan. They work perfectly fine.

He has an older Garmin too, but neither one of us likes it as much as the Magellan.

As long as she's hot :D

Nuvi? Purchased one with Hilton honor points. I still find pleasure knowing I smashed the damn thing on the ground. It sucked. Although it was kinda hot when I had her speaking french ;)

X2 on Magellan. I picked up from Costco for ~$150 a few months ago. Spring for one with text to speech, I think most have it now.

Do you like this mother-in-law, or not? If the latter, then I suggest the Garmin Nuvi 350. I think Cesiro had the same model, and similarly didn't like it. Not terribly reliable. Actually, the problem is that it sometimes cannot find the address/store you type in. If I actually have to get somewhere important, I find that I double cross reference the directions with Yahoo or Google maps. The unit I have is only useful if it's not terribly important for you to actually get to the address you're looking for.

Yes, she is a great lady. I went out to a few brick & mortar stores today & it appears that the Garmin 255W is gonna be out of my price range. I did find the Tom Tom 330S & the Magellan RM 1412 for $250 which seem to fit the bill. I'll do some more research this weekend & see what shakes out. Thanks again.