Garmin GPS recommendation

[Triumph]

I know most of yinz have smart phones but A: I don't have a smart phone and B: I don't plan on getting a smart phone. However, I do use my 10 year old Garmin occasionally in the car and on the motorcycle, but it is getting long in the tooth. Maps are not updated, battery doesn't hold charge very long, and most importantly the power button doesn't work. You HAVE to plug it in to get it to turn on. So...

I have a slickdeals alert set up for Garmin and I get results all the time. But there are so many Garmins I don't understand what the difference is! It seems to me that they don't really upgrade their units as much as change one or two features and call it a new model, discontinuing the last. So what really is the benefit to buying a brand new one versus a 2012 model year unit that is either on closeout or refurb? As far as I can tell I won't be missing much in terms of what I get, there's nothing new or groundbreaking in GPS devices that I need to have. Your thoughts?

 

[OBLAMA2009]

garmins are pretty confusing to buy because they always have several generations of devices on the market at the same time. i ended up just going to costco and getting one, i figured they would probably have a reasonably up to date one and ive been happy with it. they have several models, but even a cheap one ($150) is likely going to do all the things you need so i wouldnt stress about minor features. if youre anal about having the most recent generation go to their site and write the model numbers down so you can check them with what costco/bb/etc has.

 

[corkyg]

I have a two year old Garmin with "lifetime" updates. I installed Garmin Express on my laptop, and every six months it can update everything including firmware. It takes about an hour or so. I know it adds a lot because I had to add a SIM card of 4GB for it to complete. If a SIM card is not available, it offers (in menu) lesser areas. The update is easy - I just connect the Garmin to the laptop via USB and run Garmin Express.

 

[Kaido]

The prices have dropped; it's worth buying the premium model now because it doesn't cost $1,000 anymore. The latest & greatest model is only $329 shipped:

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-3597LMT...dp/B00AXX0IC4/

Ridiculous feature set:

* No data connection or smartphone required (works offline)
* 5" touchscreen
* Lifetime map updates
* HD Digital Traffic & Weather (updates traffic status every 30 seconds, along with temp & forecast)
* Use it as a Bluetooth speakerphone (works with flipphones etc. if they have Bluetooth, no headset needed!)
* Spoken turn-by-turn directions
* Voice directions (you can talk to it to give it directions, instead of typing it in on the screen)
* Lane assist (more precise GPS for multi-lane exits etc.)

More features here:

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-road/automotive/2013-line/nuvi-3597lmthd/prod121762.html

So basically, for less than $350, you can get an amazing GPS with a big screen & lots of features that don't require a smartphone at all. Plus lifetime updates for the maps. Hard to beat.

 

[Pardus]

My gripes with Garmin:

The older Garmin's used a mini-usb instead of a micro-usb connection.

Placement of the charger, is in the back, not on the side like most devices.

When connecting the Garmin via a usb connector, you cannot get to the menus to navigate, it goes into a data update mode and is stuck there until the usb cable is removed. Can only use the cigarette lighter connector to keep the unit charged while driving.

Battery only last 2 hours at most, so if your on a long trip and its not charged, it will just turn off.

There is a no way to lock the unit, if someone steals it, all they have to do is click go home and it will navigate them right to your front door so they can rob you blind. I know your not suppose to use your exact home address, set it to a block or so away, but there needs to be a way to lock it.

With that said, the Garmin Nuvi 3490LMT is the model i would get.

 

[crashtestdummy]

I know most of yinz have smart phones but A: I don't have a smart phone and B: I don't plan on getting a smart phone. However, I do use my 10 year old Garmin occasionally in the car and on the motorcycle, but it is getting long in the tooth. Maps are not updated, battery doesn't hold charge very long, and most importantly the power button doesn't work. You HAVE to plug it in to get it to turn on. So...

I have a slickdeals alert set up for Garmin and I get results all the time. But there are so many Garmins I don't understand what the difference is! It seems to me that they don't really upgrade their units as much as change one or two features and call it a new model, discontinuing the last. So what really is the benefit to buying a brand new one versus a 2012 model year unit that is either on closeout or refurb? As far as I can tell I won't be missing much in terms of what I get, there's nothing new or groundbreaking in GPS devices that I need to have. Your thoughts?

