GPS Units

[PhillyPhreak54]

Does anyone have one?

I've narrowed my search down to the Garmin brand. They are by far the best out there. My buddy has the one thats like $500. But I don't need something that expensive.

I was looking at the nuvi 200W or the nuvi 250W; they are about the same.

The 260W has the text-to-speech thing, but is a little more expensive.

Looking for some opinions on these if anyone has bought one.

[Father Demon]

I have the Garmin c340 which is a couple years old, but still available I think.  If it is, the price should be very attractive by now.  I never leave for a trip without it whether I'm going three towns away where I might not know all the streets or cross country.  Traveling for business is a breeze with a GPS as well, since you can plan ahead by searching for hotels, restaurants, sports stadium, etc or just looking for a certain type of food.  I honestly don't know how people get by without a GPS in the car.

[PhillyPhreak54]

Yeah, that has been my deciding factor; business.

I drive all day, 5 days a week. From Houston to Port Lavaca to Galveston to Conroe. I don't know this part of the state too well, so having a GPS is almost a necessity. I get tired of looking at Streets and Trips or Mapquest before I go out for the day or printing out maps and directions for my stops. I want to be able to just go wherever I want.

I've seen the c340...I think they are about the same prices as the nuvi 200 and nuvi 250's...I think Garmin is getting ready to launch a new line so the 200's and 250's are on sale. So much to the point that the Best Buy.com doesn't show the 200's and the 250's are on a 2-week back order.

I should have gotten one a few weeks ago.

The prices are about 159-199....not too shabby

My boys 760W or whatever model he has, is awesome. It lists restaurants by name, banks and ATMs by branch, etc.

[reese125]

I used to love driving looking down at 3 print-out copies of Mapquest in my one hand, reversing the directions and start out going SouthSouthWest for 3.4 miles to the first intersection

The I got a TomTom--best GPS on the market

[General_Failure]

If you get one, put this on it.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

The biggest problem with GPS units is that whenever the company feels like it, they stop providing map updates for their older models.  Your best bet is to get one of the newer ones, even if it has fewer frills.

[ice grillin you]

i belong to consumer reports and just looked up their ratings...these are the top five in each category along with ther "best buy" pick


BASIC NAVIGATORS

Garmin Nuvi 260W  $320   
Garmin Nuvi 260  $300   
Garmin Nuvi 200W $220
Nuvi 250W $300 $220       
Jensen Touch & Go NVX430BT  $250 

**best buy** Garmin Nuvi 200 $150

NAVIGATORS WITH TRAFFIC OPTIONAL

TomTom Go 930  $500   
Garmin Nuvi 255W  $350   
TomTom Go 730  $450   
TomTom Go 920  $450   
Garmin Nuvi 255  $300   
   
**best buy**  TomTom XL 330 $300

 
TRAFFIC-READY NAVIGATORS

Garmin Nuvi 880 $1000
Nuvi 850 $1000   
**best buy** Garmin Nuvi 760 $350
Nuvi 750 $500
Nuvi 770 $700

[Susquehanna Birder]

I honestly don't know how people get by without a GPS in the car.

I totally agree. I have a built-in one in my Highlander, and it's gotten me out of quite a few potential jams. It's next to impossible to get lost, and mine ties into the bluetooth system in the car, so I can find restaurants, hotels, and the like, and call them hands-free while driving.

I do wish it had a traffic option, though.

[rjs246]

Several of my friends have GPS systems and I'll be damned if it hasn't turned them into farging morons behind the wheel. They don't pay any attention to where they are where they're going they just aim the car forward and wait for the british bitch to tell them when to turn. They can't get anywhere without them and couldn't give directions to a place they just drove to 15 minutes ago.

Having said that I want one.

[ice grillin you]

if they were free they would be a neat thing to have...but ill be damned if im paying someone to give me directions

[Susquehanna Birder]

Several of my friends have GPS systems and I'll be damned if it hasn't turned them into farging morons behind the wheel. They don't pay any attention to where they are where they're going they just aim the car forward and wait for the british bitch to tell them when to turn. They can't get anywhere without them and couldn't give directions to a place they just drove to 15 minutes ago.

Having said that I want one.

I turn off the volume on mine. And the people who are card-carrying morons with the GPS are probably closet morons to begin with. That said, I can admit that on one trip, I let the system set my route (Watkins Glen to Harrisburg), and it took me way out of the way (via Binghamton), and the trip took a bit longer than I wanted...but it was still good to know where the eating and fueling spots were along the way.

[Cerevant]

I just got the Garmin 260W and love it.  Don't underestimate the value of hearing the street name when you are driving down town, and streets are close together.

Garmin's maps have been backwards compatible for almost forever.  I just retired my Street Pilot III (Vintage 2002) and they still support map updates for it.  The bad news is that the updates can be pretty pricey, but it has actually come down recently (it used to be $150/year, now it is $99)

[PhillyPhreak54]

i belong to consumer reports and just looked up their ratings...these are the top five in each category along with ther "best buy" pick


BASIC NAVIGATORS

Garmin Nuvi 260W  $320   
Garmin Nuvi 260  $300   
Garmin Nuvi 200W $220
Nuvi 250W $300 $220       
Jensen Touch & Go NVX430BT  $250 

**best buy** Garmin Nuvi 200 $150

NAVIGATORS WITH TRAFFIC OPTIONAL

TomTom Go 930  $500   
Garmin Nuvi 255W  $350   
TomTom Go 730  $450   
TomTom Go 920  $450   
Garmin Nuvi 255  $300   
   
**best buy**  TomTom XL 330 $300

 
TRAFFIC-READY NAVIGATORS

Garmin Nuvi 880 $1000
Nuvi 850 $1000   
**best buy** Garmin Nuvi 760 $350
Nuvi 750 $500
Nuvi 770 $700

Good stuff, thanks igy.

The 200 is looking like what I'm going to do. I will go to Best Buy this morning and check it out.

Circuit City sells refurbished ones. They have great deals on them and it appears that they are under warranty too. I hesitate to buy one though.

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Several of my friends have GPS systems and I'll be damned if it hasn't turned them into farging morons behind the wheel. They don't pay any attention to where they are where they're going they just aim the car forward and wait for the british bitch to tell them when to turn. They can't get anywhere without them and couldn't give directions to a place they just drove to 15 minutes ago.

Having said that I want one.

2nd to all of the above.

[ice grillin you]

phreak "best buy" pick is not referring to the store its consumer reports pick for the unit that is the best value for the money