GPS for Austin? (new construction, companies, dating)

[NC_newcomer]

I'm planning to get a GPS -- Garmin, TomTom or Magellan. Do any of them have maps current enough to show the toll roads around Austin?

I've read that the 2009 Garmin CityNavigator maps are really poor, and many folks are not updating. Any opinions on those for Austin?

Seven weeks and counting!

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by NC_newcomer

I'm planning to get a GPS -- Garmin, TomTom or Magellan. Do any of them have maps current enough to show the toll roads around Austin?

I've read that the 2009 Garmin CityNavigator maps are really poor, and many folks are not updating. Any opinions on those for Austin?

Seven weeks and counting!

Ok I wrote a really long reply and my network connection died and I lost it.

The short of it is that garmin and magellan use navteq maps, tom tom uses tele atlas. Navteq are much better

I like the magellan interface, if you type m for a street/city/state name it hides all the letters that dont match street names (i.e. z). This greatly reduces fat finger errors.

The garmin has better routing. The magellan has better "most use of highways" "least use of highways' "fastest time" options that actually work nicely and can sometimes create a better route.


Watch for how many points of interests the GPS has, that is actually really useful, the lower models have less.

Overall I prefer the garmin because the routes just seem better.

Both of the software are better than the $3000 GPS system in my lexus.

[Marisa7]

I bought the Garmin Nuvi 205 before driving down here a few months ago and it works great. There's been a couple times where it doesn't know about certain roads or has taken me the wrong way but I think its a life saver!!!!

[NC_newcomer]

For the Nuvi 205, do you have the 2009 mapset? And does it show the tollroads? None of my paper maps are that current!

[car957]

I was turned onto Mio GPS. I use it for travel out of state and it has a great display, identifies toll roads and has a nice sounding announcer (her name is Samantha according to the manual).

[woodinvilleguy]

Our magellan works well but there is so much new construction that there are missing streets including mine.

Does anyone know how to get mapquest, gmaps,... to add my street to the map database?

[achtungpv]

With Garmin you can download the latest maps one time for free. There's a fee for subsequent updates.

woodinvilleguy,
All GPS units are using either Navteq or TeleAtlas street data. The points of interest are generally from selected items from the current yellow pages. Same thing with MapQuest, Google Maps, Yahoo Maps. Thus, there's a 50/50 chance your GPS unit is using the same maps as your preferred online map already.

[NC_newcomer]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

With Garmin you can download the latest maps one time for free. There's a fee for subsequent updates.

Yes, but my question remains: do any of the current (eg Garmin 2009 CitiNavigator XP maps) show the Austin toll roads? How far behind do they seem to be in showing construction? (for example, the AAA paper map was last updated in 2004. No toll roads shown.).

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by NC_newcomer

Yes, but my question remains: do any of the current (eg Garmin 2009 CitiNavigator XP maps) show the Austin toll roads? How far behind do they seem to be in showing construction? (for example, the AAA paper map was last updated in 2004. No toll roads shown.).

Depends on the update timeframe. Both data companies drive the roads to collect the location and address ranges so it would depend on their individual update cycles.

Generally all new roads are collected annually. If the road just opened in '08, it won't appear until the '09 dataset is released.

[Marisa7]

Yes my Nuvi show's the toll roads... not sure what mapset I have. I bought it in August 2008 so I'm assuming 2008 maps.

Originally Posted by NC_newcomer

For the Nuvi 205, do you have the 2009 mapset? And does it show the tollroads? None of my paper maps are that current!