I know you said you don't want/need a smartphone, but a Lumia 520/521 can be had for about $55, cheaper than most Garmin devices, and comes with downloadable maps and turn-by-turn directions. The only thing is that it requires the use of a SIM card once in order to activate the navigation software. Once you've done that, though, you can take the SIM out and use the phone as a pure GPS device. The real upside is that you will always be able to update the maps just by using wifi.

 

[rmacklyn]

I have used Garmin GPS for a long time and I didn't find any difficulty in looking out at the location finding and even with other related stuffs.

 

[Imp]

I've used two Garmins: one high-end model back in the day and a total budget model from 2 or 3 years ago.

The budget one was $100 and a Garmin Nuvi 40. It worked great when plugged in. I don't think the battery ever lasted more than an hour on a full charge -- sound turned down, backlight dimmed.

I would get a more expensive hiking model like the Oregon or even 62s/64s and buy the map pack separately for ~$80 (?). Ideally, it'd have better reception, be more portable, longer battery life, and more use outside the car.

 

[RossMAN]

I have a slickdeals alert set up for Garmin and I get results all the time. But there are so many Garmins I don't understand what the difference is! It seems to me that they don't really upgrade their units as much as change one or two features and call it a new model, discontinuing the last. So what really is the benefit to buying a brand new one versus a 2012 model year unit that is either on closeout or refurb? As far as I can tell I won't be missing much in terms of what I get, there's nothing new or groundbreaking in GPS devices that I need to have. Your thoughts?

It is confusing with so many new models released, "older" 2012-2013 models then factor in the refurbished models. It's almost as bad as mattress shopping, minus the ridiculously inflated prices.

My personal approach is to find the right balance of features/price ratio, last year we bought a brand new Garmin 2595 LMT for $125 from CostCo, it's already outdated, LOL my reasons for purchasing it were:

1) CostCo - awesome return policy, cash back on my Amex cc, extended warranty, etc.
2) There are only 2 features I really cared about which are:
HD Traffic cable included
Know which lane to be in thanks to advanced lane guidance with exclusive photoReal junction view.
3) I could have paid another $70 for the higher end 3xxx series but do I really need or will use those features which I call fluff? Probably not.

We only use our GPS maybe 7-8 times a year when traveling to other cities/states. I'm happy with the purchase and price paid, it should easily last around 5 years.

I'm not sure what your budget or needs are but here are some SD deals I would consider, assuming you're OK with refurb to get the most bang for your buck?

Obviously if you're a CostCo member or have access to one (via family member/friend), I would check out their current B&M and online deals - which can differ.

http://slickdeals.net/f/6988220-gar...dates-refurbished-64-99-free-shipping?src=tdw

http://slickdeals.net/f/6985844-gar...ifetime-map-traffic-updates-95-free-shipping?

I know you said you don't want/need a smartphone, but a Lumia 520/521 can be had for about $55, cheaper than most Garmin devices, and comes with downloadable maps and turn-by-turn directions. The only thing is that it requires the use of a SIM card once in order to activate the navigation software. Once you've done that, though, you can take the SIM out and use the phone as a pure GPS device. The real upside is that you will always be able to update the maps just by using wifi.

100% agreed. As you mentioned the OP doesn't have a smartphone and has no desire to buy one, however ... your suggestion merits consideration because:

1) The Nokia Lumia 520 (AT&T) / 521 (T-Mobile) support offline GPS navigation which is rare. Most smartphones require activation and costly $40/mo data plans which eats up your data. The difference with the Nokia 520/521 is two fold. First of all the smartphone doesn't even have to be activated or cell phone service active. Secondly you can use GPS navigation offline without an internet connection. Obviously you'll initially need an internet connection (wifi works just fine) to download the maps to the smartphones built in 8GB memory, these also allow up to download to microSD (up to 64GB).

Here's a demo showing the offline GPS navigation in action, fast forward to around 2:04 mark, not the best video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBdsmHPxD_U

Here's a slightly better video. The beginning shows how to download and install maps, actual navigation starts around 2:16 mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bPLSGOMZzk

2) Why would you want a smartphone that hasn't been activated and cannot make phone calls/send text messages? Think of it as a Windows iPod Touch, download videos, listen to MP3s, take pictures, surf the internet at home or work where you have WiFi available and of course offline GPS navigation with WORLDWIDE maps.

All those features for around $60 brand new, no Garmin GPS can touch it.

For GPS navigation our primary device is the Nokia Lumia 521, the Garmin is secondary and Nexus 5 is third choice.