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My job required a lot of rental car traveling and I was thinking about getting a GPS but I am clueless about them. Anyone here have one they like/dislike? What are the pro's and con's of yours? I have some questions I want answered before I buy one if anyone can help.
i have a garmin. it's very useful, though the maps aren't 100% accurate and it doesn't always pick the fastest route.
Many people will agree that while GPS units are incredibly helpful, you can't fully rely on them. if you have the ability to map out a trip, do that first and use the GPS as map instead of a trip planner.
My job required a lot of rental car traveling and I was thinking about getting a GPS but I am clueless about them. Anyone here have one they like/dislike? What are the pro's and con's of yours? I have some questions I want answered before I buy one if anyone can help.
Laura, I have a Garmin Nuvi 350 and like it very much. Very portable(will fit in a pocket or purse) and simple to use. I would suggest you just google 'gps comparisons" to get detailed information on different makes and models.
gbone- That is exactly what I have been doing, there is so much to learn and so many choices.. I know I want a Garmin Nuvi, just deciding which one. The 350 is one I wrote down to further investigate.
gbone- That is exactly what I have been doing, there is so much to learn and so many choices.. I know I want a Garmin Nuvi, just deciding which one. The 350 is one I wrote down to further investigate.
Laura, FYI I paid $350 for the Nuvi 350 online. I looked at the 550 model also but wasn't interested in all of the bells and whistles for the price difference. Depending on what features you want and price you want to pay I think either one is very good. Consumer Reports rates them both highly. A plus is the size which makes it easy to travel with.
I don't want all the extras either, don't need another MP3 player and other stuff on it. I DO want one I can get to a spot somewhere and press it to save those cordinates in case I need them again and I would like to be able to update the maps through my PC at home, although I don't think I would need to. I definately want the voice directions since if I am using it, that means I am driving alone. I just freak out if I have to make a long trip alone, even if I know how to get where I am going and I am always afraid I will miss my turn..
I also would print out a map off of mapquest to have that as back up and I always carry a Atlas with me.
We also have the Garmin. I'd say it does get us where we are going 99.9% of the time which is good enough for me. If there are very new roads it sometimes won't pick up on them but that has been only one time for us. We keep it in our truck just for "back-up". We enjoy going on rides and just kinda get "lost" sometimes. Then we just pull it out and punch in "home". We don't leave home without it!!
If you don't need the Bluetooth AND you don't need the auto-sort for multiple destinations (to provide most efficient route), THEN the Nuvi 350 will probably do it for you. If you go to Garmin's site, you can click off the checkboxes to get a comparative grid of what all the features are. Then you can use froogle to search for the lowest price on that unit. [Hint: I prefer Buydig.com... service is great, and they usually have a highly competitive price].
I had a Garmin Nuvi 660 which had a widescreen. It was excellent. I didn't care for the traffic status service, 'bluetooth' or the MP3 player features.
It had excellent navigation and could be used as a stand alone hand held model.
I have a built in GPS for my car which isn't as versatile as the Garmin. However, the start up is instantaneous and the Garmin required up to a couple of minutes to find a satellite signal.
I got one now and I LOVE it! I didn't need the MP3 player or the blue tooth either. All I wanted was the basics and something to help me find my way in strange places and that is what I got. I got a Garmin since I have read so many good reviews on them and everyone I know who has one loves theirs. They are so easy to operate that even a challanged person like me could figure it out without the instructions.
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