Opinions on car GPS units

[danbike]

OK, we’re looking at getting a GPS for use while travelling. While I’m really pleased with our Garmin, I am smart enough to ask for comments and recommendations. I would like one that I can take from car to car and use for travelling.

Dan

[marc_54140]

Sheila navigates via a Garmin Street Pilot 2610. (This model is gone, but apparently you can buy refurished ones online). Higher numbers still in production. Great unit, with the entire US loaded (minus CA, OR and WA).

Sheila occassionally gets lost, but it’s usually due to new roads she does not know of.

[zuma]

I have seen Marc’s Sheila, and it is a good combo unit for the car and cachin, but no hand held unit is going to be as nearly as good as the Garmn Nuvi 450 for auto routing. If ya want a gps for your car, in addition to the gps that ya already use for finding caches, there is nothing better than a Garmin Nuvi.

The downside of the Nuvi is that you really cant use it for finding caches, so ya have to have a second unit for out of the car.

The upsides:

All of the US and Canada has road maps preloaded. (I used it in Oregon, and it was extremely helpful.)

It can take over a 1000 user waypoints (I dont know exactly how many, but I have put 1200 in at a time) and you can easily export user waypoints into the Nuvi from Cachemate. I have mine set to give the cache name, cache owner and difficulty/terrain rating. I choose which one I want to hit, touch the screen, and the Nuvi directs me to very near the cache, and then I use my hand-held Garmin to walk to the cache.

Much bigger screen, than hand held units, very easy to see the maps while driving.

No buttons. All user interface is touchscreen and intuitive. Ya point at what ya want, and it always works.

Has thousands of local attractions, gas stations, restaurants, etc preloaded. So if ya get into Timbuktu, and see ya need gas, just put your finger on fuel and it gives ya a list of options of gas stations, sorted by distance from your present locaiton. Another touch of the screen gives ya turn by turn directions to the gas station.

Comes with rechargable batteries, so ya never have to buy batteries for it.

Intuitive, user friendly design.

zuma

[benny7210]

I have a Garmin StreetPilot 2720. (That I call Gabby)
Had it for one year now and wouldn’t want to go caching with out it. I would highly recommend any Garmin product. We have three Garmins.(two hand helds, and one on the dash)

[hogrod]

I don’t currently own a car gps unit, but I will say that any garmin nuvi model over 350 usually is on top of consumer test reviews.

here’s some pretty current info about auto gps units in many price ranges.
http://gpstracklog.typepad.com/gps_tracklog/2006/05/automotive_gps_.html

[PCFrog]

@marc_54140 wrote:

Great unit, with the entire US loaded (minus CA, OR and WA).

❓

That’s like when I ask my daughter if she finished ALL of her homework.

“Yes dad, I got it all done except…”

Why are those three left off?

[Author]

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