What features to look for in an in-car GPS?

[lothar]

whats the difference between the 40Lm and 50Lm besides the 4.3" and 5" screens?

Absolutely nothing. Screen size is the only difference.
Both the 40LM and 50LM are completely useless.
They make good gifts for parents and grandparents because they're cheap.

If it's for your own personal use, either get something better than that or stick to using Google maps on an Android phone.

 

[JEDI]

Absolutely nothing. Screen size is the only difference.
Both the 40LM and 50LM are completely useless.
They make good gifts for parents and grandparents because they're cheap.

If it's for your own personal use, either get something better than that or stick to using Google maps on an Android phone.

why is the 40Lm uesless?
and i dont have an android phone.

my current gps is garmin nuvi 255w with 2010 maps. (no lifetime maps )
and there's been MAJOR changes in some roads in the DC area.
ie: a new connector overpass that links 2 major highways (I95 to I270 bypassing i495?)

 

[ImDonly1]

You can always download maps from your favorite bay of pirates.

 

[lothar]

why is the 40Lm uesless?
and i dont have an android phone.

my current gps is garmin nuvi 255w with 2010 maps. (no lifetime maps )
and there's been MAJOR changes in some roads in the DC area.
ie: a new connector overpass that links 2 major highways (I95 to I270 bypassing i495?)

The remaining difference that I thought were complete crap like Bluetooth, World travel clock, currency/unit converter, etc... are not mentioned.
Traffic compatible (routes around traffic with a receiver and subscription):
Routes:
Auto sort multiple destinations (provides most direct route):
Garmin Locate™ (marks position when removed from windshield mount):
Enhanced pedestrian navigation (guides you as you walk around town):
Garmin Lock™ (anti-theft feature):
MP3 player:

 

[Imp]

Absolutely nothing. Screen size is the only difference.
Both the 40LM and 50LM are completely useless.
They make good gifts for parents and grandparents because they're cheap.

If it's for your own personal use, either get something better than that or stick to using Google maps on an Android phone.

Going to disagree with that.

The 30, 40, and 50 series is the cheapest line that can be had for <$130 here. The alternative is getting a previous year cheapo model on clearance. It shows me where I am, and there's a reasonable database of important locations.

I've taken it out to the backroads and used it in the city, I've been satisfied.

I have a serious hardon for the Oregon 450 and 550 though...

Edit: Going to add or reiterate that I'm a minimalist and don't use 95&#37; of the features on any given device...

 

[lothar]

Going to disagree with that.

The 30, 40, and 50 series is the cheapest line that can be had for <$130 here. The alternative is getting a previous year cheapo model on clearance. It shows me where I am, and there's a reasonable database of important locations.

I've taken it out to the backroads and used it in the city, I've been satisfied.

I have a serious hardon for the Oregon 450 and 550 though...

Edit: Going to add or reiterate that I'm a minimalist and don't use 95% of the features on any given device...

See the post above yours to see what important features they're missing.

 

[JustMe21]

When I was looking for one, I looked at the following.

1. TTS - Text-To-Speech eg. Instead of "Turn right in 1/4 mile" you would get "Turn right in 1/4 mile onto Peachtree Street"

2. Multi-point routing so you can plot stops too.

3. Trip simulator, so you can verify that the GPS isn't taking you on a wild goose chase.

4. Maps - I know NavTeq and TeleAtlas used to be the big map makers and each had their pros and cons.

5. Map Updates - how frequently maps are updated can be a factor

6. Versatility - Some car GPS units will also function as a personal GPS unit for city navigation

7. Batterly life - If you want it to be able to work as a personal GPS too.

8. Real time traffic info - Some GPS units have free traffic info while others have paid.

9. Bonuses - The refurbed GPS I bought also had AAA maps and information which had more info than the standard GPS maps. Also, a GPS with cell (3G) capability would be good for keeping everything up-to-date.

