Buying a GPS: Recommendations

[Carbo]

Looking to buy a GPS. Budget around $200. Had my eye on the Garmin 265WT.
Anyone have first hand experience with this unit? Yay or nay? Or do you recommend any other? Thank you.

 

[chin311]

i have the lower-scale 255w and its been great.

much better then the sh!tty tomtom i had before.

 

[StageLeft]

Garmin always

 

[Bignate603]

I got a Garmin Nuvi, I can't remember what model. It's great. I do need to update the maps though.

 

[Carbo]

After doing some homework, I decided to go with the Nuvi 1390T. Found a deal online for $199.99, free shipping.
Quick question for the experienced Garmin customers: how often do they update their maps, and will the unit need to be updated out of the box?

 

[highland145]

I've got the Garmin. Overall, it's o.k. but there have been a couple of instances that it wanted or did take me around my elbow to get to my destination. If I'm going out of town, I take a map too. Last summer, going from S.C. to my sis's in Mexico Beach, FL I missed a turn at a lagre confusing intersection. It took me 60 miles down the original 2 lane back road instead of putting me back on the, much faster, correct 4 lane. I got there but....

It's a tool like anything else.

I updated out of the box because they were offering the free 2009 maps.

 

[ivan2]

i have an old tomtom one and an garmin 255WT. I hated the garmin. I would rather not have the traffic and get with the tom tom instead. Garmin's GUI is better than the old tomtom, but everything else is worse. the lady with british accent sounds like a man, it doesn't tell you which way to go when there's a fork on the highway, the traffic reroute is hit and miss. there's one time it told me to get off the highway when there's no jam down the road.

 

[CraigRT]

i have an old tomtom one and an garmin 255WT. I hated the garmin. I would rather not have the traffic and get with the tom tom instead. Garmin's GUI is better than the old tomtom, but everything else is worse. the lady with british accent sounds like a man, it doesn't tell you which way to go when there's a fork on the highway, the traffic reroute is hit and miss. there's one time it told me to get off the highway when there's no jam down the road.

I've had that problem with both Magellan and Garmin. Therefore I can't recommend another brand because of that problem. I still enjoy using my 255W, at least it doesn't crash like the Magellan did. What a POS.

I would say go for the Garmin 265W, it has bluetooth capability among I think other things. (I wish I had bluetooth on my 255)

 

[JEDI]

My 255w freezes half the time when it recalculates a route 🙁

i sent it back under warrenty. the replacement also freezes when recalculating! 🙁

Called up to bitch. Going to send it back AGAIN to get a 3rd one. 😡

 

[mmntech]

From personal experience: Smart Phone with GPS > Stand Alone GPS. That's simply because it's connected to the internet. Easier to search stuff, and maps are kept constantly up to date. Mind you there's a monthly fee for that.

 

[jlee]

I have an old Garmin and I love it. I haven't updated the maps so it's still running 2008 maps, but most major roads aren't changing that often so it has been fine (at least between ME and FL, as well as Phoenix and Vegas).

 

[MotF Bane]

Garmin; I have a 205W. The wider screen isn't all that useful - it's better for looking things up or typing in addresses, but useless at the map screen.

 

[CRXican]

Garmin - nüvi 1300LMT GPS

 

[JEDI]

Garmin; I have a 205W. The wider screen isn't all that useful - it's better for looking things up or typing in addresses, but useless at the map screen.

yeah. they didnt add more resolution/detail. they just made the same picture bigger.

 

[BornStar]

From personal experience: Smart Phone with GPS > Stand Alone GPS. That's simply because it's connected to the internet. Easier to search stuff, and maps are kept constantly up to date. Mind you there's a monthly fee for that.

I definitely disagree with that. I guess maybe if you spend all of your time in metropolitan areas it's OK but if you ever head to any areas with spotty or no coverage you've got a brick for a GPS unit.

I use a 265WT on a regular basis and I like it. The traffic can be helpful but it's not always all that accurate.

 

[WackyDan]

After doing some homework, I decided to go with the Nuvi 1390T. Found a deal online for $199.99, free shipping.
Quick question for the experienced Garmin customers: how often do they update their maps, and will the unit need to be updated out of the box?

You get one free update. Yes, you typically have to update right out of the box. I have a 1300T and it has been great... Out of the box it couldn't find my street even though it's been here since 1992.... Updated it and problem solved. 🙂

Tom Toms are pretty much junk unless you spend serious money on the high end models.

Magellans... Are utter fucking junk. They have one of the best user interfaces in my opinion, but after going through four Magellans in less than two years, I decided I was done. Ever since they were bought by Mitac, the quality has gotten worse and service/repair is practically non-existent. I had one replaced under warranty and died two weeks later.. The 3rd one was a different model, died in first week... Exchanged back at store... and died again two months later.

My Garmin is used in my cars, but has had over 10,000 miles of use on my motorcycle over 16 months and has held up great.

 

[WackyDan]

From personal experience: Smart Phone with GPS > Stand Alone GPS. That's simply because it's connected to the internet. Easier to search stuff, and maps are kept constantly up to date. Mind you there's a monthly fee for that.

I've used my Droid with Google maps and it is indeed very good.... But if you are in the boonies and lose data service you are screwed.

 

[Jumpem]

You can find a Garmin 1450LMT for that.

 

[Doggiedog]

You can find a Garmin 1450LMT for that.

I was looking at this model. It was on sale on Amazon for $180 yesterday but they raised the price back up to $200.

I really hate TomToms. The Teleatlas maps they use are not as good as Navteq maps that Garmins use IMO. I had a TomTom for a month and I grew so frustrated with it I returned it. I bought what I thought was a Garmin 265WT from Newegg but they pulled a bait and switch on me and sent me a returned 265W inside a 265WT box so I sent it back. The 265W worked well and I liked the BT capability.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

get something with lifetime maps.

I got a 200w a couple of years ago when I opened a credit card, went to update the maps last week and I can basically buy a brand new unit for about the same as a single map update.

 

[NutBucket]

get something with lifetime maps.

I got a 200w a couple of years ago when I opened a credit card, went to update the maps last week and I can basically buy a brand new unit for about the same as a single map update.

This for sure. Honestly, I doubt you can go wrong with either a TomTom or a Garmin. Head to a store and try them out.

FWIW, I have an original OneXL that has never given me any problems. And it's definitely worthwhile to have a standalone unless you know for sure you'll only use/need it in places with cell coverage.

 

[iGas]

I don't have experience with any other GPS, but the 265WT that I own for a year is pretty good.

It had trouble locating some of the more obscure destinations that I put it through, and once it got confused and couldn't figure out where I was even those I was in a town center. And, it took about 15 minutes of recalculation before it it figured out my location & heading.

For the most part the 265WT work perfectly. I haven't try using the phone with blue tooth as yet because I prefer having the phone off when driving.

The 1390LMT come with lifetime map upgrade & lifetime traffics update as well as bluetooth if you need the features ($179.99 at Costco).