Best value GPS unit?
 

Greetings,

I'm interested in hearing about your experience with GPS map/navigation units, and which one you would recommend as having the best value, without costing an arm and a leg. Is screen size the most important thing, or ease of use (not distracting you from driving), or good voice instructions, or responsiveness and accuracy, or ease of programing -- what's most important to you?

Thanks in advance.

hey neil...

i own a garmin nuvi and love it. i have the basic 250 model with the wide screen (4.3"). i chose it for price and basic functions. ive had it about a year and the price has already dropped from 199 to below 150. this is a great time of year to get a great deal on gps units. if youre looking for basic functions without major bells and whistles the nuvi 250 is great and the price is good.

my friend owns a tom tom model and i liked his more than mine because it did more but it was 500 bucks.

one suggestion...i only use mine on mute as the gps voice can drive u nuts at times because it tells u about upcoming turns alot.

one other thing too...

get a non suction/sticky removable mount or holder for the gps that sits on your dashboard. for the nuvi u can get a beanbag spider mount that is weighted and doesnt move an inch on the dash. its also small so u can store it easily when not in use so theives dont know u have a gps in your car as they will break in even if they dont see the gps but they see the mount and assume a gps is in the car.

The nuvi 250 is really hard to beat for the price it is right now. I have a friend with one. I have a garmin zumo 450 since I needed a waterproof version for my bike but it works basically the same. I have tried a tom tom and a lowrance model but I still like the garmin interface the best.

Plus mapsource for the garmin once you get the hang of it is pretty sweet for managing your waypoints and other stuff for it.

After several adventures navigating the streets of Washington DC and Virginia in general this past spring, I spent the past few months borrowing every GPS I could from friends and coworkers. In the end I bought a Garmin nuvi 260 from Circuit City. A real bargain at $160 (I paid $150 3 weeks ago). Least expensive unit from Garvin or Tomtom that speaks street names, I feature I really love. Personally, I found no real use for the extra real estate on the wide screen models. I would prefer a vertically oriented rectangular screen as it would show you further down the road you are currently on without zooming out further. I wish I could download celebrity voices like you can for TomTom.

Hey Neil...got this today in my email...1 day sale only...

Pretty good deal at Comp USA on GPS devices...might want to check it out!

CompUSA.com

NeilBlanchard -

I don't have one, but I heard that some have low prices but $$$ map updates (maybe Garmin, but I can't remember). So, you want to check if you get free map updates as a feature/value check.

CarloSW2

Garmin offers map updates on their website...it does cost extra for that but I've had mine for awhile and havent run into any roads or areas where the gps sent me the wrong way (except for areas where construction is unavoidable).

As with anything...you get what you pay for. If you want to hear street names on the voice you pay extra. If you want real time traffic you pay extra. It all depends on what you're using the gps for and what fits your needs best. For me, it's mostly local driving and a few longer trips. I will tell you this...my gps has already paid for itself in just the ease of driving and finding places alone. I never thought I would need one but even looking up local restaurants I haven't been to in Boston is worth the price...delivers you right on their front door.

Neil,

I was surfing the Costco website tonight and ran across a great deal on Tom Tom GPS units there. $129 on the One125 3.5" unit with a free dashboard beanbag mount. I haven't seen many basic GPS units from reputable companies at a price this good!

Here's the link from their website:
Costco - TomTom ONE125 3.5" Touchscreen w/ Bonus Dash Mount

I've always found this navigation unit quite effective...

http://www.ebooknetworking.com/books...0528939661.jpg

It's extremely cost effective too. Under $10 in all Wal-Mart stores.