10. GPS chip - I had a SiRFstarIII GPS microcontroller chip in the GPS I bought and it usually locked onto the GPS satellites in under 3 seconds. I've also had a GPS that took 30 minutes to lock onto a signal, so be sure and see what people say about the GPS controller and ability to get a lock on quickly.

 

[JEDI]

What is Junction View? Is it worth it when buying a new GPS now-a-days??

(i can hack my Nuvi 255WT to have it, but requires a downgrade of firmware first, then load new firmware. Is it worth the trouble?)

 

[manly]

Absolutely nothing. Screen size is the only difference.
Both the 40LM and 50LM are completely useless.
They make good gifts for parents and grandparents because they're cheap.

If it's for your own personal use, either get something better than that or stick to using Google maps on an Android phone.

Google Maps has actually gotten me lost on several occasions in SoCal. I almost kick myself each time I use it.

Though I'll defer to your research, I'm not sure that what's missing from the nuvi 40/50 are deal-breakers?

 

[lothar]

What is Junction View? Is it worth it when buying a new GPS now-a-days??

https://support.garmin.com/support/...caseId={8a566cb0-d2ef-11de-6566-000000000000}
In other words, it's almost completely useless. Why? Because you need to be staring at your GPS 2 miles before the exit/junction. It flashes for only 10 seconds, and once you miss it, that's it.

Buying a new GPS for Junction View is certainly not worth it. I'm still rocking in my Garmin Nuvi 760 from 2 years ago. Don't plan on changing anytime soon. Junction view, 3D buildings, etc...are all gimmicks.

(i can hack my Nuvi 255WT to have it, but requires a downgrade of firmware first, then load new firmware. Is it worth the trouble?)

No one here can decide that question for you.

 

[lothar]

Google Maps has actually gotten me lost on several occasions in SoCal. I almost kick myself each time I use it.

Though I'll defer to your research, I'm not sure that what's missing from the nuvi 40/50 are deal-breakers?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32628501&postcount=29

You don't consider not having traffic capability in a personal navigation device to be a deal breaker?

 

[Imp]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32628501&postcount=29

You don't consider not having traffic capability in a personal navigation device to be a deal breaker?

Personally, no, I wouldn't. When I bothered driving to work, my options were 1 of 3:

1. Regular route, traffic jam all the way home.
2. Get on highway, relatively fast (through traffic jam), then line up at the end of a short highway for 10-15 min to get off, then get into traffic.
3. Traffic jam, then 500 traffic lights, then more traffic jam.

I only used the GPS for long range navigation or when I was in an unfamiliar area. My job requires me to go to the sticks and work on country roads in the middle of nowhere.


Junction view i snice, but ya, you're going to have to be paying attention to when the screen pops up. But if you were waiting for the screen, you probably could have just looked for the signs through your windshield.

 

[JEDI]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32628501&postcount=29

You don't consider not having traffic capability in a personal navigation device to be a deal breaker?

nope

i havbe the 255wt w/lifetime traffic.

it's USELESS in DC area.
even when there's traffic, it wont re-reoute u till it's over a 15min delay.
and most of the time it's late w/the time.

the few times i was rerouted, i saw that the main route was cleared already when i drove on local streets waiting at red lights!

 

[manly]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32628501&postcount=29

You don't consider not having traffic capability in a personal navigation device to be a deal breaker?

I did read your post, and traffic was the most important thing on the list. Personally I wouldn't pay an annual subscription for it, but cheap & lifetime is worthwhile. I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker though, but obviously I have lower GPS navi standards than you do.

I suspect in about a year, all those additional features can be had at the entry-level.

 

[Synomenon]

The problem with models that have capacitive screens like the iPhone is that you have to take your gloves off to use them.

Get a mid-range TomTom if you want more advanced routing features. Have a Garmin NuLink 1695 and a TomTom GO 2535M Live. The TomTom hands down, has better routing. The Garmin units tend to be very dumbed down.

 

[lothar]

nope

i havbe the 255wt w/lifetime traffic.

it's USELESS in DC area.
even when there's traffic, it wont re-reoute u till it's over a 15min delay.
and most of the time it's late w/the time.

the few times i was rerouted, i saw that the main route was cleared already when i drove on local streets waiting at red lights!

I have the Nuvi 760(not the "T" model) with a lifetime Clear Channel subscription. I'll have to check again but the last time I checked two years ago, my traffic subscription doesn't expire until the year 2075. :biggrin:
I live in the Baltimore area and traffic works excellent. Both going/coming to DC, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York.

Clear Channel coverage area:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36805#coverageTab
http://www.totaltraffic.com/CoverageAreas/
http://www.totaltraffic.com/LocalTraffic/

NAVTEQ traffic coverage area:
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36804#coverageTab
http://www.navteq.com/rdstraffic/index_150.htm
http://www.navteq.com/rdstraffic/

That's because yours uses NAVTEQ traffic.
Clear Channel > NAVTEQ???

One thing to add...Traffic coverage highly depends on the area.
There are areas where Clear Channel has zero coverage such as Buffalo, NY; Knoxville, TN and NAVTEQ does have. There are areas NAVTEQ has zero coverage such as Chattanooga, TN; Charleston, SC; Columbia, SC and Clear Channel does have. There are areas where BOTH have coverage with Clear Channel having more stations which lead to better accuracy of traffic reports than NAVTEQ does. I speak this from personal experience since I'm in the Baltimore/DC/VA area. I have two cables. The 1st cable that came with my Garmin Nuvi 760 has a lifetime Clear Channel subscription. The other cable I bought on eBay about a year later for my aunt came with NAVTEQ lifetime subscription. I found Clear Channel to be much more reliable in my testing of both cables so I added a lifetime Clear Channel subscription to the 2nd unit which means it now has both subscriptions on that one cable.

Testimonials from other people that confirmed my results:
http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=12438 (Los Angeles area, and many other people from different areas posted their observations)
http://forums.gpsreview.net/viewtopic.php?t=17754 (I-95/I-495 which all passes VA, MD, NYC, and/or CT)
http://www.poi-factory.com/node/26413 (People from Los Angeles, NYC, and other areas posted their observations)

All those "T" and "WT" models that came with free ad-based traffic come with NAVTEQ.

Maybe one is better off buying the cable but that would be completely stupid.
The cables cost $200+ on Garmin.com Pay the $20-40 premium by getting a GPS that already comes with a cable(LT or LMT versions) and add a $60 Clear Channel traffic subscription to that same cable if you want. Better than skimping $20-40 and paying $200 for a GTM-20/GTM-25 cable.
**EDIT**
Looks like they've reduced the price of the cables to $120.

 

[lothar]

I did read your post, and traffic was the most important thing on the list. Personally I wouldn't pay an annual subscription for it, but cheap & lifetime is worthwhile. I wouldn't call it a deal-breaker though, but obviously I have lower GPS navi standards than you do.

I suspect in about a year, all those additional features can be had at the entry-level.

It's not an annual subscription, it's a lifetime subscription.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36805
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36804

That's what people said 2 years ago.
Before there were only about ~4-5 different units from Garmin about 3 years ago.
Now Garmin has created a gazillion units with all sorts of different features. Many features that came previously with most(if not all their units) has been completely stripped down bare naked on the basic GPS units.
What you're suspecting certainly hasn't happened the past 2-3 years.

 

[JEDI]

so i have to buy a clear channel cable, then pay another $60 for lifetime sub for my 255wt?

 

[lothar]

so i have to buy a clear channel cable, then pay another $60 for lifetime sub for my 255wt?

You should be able to add a Clear Channel subscription to your current cable. You don't need to buy a new cable for that. And yes, you can have 2 traffic subscriptions on the same cable.

Sent from my GT-I9100

 

[manly]

It's not an annual subscription, it's a lifetime subscription.
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36805
https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=268&pID=36804

That's what people said 2 years ago.
Before there were only about ~4-5 different units from Garmin about 3 years ago.
Now Garmin has created a gazillion units with all sorts of different features. Many features that came previously with most(if not all their units) has been completely stripped down bare naked on the basic GPS units.
What you're suspecting certainly hasn't happened the past 2-3 years.

Garmin nuvi 1490T on sale at Amazon for $90. This model has most of the referenced bullet points that are missing from the nuvi 40/50.

Didn't take a year. To be fair, it's not going to last at this low price for very long.

 

[gevorg]

- live traffic updates and re-routing

- lane assist, when it works, is a pretty awesome feature

- if you wait until next year, GLONASS support would be nice too, should improve accuracy with 24 more satellites to catch in the sky

 

[lothar]

Garmin nuvi 1490T on sale at Amazon for $90. This model has most of the referenced bullet points that are missing from the nuvi 40/50.

Didn't take a year. To be fair, it's not going to last at this low price for very long.

Wow, the more I research about these "new" Garmin units, the more I'm beginning to hate them.
Did you see the images uploaded by a customer for that unit you linked to?
http://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-me...m_pdp_imgs_all
Absolutely ridiculous.
There are a lot of reviews saying the traffic feature(NAVTEQ that is) of these new units are useless as well.

Looks like I will keep my Nuvi 760 with Clear Channel's traffic feature like the treasure that it is.
Once it goes kaput, I will use my Android phone exclusively. I currently only use Google maps to complement it now because Google tells you about local traffic...Both Clear Channel and NAVTEQ only tells you about traffic on highways and other major roads.

The only people I'd recommend to buy these new Garmin units at this point are people who don't have an Android phone and any GPS unit at all.
If you already have an Android(I'm not aware about the capability of iOS/WP7/BB so I'm only talking about what I know here) phone or one of those old Garmin units like I do, save your cash.

 

[lothar]

- live traffic updates and re-routing

- lane assist, when it works, is a pretty awesome feature

- if you wait until next year, GLONASS support would be nice too, should improve accuracy with 24 more satellites to catch in the sky

NAVTEQ traffic? That's debatable. Clear Channel was worth it for me and it's worked the 3 years I've had it. If I had an Android phone 3 years ago instead of 2 months ago, would I have bought my Nuvi 760 with lifetime Clear Channel traffic subscription? Not sure/Undecided...because Google Maps was still in it's infancy then.

Lane assist is a useless feature for me even if working correctly.
Like Imp mentioned earlier, your time would be better spent paying attention to the signs in front of your windshield than starring at your GPS unit 2 miles before you reach a junction to see a "10 seconds" warning flash. If you pay attention to the signs in front of you, you can't miss it.

GLONASS support? another useless/irrelevant feature. My current accuracy on the 760 Nuvi is always about 16ft. If I was shooting a Hellfire missile, yeah I'd need all the accuracy. I'd prefer Garmin to return all those 750/760 series features they're stripping out from their current units than better accuracy.

 

[JEDI]

3.5" and 4.3" screens show the same image. the 4.3" screen doesnt offer higher resolution.

but according to a reviewer on Amazon, the 5" 1490T's screen shows more?!

so 5" is the way to go?

 

[lothar]

3.5" and 4.3" screens show the same image. the 4.3" screen doesnt offer higher resolution.

but according to a reviewer on Amazon, the 5" 1490T's screen shows more?!

so 5" is the way to go?

I don't buy that argument.
My Nuvi 760 from 3 years ago is 4.3" with the same resolution and displays everything.
You don't(or shouldn't rather) need 5" and a higher resolution to display roads and exits on a highway.

5" takes too much dashboard space IMO. Just like I wouldn't want to be carrying a 5" phone around. There comes a point when size doesn't matter and becomes a detriment. Size isn't everything.